Hello friends! They keep making Films and I keep discovering new ones.. so my Film queues and Watchlists are always ever growing so time for another Challenge!
My backlog is a ever growing mound of Films. It always has somewhere between 200 and 370 movies on it across many streaming platforms and downloads, then you add in the movies I want to see on my Watchlist and.. there's a lot.
Inspired by the Criterion Challenge I did years ago I decided to make a challenge of my own to help me get my movie queues under control. It worked well and other people also did the challenge so I made a sequel! Then MORE people joined in. And of course…
Hello friends! They keep making Films and I keep discovering new ones.. so my Film queues and Watchlists are always ever growing so time for another Challenge!
My backlog is a ever growing mound of Films. It always has somewhere between 200 and 370 movies on it across many streaming platforms and downloads, then you add in the movies I want to see on my Watchlist and.. there's a lot.
Inspired by the Criterion Challenge I did years ago I decided to make a challenge of my own to help me get my movie queues under control. It worked well and other people also did the challenge so I made a sequel! Then MORE people joined in. And of course they keep making movies so here we go again! Join in if you want!
The Rules Are Simple:
-They must be New to You.
-The Films must be from your movie Queues, Watchlist or you can see them in theatres.
-You can tackle the list in any order you want.
-They must be Feature Films, no Short Films here. 40 minutes or longer folks!
I suggest doing the list in order since the weeks line up with certain calendar dates.
Categories are designed to be wide enough that one of your backlog Films will be in them. We're looking to get backlogs under control, not add to them. I personally use the week's prompt to focus on those Films in my queue.
It should be noted that the weeks here are Sunday to Saturdays, except Week 1, which goes from January 1-10th, yes 10 days to watch the oldest films in your Queues.
It's never too late to start!
The Categories:
1) Out with the Old, Watch a Film that has been lingering in your Queue or Watchlist for the longest.
2) Watch a Film from my Letterboxd bestie's favorite list! Ian's top 1000 List.
3) Out with the New, Watch a film that has recently added to your Queue or Watchlist.
4) Watch a Film that starts with one of the first letters of the alphabet.
5) Black History Month: Watch a film from a black director.
6) Black History Month: Watch a film with a black lead.
7) Shortest Month, Watch one of the shortest films in your queue (minimum 40 minutes long).
8) Watch a Documentary.
9) As John Waters says," Get More Out of Life, Watch a Fucked Up Movie." Watch a movie from the Weirdo Watchlist.
10) Watch a highly rated movie from 2025.
11) Watch an Oscar winner The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
12) Watch one of the oldest Films in your Queue.
13) Watch a Film that sounds like it could be the name of a drink. (examples: Blue Hawaii, Hiroshima, Queen Mary)
14) Watch a Film from the Criterion Collection.
15) Canadian Film Day, watch a Canadian Film. Canadian Film Day is April 15th.
16) It's the perfect date (April 25th, just need a light jacket), watch a Romance Film.
17) Watch a Film with a person's name in the title.
18) Watch a Film directed by a Woman. List One List Two
19) Watch a Film with a location in the title.
20) Watch a Film that played at Cannes Film Festival . Cannes runs May 12-26, 2026.
21) Watch a Film with a title that sounds like a song from one of your favorite bands/singers. (My favorite band is Nine Inch Nails)
22) Watch a Film from the 1,001 Movies to Criterion Before You Pride list, OR LGBTQ Oscar Winners/Nominees list.
23) Pride Month: Watch a queer Documentary from Pride: A Chronological History of Queer Interest & LGBTQ+ Cinema.
24) Watch one of the Lowest Rated Films in your Queue.
25) Watch one of the Highest Rated Films in your Queue that's Not in the Top 500 List.
26) Free Space, watch whatever you want.
27) Blockbuster Summer: Watch a film that held #1 spot at the box office.
28) Blockbuster Summer: Watch a Film in your Queue you missed in theatres.
29) Blockbuster Summer: Watch a sequel, prequel or remake of a series you've already seen at least one entry of.
30) Watch a film that radiates Summer Vibes.
31) Watch an Animated Film.
32) Watch a Period Piece.
33) Watch a Film older than you.
34) Watch one of the Most Popular Films in your Queue.
35) Watch a movie you wouldn't want to watch with your parents.
36) Watch one of the Least Popular Films in your Queue.
37) Watch a Film that played at Toronto International Film Festival. tiff runs September 10-20th, 2026.
38) Watch a Film from your Queue with the coolest title.
39) Watch a War and/or Western Film.
40) You're Going to Die Someday, Better start making a dent on the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die.
41) Spooky Time: Queer For Fear, watch a Horror Film from Pride: A Chronological History of Queer Interest & LGBTQ+ Cinema.
42) Spooky Time: Watch one of the Least Popular Horror Films in your Queue.
43) Spooky Time: Watch one of the Highest Rated Horror Movies in your queue.
44) Noirvember: Watch a Noir Film, Classic or Neo.
45) Noirvember: Watch a Thriller.
46) Watch a Film with a one word title.
47) You need a little whimsy in your life, watch a Fantasy Film.
48) Watch a Film that's also in one of your Mutual's Watchlist.
49) Watch a Film from the Southern Hemisphere.
50) Watch a Film that starts with one of the last letters of the alphabet.
51) Watch a Film from the Neverending Christmas list.
52) End on the Right Foot: Watch a Film from the Letterboxd Top 500 Narrative Feature Films list.
My Progress: 22/52
People doing the Challenge:
emma / Alex> / Nick Atkins / abystopia / Zoey /Dsoti / Robert Stayte / 𝖘𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖎𝖓 / Alex A. / Carlos (Hache) / Forest / meyi / shi qin / Santi / Quetza / lauren 📽️ / Xellence / Andrew 🎥 / emshobbies_ 💞 / Kayla Marie / Jordan Meyers / Spencer / Richie / Shannon / Jo / stemlongstem / Mattcha / aobh / minifreak / Julia / manboobs / savagebrowncoat / Rodney 🔵🟡 / Nikki / Historian In The Making / Keaton / matt armstrong / Shawn / Sean M. / thecinzentu / Lee Pfeil / Hot_Anarcocoa / Juan / Brandon / MikeBoffardi ✝️ / PauloGrance / idk / Tim Gertz / João / BorealFox / v / Magneto52 / Psychotic_Humon / onlyesterday_ / eliana ༉‧₊˚. / G100 / drew / Oliver / daltonalvis / Andrew / i47watchmovies / Lion / Jake Ranney / Brett D / Dylan Hodgens / libbi_cat / Stepan / j_dev / SJ / jo! / Isaac / celiaholden / Ren / Ian MacLeod / cole / Jo / leroymarko / annalisa / Michael / ana g / elizabettyss 🎬 / evilchachouuu / Hilel / conleywashere / darcy / Rob / Allison 👟 / fanglyfish / samuel_shovel / MightyChernabog / Alex Simeon / redshreds / Benjamin Baron / aloe / Yosmel Araujo / Una_Nancy_Owen / alix / lookherenow / orla. / Ilia Ginzburg / abgreen22 / CineCocooo / swag / ｃｌａｉｒｅ / Gabi / cate / Paul Elliott / han / Hamish / emsbookish / CDodsley99 / orangutan_saw / bantwalkers / WatchWonderFeel / SaintPauly / Konstm / Milkstreet / Zelda ♡ / 𝖘𝖆𝖒 👻 / highnessence / TheRealGiggs / Ian's Good List and Bad List / Caleb / Dr__Stone / Kinoword
thecinzentu's Beverage Sounding Movies for inspiration and examples.
Manboobs is compiling a list of all Beverage Sounding choices into a Backlog Challenge Cocktail Party List.
Let me know if you're doing the challenge by leaving a link to it in the comments. I'll add a link to your list here! Never too late to start.
Good luck!
