Free, no account
Make your own tiny film diary
Add a few films and download a CSV you can keep in any spreadsheet. Everything you type stays in this browser tab; nothing is submitted to Kinolog. Close the page before downloading and the unsaved entries will be lost.
A movie diary does not need fifty columns. It needs a record you can actually keep. Start with a film, the rating you gave it, and one detail your future self will want to remember. Add dates when you know them; do not invent dates when you do not.
Download the blank movie diary CSV
The template opens in most spreadsheet apps. It is a simple personal worksheet, not a Kinolog bulk-import format. Kinolog accepts an official Letterboxd export ZIP; see the import guide if you already have a Letterboxd history.
The seven columns, and what each does
- Film title: the name you recognize, including a distinguishing subtitle if necessary.
- Release year: keeps remakes apart. Leave blank if unsure rather than guessing.
- Date watched: use YYYY-MM-DD for an exact day. If you only remember the year, leave the date blank and describe the estimate in your note.
- Date certainty: exact, approximate, or unknown. This is a reminder to yourself, not a database requirement.
- Your rating (out of five): how the film worked for you, not the site’s or your friends’ average. Half-stars are fine.
- Rewatch: yes, no, or unsure. You can love a film you never want to revisit.
- One-sentence note: what surprised you, how it made you feel, or the part you still remember.
Three example entries, without the homework
Illustrative entries only; no real member diary content.
Example film A
4.5 / 5- Watch date
- Exact
- One useful note
- The ending made me rethink the first scene.
Example film B
3 / 5- Watch date
- Unknown
- One useful note
- Great cast; the middle lost me.
Example film C
5 / 5- Watch date
- Approximate
- One useful note
- A comforting rewatch with friends.
| Film | Rating | Date | One useful note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example film A | 4.5 | Exact | The ending made me rethink the first scene. |
| Example film B | 3 | Unknown | Great cast; the middle lost me. |
| Example film C | 5 | Approximate | A comforting rewatch with friends. |
A five-minute way to get started
- Write down five films you know well. Use favorites, disappointments, and one ordinary film in the middle.
- Give each a rating without looking up the crowd score.
- Add a short note only when something specific comes to mind.
- After your next movie night, add just one more film. That is the whole maintenance habit.
- Once a month, reread a few old notes. The record should be useful to you even without recommendations.
What if you want an app instead of a spreadsheet?
A sheet is ideal if you only want a simple private record. If you also want posters, rewatches, approximate dates, search, and a personal read of your patterns, Kinolog’s free movie diary is built for that. It keeps the diary free, while Plus adds deeper features such as personalized pre-watch stars. You can try the movie-taste quiz without an account before deciding.
Already on another service? Keep your original export, check the import’s ambiguous titles, and periodically confirm you can export again. Portability matters more than any one product’s promises.