Fans of the popular movie-review social network Letterboxd faced frustration Thursday due to an extended outage that rendered the service inaccessible. A notice on the site explained, “We’re taking a short break between rounds. Letterboxd is down for scheduled maintenance. We’ll be back soon!” The message appeared alongside a photo still of Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” per Variety. Users attempting to access the site encountered a “500 Internal Server Error” message, a vague HTTP error code indicating server issues. The Letterboxd app also ceased functioning.
Reports on social media indicated that technical issues began around 2:20 p.m. ET. Letterboxd, which boasts celebrity fans such as Scorsese, Margot Robbie, Olivia Rodrigo, Ava DuVernay, and Christopher McQuarrie, has over 10 million registered accounts. Founded in 2011 by New Zealand natives Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, the platform sold a 60% controlling stake to Canadian investment firm Tiny last year, valuing the company at over $50 million.
Users flocked to social media to voice their dismay, often using movie clips to express their frustration. One user tweeted, “the letterboxd app not working is actually DEVASTATING,” while another pleaded, “please come back to me @letterboxd.”
Celebrity Engagement and Response
A notable aspect of Letterboxd’s allure lies in its celebrity users. Ayo Edebiri, a rising star in Hollywood, is a favorite among fans. Edebiri, set to reprise her role as Syd in the third season of “The Bear,” has had a busy year with performances in comedies like “Theater Camp,” “Bottoms,” and “The Sweet East.” She also lent her voice to popular animated films like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”
Martin Scorsese, one of the most iconic filmmakers, recently joined Letterboxd following the release of his new film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Scorsese, renowned for classics such as “Taxi Driver” and “GoodFellas,” continues to make significant contributions to the film industry with recent works like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Irishman.”
At 4:05 p.m., the Letterboxd team addressed the outage on their X account, posting a graphic with the message, “Apologies fam–we haven’t vanished. The team are working to restore order as quickly as possible. Thanks for your patience and support. Back soon. Love always, The Letterboxd Team.” The post aimed to reassure users that the situation was being handled promptly.
While the outage caused considerable inconvenience, the robust engagement from both fans and celebrities highlighted the platform’s significant impact on the movie-review community. Letterboxd’s unique blend of user reviews, celebrity involvement, and social interaction makes it a beloved hub for film enthusiasts worldwide.
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