[Feature]: Add advance search filters

[NikunjSarda]

Guidelines

• I have searched the issue tracker and found no similar feature request
• I have checked the documentation and found no existing solution
• This issue contains only one feature request

Problem Description

Feature Request: Enhanced Movie Search Filters

Problem Description

The current movie search functionality does not provide sufficient filtering options for users to efficiently discover content matching their preferences. As the movie catalog grows, users need more advanced search capabilities to narrow down results.

Proposed Enhancement

Add the following search filters:

Cast

• Search movies by actor/actress name.
• Support selecting multiple cast members.

Country

• Filter movies by country of origin.
• Support multiple country selection.

Genre

• Allow filtering by genre.
• Support selecting multiple genres simultaneously (e.g., Action + Sci-Fi).
• Introduce sub-genres where applicable (e.g., Psychological Thriller under Thriller, Space Opera under Sci-Fi).

Release Year

• Filter by a specific release year.
• Support a year range (e.g., 2010–2025).

Language

• Filter by one or more languages.

Rating

• Filter by minimum rating threshold.
• Optionally support rating ranges.

Content Type

• Movie
• TV Show
• Mini Series
• Documentary
• Animation

Age Rating

• Filter by content certification (e.g., U, UA, PG-13, R, A).

Expected Benefits

• Improved content discovery.
• Faster access to relevant movies and shows.
• Better user experience for large catalogs.
• More precise search results through combined filtering.
• Enhanced support for users with specific viewing preferences.

Example Use Cases

• Find highly rated English-language Action and Sci-Fi movies released after 2020.
• Search for movies starring a specific actor from South Korea.
• Discover family-friendly animated movies with a rating above 8.
• Find documentaries released between 2015 and 2025.

Proposed Solution

Proposed Solution

Introduce an Advanced Search Filter panel on the movie search page that allows users to refine search results using multiple criteria simultaneously.

Filters to Add

• Cast: Search by actor/actress name with autocomplete support.

• Country: Single or multi-select country filter.

• Genre:

  • Support selecting multiple genres.
  • Support sub-genres where applicable.
  • Example: Thriller → Psychological Thriller, Crime Thriller.

• Release Year:

  • Specific year selection.
  • Year range selection.

• Language: Multi-select language filter.

• Rating:

  • Minimum rating threshold.
  • Optional rating range support.

• Content Type:

  • Movie
  • TV Show
  • Mini Series
  • Documentary
  • Animation

• Age Rating:

  • U
  • UA
  • PG-13
  • R
  • A

User Experience

• Allow users to combine multiple filters at the same time.
• Display active filters as removable chips/tags above the search results.
• Provide a "Clear All Filters" option.
• Preserve selected filters in the URL so searches can be bookmarked or shared.
• Support filtering without requiring a page refresh.

Search Behavior

The search engine should apply all selected filters using AND logic.

Example:

Action + Sci-Fi + English + Rating ≥ 8 + Release Year ≥ 2020

should return only movies matching all selected criteria.

Benefits

• More accurate and relevant search results.
• Improved content discovery.
• Better scalability for larger movie catalogs.
• Enhanced user experience through targeted filtering.

Alternatives Considered

Yes. Instead of adding many separate filters, you could propose a faceted search system or a natural language search system.

Option 1: Faceted Search (recommended)

Rather than showing every filter upfront, display filter categories dynamically based on search results.

Example:

• User searches: Batman

• Sidebar automatically shows:

  • Cast
  • Genre
  • Year
  • Language
  • Rating
  • Country

Benefits:

• Cleaner UI
• Scales better as new filters are added
• Similar to IMDb, Amazon, and Netflix browsing experiences

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Option 2: Advanced Search Query Builder

Allow users to build queries visually.

Example:

Cast = Christian Bale
AND Genre = Action
AND Rating >= 8
AND Year >= 2005

Benefits:

• Powerful for advanced users
• Avoids cluttering the UI with dozens of filter controls

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Option 3: Natural Language Search

Allow users to type:

"English sci-fi movies after 2015 rated above 8 starring Tom Cruise"

The system parses the query and automatically applies filters.

Benefits:

• Minimal UI changes
• More intuitive for users
• Future-friendly if AI search is planned

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Option 4: Search Suggestions + Chips

As users type, suggest filter chips:

[Tom Cruise] [Action] [English] [After 2015] [Rating > 8]

Users can click chips to add/remove constraints.

Benefits:

• Mobile-friendly
• Modern search experience
• Easier than maintaining a large filter panel

For an open-source movie website, I'd recommend proposing faceted search because it provides most of the benefits of advanced filtering while keeping the interface clean and extensible.

Feature Type

new feature

Streambert Version

v2.4.0

Screenshots / Mockups

No response

Additional Information

One additional suggestion: make all filters combinable and persist them in the URL query string so users can bookmark and share filtered searches.