5 Movie Trailers That Tricked Us & 5 That Gave Away Everything
5 Movie Trailers That Tricked Us & 5 That Gave Away Everything
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at five trailers that gave away major plot details and five that deceived the audience into thinking they were getting something else. We’ll have to get into some spoilers.
“The Majestic” (2001) Gave Away Everything
In this throwback to Frank Capra, Jim Carrey plays a man who washes up on the shore of a small town with amnesia. He’s believed to be Luke Trimble, a soldier who went missing during the war. The setup seems tailor-made for a mystery as Carrey’s character tries to remember. Yet, the trailers make it clear that Carrey isn’t Luke. One trailer outright says he’s Peter Appleton, revealing aspects of his life before the car accident that affected his memory. To be fair, the film itself is forthright about Peter’s past, with the first act exploring his life as a screenwriter accused of communism. Nevertheless, the film and trailers would’ve been more effective if the audience hadn’t been given so much information about Peter upfront.
“Kangaroo Jack” (2003) Tricked Us
Originally, this Jerry Bruckheimer production was going to be a hard-R mob comedy entitled “Down and Under.” With the rough cut proving underwhelming, though, the producers had a bright idea: what if… kangaroo! The adult content was trimmed down to achieve a PG rating while additional scenes with a CGI kangaroo were added. The trailer prominently features the titular Kangaroo Jack, ending with him talking and rapping. To the dismay of audiences who made this #1 at the box office upon release, Jack was barely in his own movie and only talked in a couple scenes. The marketing team took a page from “Snow Dogs,” which similarly played up the one scene where the animals speak. If you’re going to steal, steal from the best?
“Rocky IV” (1985)
Gave Away Everything
The death of Apollo Creed is one of the most shocking moments in the “Rocky” franchise. At least, it would’ve been if the trailer hadn’t spoiled that twist. It’d be one thing if the trailer merely exhibited Drago fighting Apollo in the ring. However, the trailer doesn’t just spotlight Drago delivering a fatal blow. It shows Rocky attending Creed’s funeral with the announcer saying that his best friend died. There’s no room for ambiguity. Anyone who went into “Rocky IV” knew that Apollo wouldn’t live to see the credits. The trailer ends with Rocky preparing to face Drago. It doesn’t reveal the outcome of that fight, but audiences could deduce that they weren’t going to kill off Apollo and Rocky in the same movie.
“Hereditary” (2018) Tricked Us
The “Hereditary” trailer makes our spine tingle every time that young Charlie clicks her tongue. While the trailer captures the film’s unnerving tone, it sells us a different premise. Based on the advertising, one might assume that “Hereditary” is in the spirit of “The Omen” or “The Bad Seed,” with an evil child at the core. Much of the trailer centers on Charlie creepily staring into the distance and committing unsettling acts like cutting off a dead bird’s head. That’s not the only beheading in the film. To the audience’s horror, the first act culminates in Charlie losing hers. The film still revolves around what happened to Charlie, but the trailer went over our heads in more ways than one.
“Terminator 2: Judgement Day” (1991)
Gave Away Everything
Since Arnold Schwarzenegger played the villain in the first “Terminator,” it only makes sense for the audience to assume that he’d be the sequel’s main threat. The opening of “Terminator 2” implies this, setting up Robert Patrick’s character to be the hero who will defend John Connor from the T-800. James Cameron pulls a bait-and-switch maneuver when the T-800 tells John to get down. Suddenly, we realize that Patrick’s T-1000 is the baddie and the T-800 is John’s protector. That is, unless you saw the trailer, in which the narrator says that this T-800 is a good guy. Seeing how Schwarzenegger had become a bankable action hero, we get why marketing wanted to emphasize the “hero” part, but it does the twist a disservice.
“My Girl” (1991)
Tricked Us
After “Home Alone,” Macaulay Culkin was the biggest little star in the world. A year later, he appeared in “My Girl” as Thomas J, protagonist Vada’s best friend. Culkin narrated the trailer, selling us a coming-of-age romance between two kids. While Vada and Thomas J have adorable chemistry, their love story is also the most devastating thing we’ve ever seen. “My Girl” has gained a reputation as the movie with Macaulay Culkin and the bees. The trailer doesn’t prepare us for this emotional whiplash at all. It touches upon the fact that Vada’s father runs a funeral parlor, but we never expected Thomas J to wind up in one of those coffins, especially judging from the cutesy, lighthearted tone this trailer sets.
“Cast Away” (2000)
Gave Away Everything
“Cast Away” reunited director Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks after “Forrest Gump.” That collaboration alone was enough to catch viewers’ attention. The premise of Hanks’ character being stranded on a deserted island was also a gripping hook. The trailer didn’t need to showcase anything other than the setup and talent involved. Instead, it keeps going, revealing that Hanks returns to civilization after being presumed dead for four years. We see him reunite with his love interest, played by Helen Hunt. The trailer even leaves us on the final shot of Hanks looking into the distance, contemplating where to go from here. The trailer strips the film of its tension, which largely hinges on whether or not Hanks will escape the island.
Various Movie Musicals
Tricked Us
Live-action movie musicals made a comeback in the early 21st century with “Moulin Rouge!” and “Chicago.” The trailers for both films have characters singing on stage, but tiptoe around the fact that these are full-blown musicals where characters sporadically break out into song. The sex and violence are emphasized over the musical numbers. Such deceit remains a common trend when marketing movie musicals. Between December 2023 and January 2024, “The Color Purple,” “Wonka,” and “Mean Girls” came out. All three were musicals, much to the surprise of moviegoers who didn’t do any research outside of the trailers. There’s a mentality that movie musicals don’t sell, but maybe they’d do better at the box office if the advertising targeted Broadway fans.
“Psycho” (1960)
Gave Away Everything
Alfred Hitchcock was determined to keep the twists in “Psycho” under wraps. He even mandated that theater patrons who arrived late wouldn’t be granted admission, adding to the mystery surrounding his film. So, we’re not sure why he hosted a trailer breaking down some of the movie’s key scenes. Hitchcock takes the audience on a tour of the Bates Motel and house, revealing where several crimes were committed. The director bites his tongue before saying too much, but he still tells viewers what to anticipate. The trailer ends with Hitch informing us that a bloody mess occurred in a bathroom, recreating the now-iconic shower scene. Hitch gives away everything without actually giving away anything, putting this trailer in a class of its own.
“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) Tricked Us
This promotional preview is essentially a trailer within a trailer. A cynical producer isn’t satisfied with the film’s trailer, arguing that it sets the audience up for unrealistic expectations. He changes his tune after encountering several celebrities who attest that the film is everything the trailer promises. The producer finds that a movie can be romantic, hilarious, and exciting, but the trailer omits a crucial detail: “Miracle on 34th Street” is a Christmas movie. Fox co-founder Darryl F. Zanuck had so little faith in the picture that he wanted it released in May. It ultimately came out in June, with the marketing team avoiding any holiday references. Christmas came early for those who just saw this trailer and then suddenly, Santa Claus showed up!
What movie trailer tricked you? Which spoiled everything for you? Let us know in the comments.