Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Tell-Tale Signs That A Movie Is Going To Be Terrible

Unspooled film reels
Denise Jans/Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

Trailers are misleading on purpose, and if they did their job, you shelled out your hard-earned cash at the box office to go see the movie.

Once you're seated in the auditorium, the succession of previews is over, and the lights dim, the anticipation runs high.

How disappointing then, that a certain element in the film that you dedicated time away from home to go see turns out to be underwhelming.

What is it that indicates you're in for a non-refundable time of entertainment?


Moviegoers online shared their thoughts when Redditor Snoo_19146 asked:

"What’s the first sign that a movie is going to be bad?"

Pandering to the audience with lame humor is such a turn-off.

This Speaks Volumes

"Characters think they are funny because they speak loudly."

– drod3333

Soph-moronic Humor

"Also references to farts or weed. (Not jokes: references.)"

'Hey guys who wants to smoke some weeeeed?'

"Pause for laughter"

– Beingabummer

Premature Review

"It's advertised as one of the best movies of the year."

"And it's late January."

– M-Test24

The Poster Says It All

"There’s someone shrugging whimsically on the poster. 🤷"

– findlestick

Trailers alone can be a red flag.

Cliff's Notes Version

"When the trailer already tells you the entire movie."

– JAR_Melethril

"I've scratched titles off my watch list because I feel I've already seen the important parts of the film through the trailer, why bother?"

– butter00pecan

Recycling One-Liners

"If there are multiple trailers for a comedy movie, but they use the same joke in all of them."

– jelecel865

"And then you sit in the movie or on netflix and you're like. Oh, the joke from the trailer, I think that's where the movie starts to get funny, but it just transitions into the serious end arc and then is over."

– candybomberz

Familiar Jokes From Deadpool

"Something that always bugged me was the first Deadpool movie and it’s trailers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the movie, but here you have a character wearing a mask, played by an actor known for comedy in a movie that probably had a ton of jokes and multiple takes left on the cutting room floor."

"They could have EASILY dubbed different jokes into the trailer and used the final ones in the movie for an extra surprise. But nope, trailer jokes -> movie jokes. Kind of a bummer."

– LegendaryOutlaw

Some movies are destined for failure.

If It Ain't Broke

"It’s a remake of something that didn’t suck."

– Diesel07012012

"I hate that there’s so many remakes of decent/good movies. Feels like it’s just a safe money-grab. It would be cool if movies that didn’t do so hot, get reworked into good movie remakes, but I guess that’s too much of a risk for studios to bother with."

– AnEpicHibiscus

A Very Telling Intro

"An exposition in which one character explains everything that's going on to another character that should already know what is going on."

– rohawe8491

Familiar Setup

'Stacy sweetie, you know I haven’t been the same since your brother disappeared 4 years ago at the creek, & then we moved here to get away from the bad memories but it didn’t change anything & now you’re moving to college & I’ve been finding it hard to accept, & I’m struggling to hold down my job at the diner & that new guy I’m seeing is acting really shady & disappears for days, & completely unrelated to all that there’s mysterious murders happening since he arrived in town. You know all this Stacy..'

"whilst unpacking the shopping in the first scene."

– bluerain80

We Need A Reset

"Doctor: what we have here is a case of transcranial temporal reinforcement. If the patient is not restored to his original nacency the Einstein Bozeman condensate will reseed throughout the multiverse and congeal with unfortold consequences!"

"Other doctor: in English please!"

"Doctor: we need to send him back in time so his brain can restart the universe."

– ActorMonkey

Multiple Cooks

"Not always the case but when there are more than 3 writers a movie tends to lack vision. It can also occur due to rewrites. Not A Bomb Podcast reviews movies that bombed financially or critically and this is a subject often discussed if anyone is interested."

– earball1996

Maybe it's all about the journey.

Trailers do have to entice you with the best parts of a film promising audiences they'll be in for a good time.

However, movies just have to deliver on that promise by not revealing all the best bits in the trailer.

One movie I thought was going to be a succession of cheap one-liners with nothing but action was Disney's animated film Big Hero 6. The trailer was never appealing to me.

But after reading many positive reviews, I decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did.

It ended up being a very intelligent, emotionally mature film dealing with grief and an internal struggle about doing the right thing. While those are common tropes, it was all the more impactful watching animated characters dealing with serious themes and issues.

The bottom line is don't be quick to dismiss every movie based on its trailer.

You might be pleasantly surprised.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Jennifer Lawrence; Connor Wood
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Michael Simon/GC Images

'Dancing With The Stars' Contestant Has Priceless Reaction After Jennifer Lawrence Reveals He Once Ignored Her

Imagine actually getting acknowledged by your celebrity crush—but only so they could roast you.

That's what happened to comedian Connor Wood when his crush Jennifer Lawrence sent him a message on social media.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Bill Maher
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Drops Epic 1,300-Word Truth Social Rant Against Bill Maher After White House Dinner—And Yikes

On Sunday night, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump posted a stream of consciousness rant about repeat dinner guest, comedian, and host of HBO's Real Time Bill Maher and it's a lot.

Literally.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bill Clinton; Donald Trump
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Bill Clinton Mocks Trump's Rose Garden Renovation With Savage Liberace Comparison—And We Totally See It

Former President Bill Clinton criticized Congress for failing to push back against President Donald Trump's Rose Garden renovation, comparing it to the style of the late pianist and performer Liberace, who was known for gaudy gold costumes and flashy choreography.

The Oval Office has also been significantly revamped since Trump took office in January 2025. It features, among other things, a fireplace adorned with gold cherubs and medallions, surrounded by portraits of American statesmen in ornate gold frames and shelves filled with gilded figurines, urns, and freshly-installed Rococo mirrors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Trump Grosses Out The Internet With Crass Comment About Nicki Minaj's Body At MAGA Rally

President Donald Trump disgusted observers after he singled out rapper Nicki Minaj during a Michigan campaign rally on Sunday, complimenting her "beautiful" backside.

Just days ago, Trump raised eyebrows after revealing at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, that he was "examining" Republican Senator Jon Husted's "body" while Husted was speaking, even commenting on Husted's butt. Trump made similar comments about Husted at the Michigan event, later adding, “off the record, women yes, men no.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Stella Parton
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images

Dolly Parton's Sister Accuses Republicans Of Rigging Voting Machines In Tennessee After Alarming Incident

Stella Parton, a performer in her own right from a family of talented singers that included her older sister Dolly, has consistently been far more vocal online than her legendary sibling when it comes to social causes and politics. Stella Parton has never held back on voicing her support for social justice and basic human rights and her opposition to fascism, oppression, and bigotry.

And she doesn't mince words when she calls things, or people, out.

Keep ReadingShow less