Movie trailers don't always reflect what a film is actually about, leaving moviegoers feeling like they have been deceived. Someone in a popular online forum asked, “What is the most misleading trailer you've ever seen?” Here are the top 15 misleading movie trailers that people shared.
1. Kangaroo Jack (2003)
Kangaroo Jack was a top pick for many people, who thought it would be a hilarious talking kangaroo movie based on the trailer, but it was entirely different. One person said, “It was my first real taste of disappointment from a movie,” and another agreed, noting, “One of the great bamboozles of our time.”
2. Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Some fans discussed how the Bridge to Terabithia trailer was misleading. “Based on the trailer, Bridge to Terabithia is a fun fantasy adventure along the vein of the Narnia films, Alice in Wonderland, or The Phantom Tollbooth,” one movie fan wrote.
Another added, “Oh man. I remember seeing this trailer and thinking ‘Good god this is going to mislead a lot of kids.' I had friends who read the book in school so I knew exactly what happened.”
3. Jack (1996)
This movie’s trailer failed to communicate that it was a tragicomedy and not a funny film. A movie fanatic said it was about a dude with a devastating medical condition — and there was nothing funny about that.
4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Tricking people into watching a Christmas movie in May may not be the best marketing strategy. A movie lover wrote that Miracle on 34th Street was originally released in May and the trailers did not feature any Christmas themes. They advertised how hilarious, charming, and romantic the movie was.
5. The Family Stone (2005)
Do you love a good Christmas comedy to brighten the holiday spirit? You may want to stay away from The Family Stone. One person said the trailer sold a lighthearted Christmas comedy, but the movie is about terminal cancer and an intolerant group of simpletons who lack manners and class. Someone commented that it “was not a cute funny holiday rom-com.”
6. Downsizing (2017)
A movie enthusiast said the Downsizing trailer made the movie seem like pure comedy. However, the comedy lasts only ten minutes, after which the film turns into a weird attempt at drama. One person called it “the biggest bait and switch in cinema history.”
7. Click (2006)
Some movie fans named Click. “First movie for me as a kid where I felt betrayed by the trailer definitely,” one person wrote. “I don't hate the film — I think it's one of the better Sandler movies — but actually watching it was a whiplash.”
8. The Beach (2000)
A film fan expressed their disappointment after watching The Beach. The trailer showed a girl in a bathing suit, which attracted them to the film. Little did they know that it was all a marketing ploy and the movie didn’t include the scene with the girl.
9. Looper (2012)
The Looper trailer sold it as a fantastic sci-fi action movie where Joseph Gordon-Levitt is chasing down his older self in a futuristic city. One person noted, “I found the trailer for Looper to be pretty misleading. I was expecting a time-traveling, noirish action film. That was not what I got.”
10. Catfish (2010)
This movie’s title is a giveaway; you may not get what you signed up for. According to one film fan, they went in expecting a found-footage horror movie, as the trailer showed. They didn’t get any of that.
11. Blade (1998)
Not everyone enjoys films about supernatural beings like vampires. Some would appreciate a warning. One movie lover said that one of the trailers for Blade only talked about a secret underground society. They did not mention anything about vampires.
12. Skinamarink (2022)
Have you ever sat through a movie waiting for it to get exciting and ended up staying the entire film? A horror movie fan said that the Skinamarink trailer hinted at something interesting, but that’s where it ended. They watched the whole movie, and even when it ended, thought, “Okay, but the last shot of it’s going to be something crazy and validate what I just sat through.”
13. John Carter (2012)
This is a rare case where the trailer sabotages the film. Someone claimed the John Carter trailer was a chaotic combination of sequences and flashes with scenes that failed miserably at explaining the movie’s plot. The movie is decent and fun, so it’s surprising that the studio would discourage people from watching it.
14. Passengers (2016)
Several people agreed that the trailer for Passengers was misleading. The movie is enjoyable, but the trailer made it look like a sci-fi thriller instead of a twisted space romance with philosophical drama.
15. Man of Steel (2013)
One person said they felt misled by the Man of Steel trailer. “I thought I was going to be getting an awesome Superman movie, and instead, I got the movie equivalent to a pile of hot diapers,” they wrote.
Source: Reddit.