Letterboxd Video Store: Fandom‑Driven Film Discovery Becomes a Distribution Business

Letterboxd, the social network that has become a global hub for cinephiles, is moving beyond diaries and reviews to become a film distributor in its own right.

On December 10, the company officially launches Letterboxd Video Store, an online movie rental service available in 23 countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, describing it as the “next step” in its mission to enhance film discovery for its more than 24 million members.​

Instead of a subscription model, Video Store adopts transactional VOD: users pay only for the titles they rent, with U.S. launch prices ranging roughly from 3.99 to 19.99 dollars, a 48‑hour viewing window after playback begins, and no late fees. Rentals can be watched via web, iOS and Android apps, as well as on connected‑TV devices such as Apple TV, Chromecast and AirPlay, with additional smart‑TV apps planned.

At launch, Letterboxd debuts nine films across two carefully curated “shelves”: Unreleased Gems, spotlighting recent festival favorites that have yet to secure distribution in the regions where they are offered, and Lost & Found, which resurrects under‑seen cult titles and newly restored classics such as Poison, Before We Vanish, Tiger on the Beat and Kisapmata.

These selections are driven by millions of data points from member watchlists, ratings and reviews, aiming to match “films people genuinely want to see” with audiences who currently have no legal way to watch them.​

Video Store’s key differentiator is social discovery: users can see what friends are watching and rating on Letterboxd and then rent those films in the same interface, creating a seamless path from recommendation to viewing that traditional TVOD platforms like Apple TV or Prime Video cannot easily replicate. CEO and co‑founder Matthew Buchanan says the goal is to unlock new value in dormant catalog titles and give independent filmmakers direct access to the fanbases they have built on Letterboxd, signaling a potential shift in distribution power toward data‑rich fandom platforms.​

For now, the service is limited to territories in North America, Europe and Oceania; Asian markets such as South Korea are not yet included, though Letterboxd plans to add more titles and potentially expand its geographic footprint over the coming year.​