Remember why you saved it

Six months after you save a film, the reason is usually gone. Was it the friend who would not stop talking about it, a review, a trailer? Two equally good-looking titles sit side by side, and nothing tells them apart.

So every title on your list has room for one line: why it is there. It takes five seconds when you save it, and it is often the thing that decides what you watch.

  • Past Lives (2023)

    Jo said it was the best film she saw last year.

  • Shōgun (2024)

    For the long flight in November.

  • Free Solo (2018)

    Dad keeps bringing it up. Watch before Christmas.

An example. The reasons are made up; yours are your own.

How it works

On any title, on its card or its page, tap Why do you want to watch this? and write a line, up to 140 characters. Change it any time.

The reasons that help most later are specific:

  • Who recommended it, and what they said. Knowing whose taste you are trusting is worth more than a rating.
  • What it is for: a flight, a rainy Sunday, the film club, watching with Dad.
  • What caught your eye: the director, a trailer, a review you agreed with.

A shortlist you made earlier

On your dashboard, the Has a reason filter shows only the titles you noted a reason for. It turns a list of hundreds into the ones you had a real reason to want, which is a good place to start on a night when nothing appeals.

The part friends find most interesting

When you share your watchlist, your reasons go with it. A friend picking from your list sees your reason on each title, and it is often what sells it. Titles saved with a reason also come up more often in the Watch with friends row.

Private unless you share

Reasons were written as notes to yourself, so they stay that way. Only you, and people you share your watchlist with, can see them.

Each one has a box for sharing it anonymously on the title’s public page. It is off unless you tick it, it is per reason rather than for your whole list, and your name never goes with it.

Your reasons are in your export too, next to each title, so they come with you if you ever leave. And for a reason that belongs to a group of titles, a custom list has its own note on each one: why it is on that list.

Questions

Do I have to write a reason?
No. It is there when you have one. Most people add them as they save something, while the reason is still fresh.
Who can see my reasons?
You, and the people you share your watchlist with, while the share lasts. Each reason also has a box for sharing it anonymously on the title’s public page, which is off unless you tick it.
How long can a reason be?
140 characters. Long enough to remember, short enough to write in the moment.
Do my reasons come with me if I leave?
Yes. They are in your export, in both the spreadsheet and the JSON file, next to each title.
Does it cost anything?
No. Watchlist Boosted is free, with no paywall.

Start with your own watchlist

Bring in your watchlist from Netflix, Letterboxd, IMDb or TV Time, and note why each one is there. Free, with no paywall.