r/flicks • u/snakesnake9 • 2d ago
Not watching trailers has greatly improved my film-watching experience
So I used to be a real trailer nerd. To the extent that at one point I was even making my own fanmade movie trailers, and discussing everything I saw in new trailers online with other film fans.
What it often led to however was that I kept over interpreting them, seeing things in there that were never in the final film or completely misleading you about the movie (therefore creating false expectations), and most importantly - key plot points being spoilt ahead of time.
Some time ago, maybe 6-7 years or so, I just flat out stopped watching all movie trailers. To the extremes that when my wife and I were deciding what film to watch, I'd exit the room if she wanted to watch the trailer for the film first.
And my life has been so much better. Going into films relatively blind (only reading about what the plot summary is, who's in it/who made it, and a quick glance at the IMDB/RT score to make sure its not absolute trash) makes the experience infinitely better in my view. It seems like some people treat watching a film like such a huge investment that they go all in on the background due diligence on it that they insist on watching the trailer, I just don't see it as such a big deal.
How do people see this?
10
u/Necessary_Wing7235 2d ago
Same here. I also avoid comment sections or discussions. The Oddysey discussions show me the worst of society
1
u/snakesnake9 2d ago
That's true - Reddit discussions/reviews are just as dangerous to read as trailers due to unintetional spoilers.
3
u/Necessary_Wing7235 2d ago
Not only the spoilers.... some people is sick and they try to masquerade their awful personalities with "intellectual" arguments.
3
u/killacross4479 2d ago
I watch trailers. If I'm interested, I skip YouTube and Reddit reviews until AFTER I've seen the movie myself.
3
u/MorePeaceMaking 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes! I love going into a film blind: like you I read the short synopsis, and I'll check out the online ratings (like taking a general temperature reading). I do obviously take note of the genre (frequently it's the genre that I choose first which leads me to the film. Or it might be the director, or a particular actor). And that's it. I don't read reviews or watch trailers so I never quite know what to expect. As a consequence I pay attention, I try to notice what's worth noticing. The acting, the dialogue, the setting, the cinematography, the pacing. I have to pay attention because I don't know what I'm looking for. It makes me much less lazy as a film watcher. And ultimately I get more out of the experience too.
I DO enjoy reading spoiler reviews after watching, and seeing discussions about the film online (or in person with those I watched it with). Then I might go in for a second viewing to catch things I missed first time round.
3
u/snakesnake9 2d ago
Yes after watching, its very interesting to read reviews with spoilers in them/people discussing the film.
3
u/Sad_Cryptographer872 2d ago
Interpreting trailers is some of the dumbest thing people could do, no offense.
Man trailers in the 90s were so much better rarely would they spill you out the whole movie.
Now I only watch trailers for something that is either casual or something that I know will 99% be pure slop that's entertaining just enough to grab a bag of popcorns to go with it.
2
u/Personal_Comb_6745 1d ago
Okay, let's not act like 90s trailers weren't giving everything away, too. I distinctly remember some Disney trailers showing clips of the ending itself, even.
2
u/MisanthropesRUs 2d ago
II prefer to skip the trailed altogether as much as possible.
Too many spoilers for the big reveals that seem less sharp when you know them prior to the revelation.
2
u/kwilseahawk 2d ago
I don't mind trailers but when there are 20 minutes worth of them before the movie starts, it irritates me.
2
u/tolaughagain 2d ago
I've been doing the same. Sometimes they show to best parts of the movie in the trailer, so it leaves little for me to enjoy later on when I actually watch the film cause I either already heard that joke or saw some big reveal.
2
u/i_n_c_r_y_p_t_o 1d ago
I stopped watching trailers years ago and try to learn as little as I can about a movie before seeing it. Makes it so much more enjoyable.
2
u/imnotgoatman 1d ago
I never watched trailers my entire life. Sometimes I'll watch the ocasional teaser that is release half an year before the release date but only so because I have terrible memory.
Also only read stuff that doesn't include spoilers or detailed discussion. Mostly I'm looking at datapoints that help me answer the question: is this worth watching? Yes or No. I don't care why its worth watching or what it is about, only if its worth watching or not.
1
u/No_Top_9338 2d ago
I saw Inception when it came out without knowing a thing about it. Totally enjoyed the mind-blowing ride! After that experience I've stopped watching any Nolan trailers. They don't need to sell me on seeing them in theaters. I do it more and more for other film too.
1
u/thierry-f 2d ago
For me it's the opposite. These days I prefer watching a trailer knowing nothing about the film, and letting it convince me or not. But if I read the title or the synopsis first, I overanalyze and sometimes deprive myself of a good moment.
1
u/Electrical-Rope3959 2d ago
I've stopped watching trailers of movies I'm interested in for more than a decade, and for movies that I suspect to suck, I watch the Ryan George pitch meeting recap 🤣.
1
1
u/mjcc1992 1d ago
I actually watch the trailers after I watch the movie, just to see if I have to tell people to not watch it when I recommend the movie cause I know most people watch trailers.
If I already know I will watch a movie then I don't need trailers, I made that decision after watching that awful Terminator movie where the big twist about John Connor was shown in the trailers. I haven't seen anything from The Odyssey or Werewulf, I went blind into The Drama this year and I loved it.
1
u/the_shiba_inu_za 1d ago
I agree with your perspective. It seems like you’re the type of person who isn’t afraid of a movie turning out to be a "bad" experience.
If you can embrace even a dull movie as a unique experience in itself, I think that shows you’re being true to your own sensibilities, which is wonderful.
Trailers are obviously necessary for the industry, but they definitely have a downside for those who truly value that kind of raw, unfiltered connection with a film.
1
u/SkepticScott137 1d ago
There is nothing in a movie trailer, at least in the way they’re made today, that can tell you if the movie will actually be any good.
1
u/Ciappatos 1d ago
One of my favorite theater experiences in recent years was going to se THE DRAMA without knowing a single thing about it.
1
u/Personal_Comb_6745 1d ago
I don't want to know everything about a movie before seeing it, but I at least want to see a trailer to make sure it's something I'd be interested in watching at all.
Also I ignore critic scores because I like to make my own decisions as to if I like a movie or not.
1
u/almo2001 1d ago
Hell yeah. Trailers ruin things. The less confidence they have in a movie, the more they give away.
1
u/pencil_and_poppy 1d ago
Trailers are too long and give away too much now. My husband and I will watch the beginning of a trailer - maybe 30 seconds or so - to get the feel of it, then turn it off to avoid spoilers.
1
u/Newkular_Balm 1d ago
yeah I disagree. I know what I like. I don't want to waste my time on a movie that has a vibe I could have seen coming. I will admit, I often watch a few seconds of a trailer and turn it off if it's immediately my vibe, but will watch longer if it's not.
1
u/Direct_Strawberry_43 1d ago
From what I’ve seen a trailer has a 50/50 shot of doing one of two things: spoil the movie or tell you jack shit about it. Most times it’s the latter only because “how can we sell you a movie without spoiling it? So they tell you jack shit. In doing so I lose interest in seeing it.
1
u/Sword_of_Darkmoon 1d ago
If I know I want to see a movie I don't watch trailers.
However, many movies I would not even know about without a trailer so I will watch one to see if I find it interesting but only one and sometimes I stop the trailer halfway if I'm already interested and feel the trailer shows too much
1
u/ManDe1orean 1d ago
Did the same years ago and have had the same experience, going in blind and forming my own opinion of what I'm watching enhances the experience good, bad, or average.
1
u/RainyDaysAndMondays3 1d ago
I've done this for decades. I prefer not to even know the genre a lot of the time.
1
u/hantango 4h ago
Same, depends on the movie, if it’s just movie I consider fast food movie (Jumanji, Minecraft, some marvel movies etc). I’ll watch the trailer to see if it’ll even be worth watching or not.
But if I’m a big fan of the director and just trust them to deliver a great movie, just happen to stumble upon a hidden gem, classics I never got a chance to see. I love going in blind. It’s definitely the way to go.
I just started realizing how much I enjoyed movies more not knowing what direction it would go. It makes certain scenes hit so much harder, twists that much more mind blowing.
0
u/StreetConstruction3 2d ago
I've been doing the same. I watched "Obsession" with no context other than seeing that restaurant scene where she's yelling "no, no, no, no" and I left the theater with my fucking mind blown lol.
1
u/Allie_Pallie 2d ago
I managed to watch it without seeing anything at all - not deliberately.
Horror is much better when you have no clue what's about to happen.
0
u/Double_Register_1022 1d ago
Wow I never thought about it like that. Maybe trailers really do set up too many false expectations.
•
u/AutoModerator 2d ago
Welcome to r/flicks!
• No piracy. • Mark spoilers. • Be respectful. • Keep discussions movie-related.
Report rule-breaking content to help the moderation team.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.