Overview
A modern movie discovery and watchlist management platform that transforms how users track and organize their entertainment. Built as a personal project to solve the problem of scattered movie recommendations across different note-taking apps, this application provides a centralized, beautiful interface for discovering movies, TV shows, and anime. The app integrates seamlessly with The Movie Database (TMDb) API to provide real-time movie data, ratings, and detailed information, while offering a personalized experience through user authentication and persistent watchlists.
Why I Built This
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I was tired of writing movie recommendations in random note-taking apps that weren't designed for this purpose.
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Wanted a clean, dedicated space to manage my watchlist without the clutter of other notes.
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Needed a solution that works across devices and syncs my watchlist automatically.
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Wanted to learn full-stack development by building something I'd actually use daily.
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The design inspiration came from vitordino's aesthetic - wanted to create something minimalistic yet powerful.
Features
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Advanced search functionality that queries movies, TV shows, and anime from TMDb API
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Personalized watchlist management with persistent storage in MongoDB
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Google OAuth authentication for secure user accounts
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Responsive design that works seamlessly on mobile, tablet, and desktop
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Real-time movie data including ratings, release dates, genres, and synopsis
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Beautiful, minimalistic UI built with React and Sass
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Backend API built with Express.js for scalable architecture
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User-specific watchlists that sync across devices
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Movie detail pages with comprehensive information
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Clean navigation and intuitive user experience
Tech Stack
Frontend
Backend
Database
Tools & Services
Other
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Integrating TMDb API efficiently while managing rate limits and API costs
Implemented intelligent API caching to reduce redundant TMDb requests and stay within rate limits
Challenge: Designing a responsive UI that maintains aesthetic appeal across all screen sizes
Leveraged Sass mixins and responsive design patterns for consistent UI across devices
Impact & Achievements
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This was my first successfully deployed and maintained production-ready full-stack application
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A tool that I personally use daily for managing my entertainment watchlist
Future Plans
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Add social features like sharing watchlists with friends
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Implement movie recommendations based on user preferences
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Add rating and review functionality for watched content
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Create collections and custom categories for better organization
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Add calendar integration for release date tracking
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Implement dark mode toggle for better user experience
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Add export functionality to download watchlist as CSV or JSON