Why Is the Pope Listing His Four Favorite Movies to Anyone But Letterboxd?
The Vatican has released its own clip of the pope listing his four favorite movies.
For the millions of people who follow Letterboxd on social media, the online film cataloging service’s regular “Four Favorites” segment is usually must-watch stuff. Whether it’s celebs on the red carpet narrowing down their four favorite movies or ordinary patrons getting the opportunity to pick their own, the interview series is endlessly compelling because a person’s favorite movies can reveal so much about them. Are they a “cinephile” who’s about to wax lyrical about Fellini’s 8½? Or are they about to defend Event Horizon as the greatest film ever made? Once you find out, it’s time to head to the comment section to celebrate or judge them – sometimes both.
So there was a little confusion this week when a short interview with Pope Leo XIV popped up on Variety’s Instagram account. In the clip, the Pope is seen listing his four favorite movies (It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Life Is Beautiful, if you’re curious), just not with Letterboxd. Instead, the Vatican itself had released the video ahead of a “World of Cinema” gathering at the pope’s residence. The likes of Cate Blanchett and Spike Lee are expected to attend the forthcoming event, which aims to explore “the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.”
That’s fine, and we hope they all have a lovely evening, but why isn’t the pope giving his four favorites to Letterboxd, the people who are synonymous with the Four Favorites segment? If it’s a little love letter to the brand, why didn’t the Vatican say that? We’re fine with watching Leo XIV name Ordinary People as one of his personal cinematic pleasures in front of a plain background and without the expected orange, green, and blue Letterboxd mic, but shouldn’t they at least get a nod? It’s rather like watching Leo XIV do Carpool Karaoke without James Corden, or nibbling on a series of hot sauce chicken wings and talking about how he prefers working on the stage without Sean Evans nodding along. It’s just weird!
It’s also worth noting that Letterboxd put a lot of time and effort into making the Four Favorites series a success. Though the app allows anyone to put their own four favorite movies at the top of their profile, the video series was “a long time of trial and error”, according to editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood (via IndieWire). “We’d discuss it with the publicity teams, try to make them buy into the concept, and allow us to actually ask this question,” Gracewood explained. “We felt like it was part of who we are. It’s part of the ecosystem of the website, and it’s a continuation of that.”
It would be easy to look at the situation with the pope’s video and say, “Come on, it’s not that deep”, but if the Vatican wants to forge a deeper connection with Hollywood, it could start by giving the creatives who cover the industry a little credit.
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Kirsten Howard has paid their dues. Yes sir, the check is in the mail.