I was such a cinephile during my teenage years that I would actually write down every single movie I watched. By the end of the year, I’d have at least a hundred films on that list. But now, like everything else, they’ve got apps for that. Previously, we went over the best reading apps for bookworms. And now, if you’re a movie/TV buff, you are covered, too. With an extensive backend full of machine-learning-based data collection systems, movie recommendation apps make your entertainment selection more personalised than ever. So let’s say you’re having trouble remembering what you’ve watched, what you wanted to watch, or what you hated but forgot about. Here are three of the best movie apps you can use to elevate your experience. These movie apps are virtual butlers who know all your entertainment preferences by heart and provide apt reminders at the right time.
1. TV Time
According to COO Dan Brian, the TV Time app studies viewing behaviour in “360 degrees”, scouring billions of TV episodes and watch logs to present its recommendations. The recommendation algorithm uses machine learning to suggest personalised watchlists. And its many features secure its place at the top of my list of best movie apps.
Right off the bat, the app checks whether you have Netflix, Disney+, Amazon (and perhaps even other streaming services. These are the three that I use). Then, it asks you to tick off what you watched from the most popular shows on those platforms. Further down, you choose from trending shows and the most added shows. Then, you select the movies you’ve watched. This step took a lot more time for me because I have watched a ton of movies at this point. After you’ve chosen a sufficient amount, you can move on. In the ‘Discover’ tab, you will find ‘top shows for you’ and trending shows and movies. You can also enable notifications to receive reminders for upcoming movies and shows.
The only problem is, if you’re more into sitcoms and comedy shows like I am, they don’t appear in the initial list of popular TV shows. For this reason, my ‘recommended’ list was initially full of drama shows. It’s still not as personalised as I’d like, but it gets you up to speed on what’s trending.
With this app, the viewing experience becomes much more involved. You can react to each episode as you watch it with a bunch of emojis. There’s also a fun question like ‘What did you love most about the episode?’ with very specific fan-favourite options. The fun doesn’t end there, either. There are even related comments and memes that give you an instant vibe of community viewing. When you finish a show, it gets taken off your watch list, which is more than I can say about Netflix’s list.
2. Watcha pedia
Watcha Inc. developed this movie app in 2013. Once you download the app, it first asks you to rate some popular titles. It then recommends movies in categories like ‘Box Office,’ ‘Similar to (<movie you liked>)’, and ‘High expected rating’, which are usual. Watcha pedia goes a step further also to categorise further details such as the director whose movies you rated high, trending actors, member collections, and so on. This eclectic collection of lists gives you a few titles that are sure to be to your liking. In addition, the Taste Analysis tab has movie tags displayed in big and small fonts to show what sort of movie you’re interested in and often watch.
3. IMDb
IMDb was my favourite site during my teenage years. When you sign into the movie app, you can rate popular high-rated movies and get recommendations. I like making random lists here, even lists of my favourite theatres. These lists can be shared or kept private. I also love to read movie trivia and bloopers and discover random facts about actors I like. I am not exaggerating when I say I had Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Ruper Grint’s IMDb pages memorised during my Harry Potter phase. This app also lets you check up on the status of a long-awaited movie or which actor is playing an obscure character that you like in the film adaptation of your favourite novel. Additionally, you will find special IMDb picks like music, space travel, Emmy winners, and other exciting categories you wouldn’t have otherwise come across.
Using these movie apps takes your hobby to the next level, but most importantly, they’re fun. I would even dare to say that having data quantifying all your habits and interests can add to your self-awareness. Have you used any of these movie apps before? Let us know if you have a favourite.
