A study shows half of movie fans think trailers show too much of a movie’s plot

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

As someone who works for a movie website, I can say the majority of my time is anticipating new trailers to get a glimpse at upcoming movies to share with all of you. Some are good, some are bad, and some are downright awful. But, something that seems to be happening more and more in movie trailers is the abundance of details about the movie itself. There used to be an art to making a good teaser for a movie, something that has gone by the wayside in recent years. I know some friends who refuse to see trailers for movies they really want to see because they don't want anything given away before they see it.

It looks like we are not alone in thinking trailers have gotten out of control.  According to a recent study, 49% of movie-goers think current trailers give away too much footage from the films they are advertising.  That is just about half of those surveyed.  Now, the Internet has become a haven for spoilers and information about movies which may have desensitized many from feeling a trailer gives away too much detail.  The same study found that 19% of those surveyed were deterred from seeing the movie while 24% wanted to see the movie more.

In the end, it may depend on the movie.  For an action movie, you want a glimpse at the action, but not the whole thing.  In the trailers for IRON MAN 3, we see the Air Force One rescue as it begins but not how it ends.  I know the sheer spectacle of that sequence made me want to see the entire scene in a theater.  But, if the movie is a comedy, the trailer really wants to show you how funny it is and may show all the best lines so when you hit the theater you have already seen the biggest laughs.

Something we often say here at JoBlo.com is that a movie sounds good or bad but we will reserve judgement until we see the trailer.  You really can't know much about a movie until you see some scenes in action, but the mystery is sometimes the best part.  Think about what J.J. Abrams was able to accomplish with CLOVERFIELD, SUPER 8, and even STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS by preserving the mystery surrounding the movie you were going to see.

The same survey found that there are two leading items of importance to audiences: trailers (48%) and personal recommendation (46%).  Which matters to you?