As of the moment I click "publish," I've seen 2,994 unique films in my life, according to Letterboxd. (Tonight Nadja becomes 2,995.)

"Unique films" means that if I watch (checks Blu-ray pile) The Straight Story for the fourth time, that number doesn't go up, but if I watch (checks Blu-ray pile more closely) The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice, which I've never seen before, that'll increment it.

Obviously, this number is arbitrary.

For one thing, I'm sure there are movies I've seen and have not Marked as Watched.

For example, a few days ago I read about Ross McElwee's new movie Remake. When I checked Letterboxd to see if I'd watched McElwee movies other than Sherman's March, I had not checked off that movie itself, though I saw it on video at some point in the '90s.

Mark as Watched: Click! That lifetime film odometer: nudged up by one.

So I've probably already seen 3,000 unique movies, and just haven't noted quite all of them in Letterboxd.

3,000, though. Seems like a lot. Also seems like less than I thought.

10 years ago, before I had stats, I'd have guessed I’d seen at least 4,000 at that point.

That's still a lot of movies, yet huge gaps remain.

I've seen 164 movies on the Sight & Sound greatest films poll, so I'm still missing 100 — including Au Hazard Balthazar, La Dolce Vita, and all three Tarkovskys.

I've only seen 513 of They Shoot Pictures, Don't They's top 1,000 movies of all time. 33 of 103 Palme d'Or winners. 62 of 98 Oscar Best Picture winners. (Don't know that I'll make a point of finishing that last one.)

Lots of room to see more great movies. Even more room to see more movies that are fine or bad or terrible!

I also feel a bit of that proverbial joy steal away when I compare myself to other cinephiles around my age. Chad Perman's seen over 4,000 movies. Scott Renshaw? Over 4,800. Mike D'Angelo? Closing in on 10,000.

So 3,000? A lot. Not enough.

Getting to 4,000 films — a mere 1,000 more — seems achievable. I've averaged 3 new-to-me movies a week for the past few years. If I keep that pace up, I'd get there when I'm 62. Maybe I can get to 5,000 by my late 60s.

But 6,000? Much as I love movies, there are other things I'd like to do. Travel. Read a few books. I keep meaning to finish The Sopranos. I did not waste my 20s, but I hesitated to indulge more in one of my greatest loves for fear of missing out on … what, work? Fuck.

That leaves 3,000, arbitrary as it is, as my next major milestone. (Maybe by 62 I'm zen enough not to give a shit.)

Which means I get to decide what to watch for number 3,000.

I've got a copy of Ikiru that I keep meaning to break out for a special occasion.

Or maybe I'll swing by Movie Madness and pick up Toni Erdmann (never streaming, still on my watchlist) or Under Capricorn (would be my 42nd Hitchcock film).

I could make a joke that only I'd notice: I could catch up with Mr. 3000, which is streaming on … none of the services I use. Never mind. Its 2.8 average is not tempting enough for the bit.

I'm also tempted to ignore my stats page for a few weeks, then look back to be surprised.

What they said

"I lost interest in the perfection of the film's technical achievement, which I never doubted for a minute would be anything but complete and astonishing. I longed for just one moment where something wasn't perfect, to remind me that humans had made this study of improvised naval success."

A. S. Hamrah, nailing my overall issue with several popular skilled directors, in a review of Dunkirk — a Nolan film I actually like a lot

Bluesky can be good

broke: watching the union-busting oscars
bespoke: going to your local cinema to experience a snubbed film on the big screen

— The Clinton Street Theater (@cstpdx.bsky.social), March 15, 2026

(That said, yes I watched the Oscars, and I don't believe in snubs.)

You should read these

Speaking of round numbers, I'm on track to see 100 movies at the Hollywood this year, which would mean … I forget what fabulous prize I'd get, but that could be fun. Portland's Hollywood Theatre screens 100 years of movie magic

(Worth noting that Portland has several other theaters already over 100 years old. I love the Hollywood, but Portland is a surprisingly strong moviegoing city!)

Speaking of Letterboxd, Alexandra Kleeman in the NYT: Why the Future of the Movies Lives on Letterboxd (gift link)

Speaking of movies I haven't seen, Matt Zoller Seitz in Southwest Review: The Greatest Texas Movie of All Time | Robert Benton's Places in the Heart

If you’re going to do a list, this is the way to do it. Not just entries, but detailed explanations. Amelia Emberwing on 5 of the Best Movie Breakups & the Acting Choices That Make Them So Heartbreaking