The popular, cinephile-focused diary and review app Letterboxd has launched its new film-rental platform, The Letterboxd Video Store. The platform can currently be accessed via the Letterboxd app or the website. The platform is fairly demure within the app, looking basically like one of the movie posters featured on a carousel a row or two from the top. The laid-back impact of the platform on the Letterboxd experience is probably a great choice, feeling like a soft launch.
The interest in the rental platform lies in its curation. The Letterboxd Video Store is focused on films not available anywhere else: older titles that have fallen out of favor or newer indie films that other studios do not see enough dollars in to be worth an investment. The “big” launch title is film-festival darling It Ends. This mystery/horror film is generally liked by festival goers and critics, making it a perfect fit for the platform.
The Letterboxd Video Store is really just another VOD opportunity, but in a crowded landscape full of white noise, curation matters. The Video Store is more akin to The Criterion Channel or Mubi. The number of films available will never compare to Netflix, but the assumption is that the quality of what is featured on the platform will be much better, or at least tailored to the hardcore Letterboxd user. Along with It Ends are international titles, thrillers, romance, sci-fi, and drama. Films rent for $3.99 and can be cast to a TV from the app, along with watching on a computer or mobile device.
