Letterboxd e a neutralidade algorítmica: uma Análise da “Official Top 250 Narrative Features Films"

Abstract

This study investigates how Letterboxd, a cinema-focused social network, influences the discovery of films and the construction of narratives about relevance and marginality in the global cinematic landscape. Focusing on the platform's recent update to its ratings algorithm, now presented as reflecting a "global consensus," the study analyzes how this system affects the visibility of productions from different regions. The methodology of this research, based on the framework proposed by Lab404 - Digital Media, Networks, and Space Research Laboratory, considers the materialities of controversies involving digital platforms, specifically Letterboxd. It examines the platform's official documents, its interface, and conducts a comparative analysis of the "Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films" list before and after the implementation of the updated algorithm, evaluating the production countries and predominant languages of the ranked films. The results indicate that the update reinforced the dominance of productions from the United States and Europe, while marginalizing works from regions such as South America, Africa, and parts of Asia. From the theoretical perspectives of algorithmic culture, platform performativity, and regimes of visibility, the study concludes that Letterboxd, by prioritizing widely recognized productions over niche narratives, reproduces structural inequalities under the guise of algorithmic neutrality.