Most people struggle to watch one movie a week. Del Toro watches three per day.
That’s over 1,000 films annually. Plus, he still makes his own movies. So how does he do it? And why are Letterboxd users now racing to match his pace?
Letterboxd Nearly Crashed From Year-End Stats
The movie-logging platform Letterboxd went down briefly this weekend. Users flooded the site to check their 2025 viewing totals.
The “Year in Film” feature showed how many movies people watched. It also revealed their most-watched directors and actors. Social media exploded with screenshots of personal stats.
Screenwriter Larry Karazewski logged 624 movies in 2025. Some users hit 700. That’s roughly two films per day, every single day. No breaks. No exceptions.
But here’s the thing. Watching that many movies changes what viewing means.
The Rise of “Rate-Everything” Culture
Letterboxd created an unexpected phenomenon. Users now treat film watching like a competitive sport.
They call it “rate-everything” or “list completion” behavior. The goal? Log as many titles as possible. Hit personal milestones. Dominate Year in Review rankings.
Some approach it as a challenge. Others want bragging rights. A few genuinely love discovering obscure cinema.
However, the downside is real. Film watching becomes a numbers game instead of an experience. You’re chasing quantity over quality. That leads to burnout.
I stopped counting my annual movie totals years ago. My estimate for 2025? Around 300 new releases. Maybe a few hundred older films on top of that.
Between festival coverage, weekly press screenings, and TCM playing constantly while I work, the number adds up fast. This year I binged 1930s classics to fill gaps in my knowledge. Last year was different decades.
Still, my total pales next to del Toro’s.
Del Toro’s Method: Three Films Daily
Guillermo del Toro watches three to four movies every single day. He’s maintained this pace for decades.
Even while developing projects like “The Buried Giant,” he never stops watching. The films fuel his creative process. They provide constant inspiration.
Del Toro explained his approach simply. Rewatching matters as much as discovering new films. “If you see ‘All About Eve’ when you’re 15, and you see ‘All About Eve’ when you’re 40, you see two entirely different movies.”
That’s the key insight. Movies change as you change. Your perspective shifts with age and experience. So revisiting classics becomes essential, not optional.
Richard Linklater used similar habits in his twenties. He told The New Yorker he watched four films daily back then. Now that he’s busy directing, that number dropped.
Not del Toro. He still maintains the pace.
Soderbergh Takes a Different Approach
Steven Soderbergh just shared his 2025 viewing list. His total? Only 144 movies.
But consider the context. Soderbergh directed three films this year. Production takes time. Editing demands focus. Marketing requires energy.
So his lower count makes sense. Quality directors balance watching with making. They study cinema to improve their craft, not hit arbitrary numbers.
That’s the real lesson here.
What Obsessive Viewing Actually Teaches
Watching 1,000 movies yearly isn’t entertainment. It’s devotion.
You live inside frames and edits. Every story becomes a teacher. Every cut reveals technique. Every score demonstrates emotional manipulation.
The world starts feeling more cinematic. You notice camera angles in real life. You hear music cues in mundane moments. You see character arcs playing out at the grocery store.
This transforms how you understand storytelling. But it also demands sacrifice. Time, mostly. Social life, sometimes. Sleep, often.
Del Toro makes that trade willingly. So do hundreds of Letterboxd power users. They’re not chasing clout. They’re chasing understanding.
The Problem With Competitive Logging
Here’s where Letterboxd’s gamification backfires. When users compete for highest totals, they stop engaging deeply.
You can’t really absorb 700 films in a year while also working, sleeping, and maintaining relationships. Something has to give.
Usually it’s the reflection. Users log films immediately after watching. They rate quickly. They move to the next title without processing what they just saw.
That defeats cinema’s purpose. Films need time to settle. They reveal layers on second thought. They connect to other works you’ve seen or books you’ve read.
Rushing through them strips that value away.
Finding Your Own Pace
The right number of films varies by person. Del Toro’s 1,000 works for him. Soderbergh’s 144 fits his life. My 300-ish feels sustainable.
What matters isn’t the total. It’s whether you’re genuinely engaging with cinema or just checking boxes.
Ask yourself honest questions. Do you remember last week’s movies? Can you explain why specific scenes worked? Are you discovering new directors or just padding stats?
If the answers disappoint you, slow down. Watch fewer films but absorb them deeper. Rewatch favorites instead of chasing new releases.
Cinema rewards attention, not speed.
Del Toro proves you can watch massive quantities while staying thoughtful. But he’s built his entire life around that practice. Most of us can’t or shouldn’t try matching his pace.
Find what works for you. Log movies if you enjoy it. Skip logging if it creates pressure. Watch for pleasure, education, or inspiration.
Just don’t let Letterboxd stats replace genuine appreciation. The films matter more than the numbers ever will.
Comments (0)