12 ideas for custom lists worth making

You can keep 5 private lists at a time and as many public ones as you like, so the question is which would actually get used. Here are twelve that work, each with what to put on it and what to write in the notes.

New to lists? Here is how they work.

1.Date night

Good for: Two people who never agree on what to watch.

Only add what you would both happily start tonight. In the note, say why it suits the two of you, not why it is good. If you share your watchlist with your partner, the titles you have both saved are a good place to fill it from.

Date night

Films we would both say yes to. Nothing over two hours on a weeknight.

  1. 1

    Before Sunrise (1995)

    Mostly talking, in the best way. For when we want something gentle.

  2. 2

    Palm Springs (2020)

    Funny, short and a bit romantic. An easy yes.

  3. 3

    The Big Sick (2017)

    A true story that is funnier than it sounds.

2.Family film night

Good for: Parents, or anyone with kids coming to stay.

Use the note for what matters on the night: the age it suits, whether any of it is scary, how long it runs. That saves checking each one again with a sofa full of people waiting.

Family film night

Films the whole family can watch on a Saturday. Ages 7 and up.

  1. 1

    Paddington 2 (2017)

    Everyone laughs, adults included. Fine for any age.

  2. 2

    The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

    Loud and fast. Great for 8 and up.

  3. 3

    Spirited Away (2001)

    A couple of scary moments for little ones. Worth it.

3.Comfort rewatches

Good for: Bad days and tired evenings.

This is the one list that should be full of things you have already seen. A list can hold watched titles, so the films you know by heart can live here without cluttering the list of things you still mean to watch.

Comfort rewatches

When nothing new will do.

  1. 1

    Groundhog Day (1993)

    Still funny on the twentieth watch.

  2. 2

    Chef (2014)

    Food, music and nobody being cruel to anyone.

  3. 3

    Mamma Mia! (2008)

    Sing along. No apologies.

4.Catch up before the new season

Good for: Series you have fallen behind on, or want to refresh before they come back.

The New seasons row on your dashboard tells you when a show you finished is coming back, with a countdown to the date. This list is where you plan the catch-up: note what to rewatch and how much.

Catch up before the new season

What to rewatch, and how much, before each new season starts.

  1. 1

    Severance (2022)

    Rewatch the season 1 finale before going on.

  2. 2

    The Bear (2022)

    Skim the last season again. A lot happens in a few episodes.

  3. 3

    Slow Horses (2022)

    Fine to jump straight in. Each season is its own case.

5.A theme to work through

Good for: Film clubs, or anyone who likes a project.

Pick a theme, like vampire films or one director, and put the titles in the order you want to watch them. You set the numbers on a list, so it works as a syllabus. One a week is a pace that lasts.

A theme to work through

Vampire films, oldest first. One a week through October.

  1. 1

    Nosferatu (1922)

    Where it starts. Silent, short and still creepy.

  2. 2

    Let the Right One In (2008)

    Quiet, cold and sad. The best of the bunch.

  3. 3

    What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

    The palate cleanser.

7.Under 90 minutes

Good for: Weeknights, and evenings that start late.

Put the running time in the note so you can pick by the clock. At ten at night, a list that is already sorted by length beats scrolling through everything.

Under 90 minutes

Everything here is done by bedtime.

  1. 1

    Run Lola Run (1998)

    81 minutes. Basically one long chase.

  2. 2

    Locke (2013)

    85 minutes. One man, one car, one night.

  3. 3

    Coherence (2013)

    89 minutes. Watch it with someone, then argue about it.

8.Your top ten

Good for: Year-end rankings, and settling arguments.

Order is the point here. Put your favourite at number one and move titles as you change your mind. Everything on it will be something you have watched, and that is fine: lists keep watched titles.

Your top ten

The best things I watched this year, in order.

  1. 1

    Past Lives (2023)

    Number one, and it is not close.

  2. 2

    Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

    Still thinking about the ending.

  3. 3

    The Holdovers (2023)

    The one I would recommend to anyone.

9.Halloween, or any season

Good for: October, December, the summer holidays.

Build it ahead of time, then use it for one month a year. When the month is over, delete it to free up the space and make the next one.

Halloween, or any season

Scary enough for October, not so scary we cannot sleep.

  1. 1

    The Others (2001)

    All atmosphere. No gore.

  2. 2

    Get Out (2017)

    Tense, clever and a little funny.

  3. 3

    Halloween (1978)

    The classic. Save it for the night itself.

10.Documentaries to learn from

Good for: Evenings when you want to come away knowing something.

Documentaries are easy to save and hard to start. A short list of the ones you mean to watch, with a line on what each is about, makes them easier to choose over something lighter.

Documentaries to learn from

True stories worth the time.

  1. 1

    Free Solo (2018)

    Climbing El Capitan with no ropes. Sweaty palms guaranteed.

  2. 2

    My Octopus Teacher (2020)

    Calmer than it sounds, and oddly moving.

  3. 3

    13th (2016)

    Heavy, and essential.

11.Around the world

Good for: Watching beyond what is popular where you live.

One film per country, with the country in the note. Subtitles stop being a reason to skip something once it is part of a plan.

Around the world

One country at a time.

  1. 1

    Parasite (2019)

    South Korea. Start here.

  2. 2

    Amélie (2001)

    France. The warmest film on the list.

  3. 3

    Roma (2018)

    Mexico. Slow and beautiful. Best on a big screen.

12.Watch before the sequel

Good for: Catching up before the next one comes out.

Put the films in the order they need watching, and note which ones you can skip. When the sequel arrives, the list has done its job. Delete it.

Watch before the sequel

The homework before the new one.

  1. 1

    Dune (2021)

    Needed before Part Two. It stops mid-story.

  2. 2

    Knives Out (2019)

    Not needed for Glass Onion, but better first.

  3. 3

    Top Gun (1986)

    Optional, but Maverick lands harder after it.

What makes a list get used

  • Keep it short. Five to fifteen titles is plenty. A list of fifty is just another watchlist.
  • Write the note. It is the difference between a list you trust and one you scroll past.
  • Put the strongest first. When you open a list tired, number one is what you will watch.
  • Delete it or publish it. When a private list has done its job, delete it. When it is good enough to share, publish it: public lists are unlimited and don’t count towards your 5 private ones.

Make these with your own watchlist

Bring in your watchlist from Netflix, Letterboxd, IMDb or TV Time, then start your first list from any title. Free, with no paywall.