How often does it refresh?

The pipeline polls for new records every few minutes.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

Does trending mean a film is in cinemas?

No. Trending is a separate list from TMDB's now-playing list, so a trending movie could be a new release or an older film.

Why can the order change?

The daily window covers a short period, so shifts in attention can move a title past others from one refresh to the next. TMDB does not publish the exact method.

Is this the same as a box-office chart?

No. It reflects attention on TMDB, not ticket sales.

TMDB Trending Movies Screensaver

The TMDB Trending Movies screensaver streams real trending movies today as they're reported. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the TMDB Trending Movies screensaver works

The background pipeline polls TMDB (The Movie Database) — TMDB's free-key public API — every few minutes for new records.

Each new item eases up into its slot at the bottom of the list as it arrives.

A header shows a live/connecting indicator and the last update time.

No key is required for this key-less public endpoint.

What TMDB means by trending

TMDB, The Movie Database, is a community-built catalogue of films and TV. Besides static metadata it publishes a trending list through its API, available for a day or a week time window. This screensaver follows the daily version of that list for movies.

TMDB's documentation describes the endpoint simply as the trending movies on TMDB and does not explain how the ranking is computed. Each result carries a popularity value, a vote average and a vote count, but the page does not say how popularity relates to the order. The safe reading is that trending is a measure of momentum, not quality or box office, and that a title near the top is drawing unusual attention on TMDB.

Because the window is a single day, the order can shuffle quickly, and the list can include older films as well as new releases. Scores shown with each title come from TMDB's own users and may rest on few votes for very new releases. The list says what people are curious about today, which is a different question from what is playing in theatres.

A worked example

A real recent item scrolls into view with its details, then eases upward as newer ones arrive behind it.

Settings & tips

Each movie shows its real rating and vote count from TMDB.
Accent recolours the header and highlights.
TMDB is a large, community-built movie and TV database.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it's read live from TMDB (The Movie Database), TMDB's free-key public API.
Is a key needed?: No. This is a fully key-less public API.
How often does it refresh?: The pipeline polls for new records every few minutes.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Does trending mean a film is in cinemas?: No. Trending is a separate list from TMDB's now-playing list, so a trending movie could be a new release or an older film.
Why can the order change?: The daily window covers a short period, so shifts in attention can move a title past others from one refresh to the next. TMDB does not publish the exact method.
Is this the same as a box-office chart?: No. It reflects attention on TMDB, not ticket sales.

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