The friends-only social platform for movies.
Watch, capture, and review movie nights with your friends.
The Backlot turns every movie you watch into a ticket to share with friends. Rate what you watched, add photos that capture the night, and keep a record of the film, your take, and the people who were there. It's friends only. No followers, no strangers, no public performance.
Build collaborative watchlists with the goal of watching them together. Send and chat about movies with a built-in movie messenger. Discover your next watch through personalized recommendations based on what you and your friends are watching.
The Backlot is the only movie platform built around private connection between friends. Letterboxd is public, IMDb is informational, and Rotten Tomatoes is critic-led. We're building something different: a place for the people you actually watch movies with.
Why people use The Backlot
Shared Movie Memories
Watch, capture, and review the movie night with your friends. Every review becomes a modern movie ticket: the film, your rating, your take, your photos, and the people who watched with you.
Collaborative Watchlists
Everyone can contribute with the goal of watching them together. Not a solo list. A shared plan for the next movie night.
Movie Messenger
Send and chat about movies with your closest movie friends. Share films, posters, and reviews directly in conversation.
Personalized Explore
Learn more about what you and your friends are watching to discover your next watch. Trending films, people, and recommendations based on your taste.
Standing Ovations
Clap for the performances that made the movie. Director, cast, crew. Your standing ovations show up on your review and on the actors' trending pages.
Lobby AI
Talk about any movie, get answers before you watch, discover new details after you review, and receive movie news tailored to your taste.
Backlot Notes
Movie picks, watch guides, sharp takes, and the culture around what people are watching. An editorial magazine powered by the movies you and your friends care about.
The friends-first space is wide open
The Backlot is the only movie platform built around private connection between friends. Letterboxd is public, IMDb is informational, and Rotten Tomatoes is critic-led.
| Feature | The Backlot | Letterboxd |
|---|---|---|
| Friends only, private by default | Yes | No |
| Photo reviews | Yes | No |
| Modern movie tickets | Yes | No |
| Collaborative watchlists | Yes | No |
| Movie messenger | Yes | No |
| Standing Ovations | Yes | No |
| AI movie chat | Yes | No |
| Personalized AI articles | Yes | No |
| Film logging and ratings | Yes | Yes |
| Free to use | Yes | Freemium |
Who is The Backlot for?
- Friend groups who watch movies together and want a shared space for reviews, watchlists, and movie plans
- People looking for a Letterboxd alternative built for friends, not followers
- Movie lovers who want to capture the night, not just log a title
- Anyone who wants to see what their friends actually thought about a film
- Groups who want collaborative watchlists and a movie messenger in one app
Create movie memories.
Watch something, rate it, keep the ticket. Free on iOS.
Download for free