Film gets new life on Arte

The film Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, is set to air tonight on Arte and has become one of the most favored films on Letterboxd, a social network popular among users aged 18-35.

Influencer revisits old criticism

The 29-year-old influencer Regelegorila, who previously criticized the film upon its release, now praises it, noting that it has become a running gag he willingly fed. Regelegorila, the most followed French film influencer with 900,000 followers on TikTok, defends his past criticism with humor, stating that people, often young men, sent him many movie recommendations where Interstellar was overly praised. His intent was to remind people of the many other films worth watching.

Dominance on Letterboxd

Interstellar (2014), which follows a long journey through space and time to find Anne Hathaway, currently reigns at the top of the most appreciated feature films on Letterboxd. It has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 8.5 million viewers, making it the most reviewed work on the site. The film is also the most chosen among users' "four favorites" by the 25 million users of the platform.

Audience demographics

These users are primarily aged between 18 and 24, with a significant portion aged 25-35. Interstellar is currently the most consensus film on the platform, ahead of The Circle of the Poets Disappeared, Good Will Hunting, and La La Land, and is the favorite of the "Gen Z" demographic, at least among those who have seen it.

Personal reflection on the film

Regelegorila notes that Interstellar is often the first major blockbuster for young audiences discovering cinema. He recalls experiencing this with The Dark Knight (2008) when he was 15. While he acknowledges that Interstellar is not Nolan's favorite film or necessarily the best film by the director, he praises the sensory aspects of the direction, noting that Nolan does a "crazy job on the visuals" and that there is "something quite great in the sound and the music as well." He adds that the great emotions and claimed realism of the film, along with the accurate representation of black holes, make it "overwhelming but it works."

Comparisons to other works

Regelegorila compares Interstellar mainly to other films by the British director, stating that while it gives the impression of making viewers think and stimulating their intellect, it is less striking in terms of writing than The Prestige or Inception. He describes it as more direct, with a slightly psychedelic twist and less mystery. In the science fiction category, he recommends also watching First Contact or Ad Astra ("more radical"), but calls Interstellar a "very good entry point into cinephilia," obviously more accessible than 2001: A Space Odyssey. He notes that if he had to choose between these two sessions, he would go see 2001 but compares it to introducing someone to a prison movie, recommending The Shawshank Redemption before The Fugitive. He adds that The Fugitive is monstrous in terms of cinema.

Shawshank's enduring appeal

The Shawshank Redemption, in turn, is ranked first among the most appreciated films on IMDb. Another platform (much older!), another generation of users. Another tear-jerker... Interstellar, tonight at 9:00 PM on Arte.