rachelastic

From Scattered Recommendations to Social Movie Magic: Building MoMovie

Hey there! 🎥 I'm excited to share the story behind MoMovie — a project born from my love for movies and frustration with how disconnected streaming, reviews, and friends' recommendations can be. Think Letterboxd's community meets Netflix's convenience, with a dash of real-time shared viewing.

Live Watch Parties
Social Recommendations
AI Movie Suggestions

MoMovie began with a simple frustration: despite endless streaming options, finding the right movie — and watching it with friends — often feels harder than it should. The goal was to make discovering and enjoying movies as easy and communal as sharing popcorn on the couch.

The Problem: Movies Without the Magic

Streaming killed the joy of movie night in some ways. Algorithms guess what you want, but they don't understand the vibe of a Friday evening with friends. Discussions happen in group chats, watchlists are scattered, and you lose that instant post-movie conversation.

What If Watching Could Be Social Again?

  • What if you could jump into a live watch party with friends no matter where they are?
  • What if recommendations came from people you trust, not faceless algorithms?
  • What if AI could suggest movies based on the whole group's tastes, not just yours?
  • What if sharing your thoughts after a film felt effortless?
Core question: How might we bring back the shared experience of movie nights in a digital-first world?

Listening to Movie Lovers

Before building anything, I talked to people who watch movies religiously — from casual Netflix users to indie cinema fans.

Three insights

  1. "We talk about movies more than we watch them" — People spend more time debating what to watch than actually watching.
  2. "My recommendations are scattered" — Some come from friends, others from online lists, but they rarely end up in one place.
  3. "I miss the group reactions" — Live chatting or laughing together during a film is part of the fun.

Meet Lena: Our North Star User

Lena, 27, Marketing Professional watches movies 3–4 nights a week, often with friends. She loves recommendations from her circle but hates when finding something to watch eats up the whole evening. She wants connection, not just content.

Our Solution: Connection Meets Convenience

  • Live Watch Parties — sync playback, chat, and reactions in real time
  • Unified Recommendations — combine friends' picks, AI suggestions, and trending lists
  • Post-Movie Threads — keep the conversation going after the credits roll

Under the Hood

Core Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js + React + TypeScript
  • Real-time Sync: Firebase
  • Database: Firestore
  • AI: OpenAI API for recommendation refinement
  • Movie Data: TMDB API

Why This Niche?

Movies are more than content — they're cultural touchpoints. The more isolated our viewing habits become, the more valuable truly shared experiences will be.

What's Next?

MoMovie is just getting started. Next up: AI that matches movies to the exact tone and mood of your group, smarter event scheduling, and integrations with more streaming services.

Ready to bring movie night back?