University Observer Editors reveal their Letterboxd Wrapped stats and share their love for the film fan’s favourite app that is reaching new heights in the new year.
Ciara Whelan, Film & TV Editor
Since downloading the Letterboxd app at the beginning of 2022 I’ve logged and rated almost one thousand films, and with this year’s Black Friday Sale I officially signed my soul over to them (I bought a Pro Membership subscription). After his big win at the Golden Globes that will likely begin an award streak, it was only right that this year’s Letterboxd Wrapped reminded me of the nine films featuring Cillian Murphy that I watched this year, with Disco Pigs (2001) and Sunshine (2007) being my personal favourites. His presence is symptomatic of the extent to which I endeavoured to watch more Irish cinema this year and his films feature regularly among the twenty Irish productions and co-productions that I managed to watch in 2023.
Caroline Kelly, Features Editor
Admittedly, I had a lot of time on my hands this year. I logged over 200 films with Letterboxd which meant that I spent 350 hours watching movies this year. The first film I watch each year is When Harry Met Sally (1989), and the final film I watched this year was Poor Things (2023), directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, which I adored and can’t recommend enough. Gena Rowlands was my most-watched actor, which is unsurprising considering I have her tattooed on my forearm, and my most-watched director was John Cassavetes. If you are interested in 1960 and 1970s film noir with improvised dialogue, messy yet complex characters and stream-of-consciousness theatrics, then I highly recommend his films Opening Night (1977), A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Shadows (1964).
Katie Larkin, Comment Editor
From Banshees to BiPanic to Barbie, movie-viewing in 2023 was nothing short of exciting with different and captivating new releases, and a trip down memory lane with some old gems I previously missed. My highlights of the year as per my Letterboxd Wrapped have to be the obvious choices; Saltburn (2023), Banshees of Inisherin (2022) and a catch up with an old favorite, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). I liked foreign productions including Passages (2023) and I’ve also got to experiment in other genres I have ignored thus far with films like Ghibli’s Howl's Moving Castle (2004) which was a personal favourite.
Tessa Ndjonkou, Editor-in-Chief
My Letterboxd Wrapped sometimes misrepresents my actual tastes given there are some rather shameful viewings I’d rather keep hidden (It’s the After movies, I just can’t). But where it doesn’t falter is in its accounting of my fascination with Barry Keoghan’s performances. Although I was not consciously seeking the actor out, my Letterboxd seems to prove otherwise as I have watched over ten movies of his this year alone. Before Yórgos Lánthimos dominated the 2024 Awards season with outstanding performance nominations for Poor Things (2023), he directed one of the most thought provoking albeit unsettling portrayals of psychological warfare in The Killing Of Sacred Deer (2017). Seven years ago, Keoghan was already holding his own alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Colin Farell and Nicole Kidman. A true chameleon, he effortlessly transforms from a malicious imp in The Green Knight (2021) to an roguish empath in Chloe Zhao’s Eternals (2021) and it’s a pleasure to see.