Letterboxd has quickly become the defacto platform for modern movie fans in the digital era, where people have gone to share their experiences and thoughts on films while logging their own personal film journeys. As with many other online film sites with average rankings, the Letterboxd community has grown and morphed into having its own distinct tastes and preferences for modern film.
As is the case throughout Letterboxd’s history, sometimes there are films that have such a high degree of hype and praise surrounding it during its release that it manages to land a spot in the official Top 250 at its earliest possible date. Whether the film was able to stick around in the top 250 past its initial hype period, or it quickly left the 250 after the initial burst of enthusiasm, every film that has been in the top 250 is immortalized ina separate Letterboxd list.
10’Barbie' (2023)
The blockbuster adaptation of the classic toy line,Barbiefollows Barbie and Ken as they live their lives in the perfect world of Barbie Land, before getting the chance to explore the real world. However, the real world isn’t as nice and pretty as they believed, and both Barbie and Ken learn their own valuable lessons about the real world, leading to ramifications in their own world.
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It’s no shocker that Letterboxd has been excited for the release ofBarbieever since it was announced, and when the film was released and was able to deliver on the excitement, the community didn’t hold out on its praise. The film debuted on the Letterboxd Top 250 at #207 during its release week, before dropping out of the list a week later.
9’Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)
The legacy sequel to the classic 80s action film,Top Gun: Mavericksees Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell returning to TOP GUN in order to teach a group of pilots for a terrifying specialized mission. Maverick is forced to deal with the difficulties of confronting his past so that he can set a good example for the pilots of the future as he suits up for his most dangerous mission yet.
Top Gun: Maverick because the defining runaway hit of its summer season, soaring to new heights that the Letterboxd community couldn’t help but fall in love with. The film debuted on the Letterboxd Top 250 at #169 during its release week, although it would eventually fall out of the Top 250, but still holds a solid 4.0/5 on the site.
8’John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
The current final chapter of theJohn Wickfranchise,John Wick: Chapter 4sees Wick attempting to defeat The High Table for once and for all after uncovering a new path to victory. On his journey, Wick faces off with new faces as well as old friends turned foes as nearly every assassin in the world is hunting him down.
Letterboxd has always been a fan of the high-paced action and amazing stunt work present in theJohn Wickfilms, andChapter 4only further cemented the franchise’s place in film history to the community. The film debuted on the Letterboxd Top 250 at #162 during its release weeks, before eventually dwindling down and out of the Top 250, while still holding at 4.0/5 on the site.
7’Past Lives' (2023)
Past Livesfollows the story of Nora and Hae Sung, two interconnected souls who were once childhood friends but were split apart when Nora’s family emigrated from South Korea to the US. 20 years later, the duo reunites for a single week, where the duo confronts and comes to terms with their connection, the notions of love, and the lives they have lived without one another.
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Past Livesreceived a lot of excitement and hype surrounding its release on Letterboxd after extremely strong word of mouth from its Sundance premiere, leading to its exceptional critical reception. The film went as high as #88 on the Top 250 once it finally hit wide release, and still holds a commendable spot at #125, and as one of Letterboxd’shighest-rated films from the first half of 2023.
6’Marcel the Shell with Shoes On' (2021)
Marcel the Shell with Shoes Onis a fictional documentary that follows the life of Marcel, a one-inch-tall shell who lives life with his grandmother among the clutter of everyday household objects. When Marcel is found by Dean in his Airbnb, his recordings and documentation of Marcel go viral online, bringing about millions of fans to Marcel, who may just be able to help him reunite with his family.
The Letterboxd community has always rallied around the releases from A24, yet the combination of being adapted from famous Youtube shorts, on top of rave festival word of mouth, created a perfect storm forMarcel. The film’s limitless charm and wonder for the world left the Letterboxd community floored, resulting in it reaching as high as #82 on the Top 250 during its first week in wide release. While not nearly as high as its initial debut, the film still holds a spot at #202 over a full calendar year after its wide release, maintaining its status as one of thehighest-rated animated movies on the site.
5’The Batman' (2022)
The Batmanfollows the titular caped crusader in his second year of fighting crime, as he continues his onslaught against the corruption present throughout Gotham City. He soon learns of an undercurrent that even links his own family to the crimes underneath the surface, as Batman attempts to bring the truth to light while simultaneously facing the deadly Riddler.
Batman films have always been held in high regard in film communities, Letterboxd included, andThe Batmanwas constantly being hyped up as one of the best Batman films ever, comparable even toThe Dark Knight. While The Batman never reached as high on the Top 250 as The Dark Knight, it still reached as high as #78 during its release week and still holds a 4.0/5 average on the site.
4’Oppenheimer' (2023)
DirectorChristopher Nolan’sOppenheimeris a historical biopic that tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The film shifts its focus between two main stories, one focusing on Oppenheimer’s recollection of the events while under investigation, and a subsequent similar trial being held for Lewis Strauss that finds itself often connecting to Oppenheimer’s legacy.
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Nolan’s filmography is always hit or miss when it comes to Letterboxd, with some of his films receiving high praise, and others receivingmuch less praise compared to other film sites.Oppenheimerproved itself to be an absolute favorite of his filmography in the eyes of the Letterboxd community, ranking as high as #52 on the Top 250 during release weekend, and still holding a spot in the top 100.
3’Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)
The third film in the MCU’sSpider-Mantrilogy,Spider-Man: No Way Homesees Peter Parker unmasked and forced to deal with the entire city knowing his secret identity, and unable to separate his two lives. When Peter enlists the help of Doctor Strange to help return things back to the way they were before, unforeseen consequences result in the colliding of their universe with enemies from alternate universes.
No Way Homehad massive buzz surrounding its release, between the leaks, the twists, and the callbacks to beloved previous films, the hype was uncontainable during its first week of release. The Letterboxd community was no different, as the massive amounts of hype shot the film up to #31 of all time on the Top 250, although a year and a half later, it is no longer on the list and holds a 3.9/5 average.
2’Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)
Everything Everywhere All at Oncefollows Chinese immigrant Evelyn Wang, who despite her everyday boring life running a laundromat, is sucked up into a fantastical adventure for the fate of the multiverse. She soon is able to link up with alternate versions of herself across the multiverse, tapping into their skills and powers in order to better her own so that she can fight back against multiversal threats.
Before the film would go on towin Best Picture at the Oscars, the Letterboxd community would rally and hype up the film leading up to its wide release, thanks to outstanding word of mouth weeks prior from South by Southwest. The absolute love for the film could be felt even during its first days of release, as it immediately shot up to the #1 highest-rated movie of all time on the site during its release week. Over time it would eventually lose this spot, currently holding the #78 spot, but it’s short time at the absolute top goes to show just how much excitement surrounded the film from the very beginning.
1’Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)
The sequel to the already belovedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Versecontinues the adventures of Miles Morales as he reunites with Gwen Stacy to travel across the multiverse. While jumping between universes, they meet up with a variety of other Spider-people, but a conflict of interest soon pits Miles up against all the other spiders, fending for his own alone in the multiverse.
The Letterboxd community were already massive fans of Into the Spider-Verse, which currently holds the #33 spot on the Top 250, so the hype and excitement for the long-awaited sequel was impeccable. WhenAcross the Spider-Versefinally did release, it managed to meet all the expectations and more of the community, cementing a spot as the #1 movie of all time on the site during its release weekend. In the following months, and after an overhaul of the website’s weighted average system,Across the Spider-Versestill holds an incredibly high #10 of all-time spot, proving the community’s undying love for the film.
NEXT:The 10 Highest-Rated Movies on IMDb That Aren’t in Letterboxd’s Top 250
