Among the most popular streaming platforms, Netflix was consistently my favorite to navigate. The size of the tiles, in addition to the number, is just enough that you aren’t presented with too many options or too few. This ratio was also extended to your watch list, but the keyword here is “was.”
Now that Netflix has changed one of my favorite aspects of its UI, I’ve moved my watch list to Letterboxd. I needed a good reason to create an account, but now that I’m making headway on my watch list, I’m really glad I jumped over to Letterboxd.
You shouldn’t “fix” what isn’t broken, Netflix
Why was an objectively good design changed to something worse?
The crux of my problem stems from Netflix’s small but significant change to the UI whenever you use the app, whether on a smartphone or a gaming console (which is how I usually watch movies). Whenever I want to work through my watch list on Netflix—which I’ve been subscribed to for years, so there’s a lot—I don’t get a somewhat focused overview of about a dozen movies and series, but a very small, single-file line.
I wasn’t expecting a seemingly small change to have a dramatic impact on me. Because now, when I’m looking for something to watch, my choices are too thin. Seeing around five or six options at a time makes me wonder whether there might be something better to watch after three or four pages. Twelve feels like a better sample size, but more importantly, when those options are presented in a series of rows as opposed to one, I can let the cover art draw my attention.
Not to mention, Netflix won’t even let you sort this ridiculous change to, at the very least, eliminate content based on genre. The options available are extremely limited and don’t expand beyond alphabetizing or toggling between movies and series. Though I should try out Netflix’s hidden categories at some point, just to see if I can’t snag a few movies I’m not aware of.
Well, I was bound to use Letterboxd at some point
Netflix gave me the push I needed
Unfortunately, that simple UI change has made my Netflix watch list practically unusable. It only looks like it did originally, with several rows of content, in a browser, which isn’t exactly convenient for me when I mostly watch Netflix on my tablet or PS5. The best solution is to start creating a universal watch listusing Letterboxd, which has the benefit of looking like Netflix when I’m looking for movies to bookmark.
I was circling the wagon with Letterboxd for a while, being this semi-social hub for sharing your love of movies. There’s even a place for me to share some quick thoughts when I log in and rate a movie I’ve recently seen. Whether or not I like Netflix’s UI navigation change, there’s no doubt it spurred me to finally use Letterboxd.
It’s also been a boon for re-adding older movies I saw growing up and would like to revisit after a decade or two of not seeing them. Essentially, Letterboxd has become my Goodreads for movies, cataloging every movie I’ve seen, so I don’t accidentally rewatch something I gave a bad rating to.
I’m actually saving some movies, too
Now I’m down just a few subscriptions
When you have three or more streaming subscriptions, the tree of watch lists you create is a nightmare to keep track of. Sometimes those branches connect, so a movie is available on two of my subscriptions, and I watch it, but forget to remove it from the other service. And since I tend to enjoy movies more than series, Letterboxd has become my de facto movie watch list.
More importantly, it’s helped shave a couple of bucks from my monthly bills. I’ll find some movies I want to watch, group them by the services they’re available on, then pick the service that gives me the best value. I might spring for a second one if a couple of movies I really want to see are on the same service, too. Gone are the days of having three or more streaming subscriptions, and a big cut to the constant bombardment of streaming’s annoying ads.
In fact, if you’re searching for movies to watch on a specific service, Letterboxd lets you browse by service, but unfortunately, it’s limited to Amazon and Apple TV. If you upgrade to Letterboxd Pro (it’s $19 a year), you can specify other streaming services. Otherwise, you have to visit each movie’s info page manually to view your streaming options.
Letterboxd isn’t perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction
With Letterboxd having an app, I can quickly check my watch list from it; it’s been a way better tool for keeping track of what I haven’t watched. It has the UI I crave that Netflix just tossed for some bizarre reason. However, its only weakness is that it’s mostly limited to movies, but at least my extremely short watch list on Netflix is now nothing but series. If you don’t want to create yet another account, you could always create a universal list using a Roku streaming device!
