10 Movies That Were Not What Audiences Expected

Not every movie delivers on what audiences thought would be its premise or tone. Sometimes, a movie's press tour and marketing campaign will tell the audience exactly what they need to know before going to the cinema. However, it is also often the case that these campaigns can shape audience expectations in a way that does not align with that The movie itself. Sometimes this can be deliberate in an attempt to shock audiences with a twist, while other times it feels as if the marketing doesn't quite match the tone of the project.

Whether it's through unexpected plot twists, subversions of a genre, or dramatic shifts in tone, many movies have come to defy what audiences expect. The marketing campaigns concealed the true nature of the movie, often with mixed results. Sometimes the tonal changes pay offBut other times audiences may feel disappointed by what they thought they were going to see.

10

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Not your average slasher

on the surface, The cabin in the woods Just looks like a regular slasher horror movie. A group of college students spend a weekend in a cabin in the woods, where mysterious and violent things begin to happen to them. However, the audience's expectations are subverted when the origins of the supernatural events are explored.

It turns out that the group is being manipulated by a shadowy organization into sacrificing to old gods. Now, while the trailer teases the organization's existence and is full of red herrings about "expecting the unexpected," it nonetheless defies the typical tropes that have defined the slasher genre.

The cabin in the woodsFar from being just another slasher, it ends up being a self-aware reimagining of what horror movies can beWith a compelling storyline amplified by excellent performances. The movie itself was a definite attempt to mislead the audience, and in that regard it certainly succeeded.

9

Pig (2021)

A surprisingly intimate image

Pig is a movie centered around a reclusive truffle hunter, Rob Feld (Nicolas Cage) who lives in the forests of Oregon with his pet pig. When Rob's pig is kidnapped, he embarks on a journey to save it. From the trailer, which showed Rob constantly battered and bruised, audiences probably expected Pig To be a gritty revenge thriller similar to John Wick.

However, the movie itself is an introspective look at love, loss and grief. Rather than Rob leaving a trail of violence in his wake, Pig Takes the audience on a journeyExplore the importance of those we hold dear to us. It's not a revenge movie by any means, it's a tale of how to heal in the face of sudden loss. Cage's performance is outstanding and helps make Pig One of the best examples of a movie that nobody was expecting.

8

fight club (1999)

A manifesto against toxic masculinity

Action Club is another example of a movie that deliberately misleads audiences to really hammer home its messaging. From the trailer, David Fincher's masterpiece appears to be a hypermasculine story about men who use the titular club to express their dissatisfaction with their lives.

People blowing off steam by beating each other senselessly appeared to be why Action Club It would be all about, And to some extent, the expectations are correct. Naturally, those familiar with the source material knew what to expect.

Those who are not, however, may have accepted Action Club To be an action flick. however, Action Club is much more than that. Although it provides some excellent hand-to-hand combat scenes, its primary story is one about the dangers of toxic masculinity, and the consequences of excessive violence to solve problems. Action Club is not an action flickIt is a groundbreaking portrayal of disillusionment and consumerism. Indeed, it is a movie that is still misinterpreted to this day.

7

Iron Man 3 (2013)

A wicked twist villain

Perhaps one of the most infamous examples of a movie that was not what the audience expected Iron Man 3. The latest payment in the US Iron Man Trilogy was marketed as a long-awaited showdown between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his archenemy in the comics, the Mandarin (apparently played by Ben Kingsley).

However, in one of the MCU's most divisive twists, this Mandarin is revealed to not actually exist, he's just being played by an actor. The real villain is the much less intimidating Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist with a vendetta against Tony.

While it's a twist that may have had its value, it still feels like a cheap way to trick the audience into expecting a showdown between Iron Man and the Mandarin. It was a subversion of expectations that undercut the tension that had been built into the movie up to this point, And indeed the tension that played such a key role in Iron Man 3s marketing strategy.

6

Suicide Squad (2016)

The movie did not live up to the trailers

The promotional material for the DCEU Suicide Squad Marketed the movie as an edgy and dark take on the superhero genre. It was to tell the story of the titular group of villains as they embarked on a deadly mission on the orders of the US. However, the final product was a bitter disappointment considering the expectations of its audience, for several key reasons. The first trailer teased a rather dark movie, whereas the second indicated that it would be a Guardians of the Galaxy-Inspired film.

moreover, Some people felt misled by the heavy presence of the Joker (Jared Leto) in the trailers and promotional material. The expectation was that the Joker would play a crucial role in the story when in fact, the Clown Prince of Crime features very little. Suicide SquadIts expectations were also dashed by messy cuts and reshoots, which led to the movie feeling more like a case of tonal whiplash and less like the edgy take on the genre it was marketed to be.

5

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Unexpectedly sad and shy

The marketing and trailers for Bridge to Terabithia Audiences believed it would be a family-friendly fantasy History similar to these Chronicles of Narnia. The reality was anything but that. It tells the story of Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), two 11-year-olds who create the fantasy kingdom of Terabithia in their imaginations as a means to escape from the troubles of their daily lives.

Bridge to Terabithia is undeniably a great movie, but its widespread cultural appeal was held back by this apparent miscommunication in the marketing. The content of its storyline may be perceived as too mature for kids who went to see it expecting a fantasy adventureAnd its unexpected emotional depth likely caught a lot of older audiences off guard as well. In particular, the tragic death of Leslie made Bridge to Terabithia A much sadder viewing experience than many viewers were anticipating.

4

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Blown away expectations

Audience largely expected Captain America: The Winter Soldier To produce more of what they've come to expect from the MCU up to this point. Trailers promised large-scale action sequences, car chases and intense action scenes. It was therefore a breath of fresh air when The Winter Soldier It was a surprisingly intimate and gritty political espionage thriller about the dangers of surveillance, power and control.

Of course, there are also many action sequences, but that's not what made it The Winter Soldier Such an incredible subversion of expectations. It's a movie that feels surprisingly mature compared to previous MCU installments, breaking the mold of formulaic superhero movies and delivering one of the best films the genre has to offer. The Winter Soldier is not necessarily what audiences expect, But it is undoubtedly what the audience needed.

3

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

took Star Wars in a controversial direction

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is probably the most divisive movie in the franchise. Much of this controversy stems from audiences feeling cheated by what fans expect Luke's return in The Last Jedi To be, with director Rian Johnson subverting many expectations. Many expected answers to burning questions from the previous movies, as well as the heroic return of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

However, the expectations would be disappointed by The Last Jedi. Luke became a distant hermit like Obi-Wan and initially refused to train Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the ways of the Jedi, while Rey's parentage was also not explored. Johnson's decision to delve more into the mythos and lore of the Jedi rather than deliver a more straightforward Star Wars movie meant that many audiences were disappointed by The Last Jedi, And it remains controversial to this day.

2

Knives Out (2019)

Not your average whodunit

In fairness, the trailers for Knives Out Marketed Rian Johnson's murder mystery as a whodunit like no other, but that didn't stop the movie from being far from what audiences expected. The sale has begun Knives Out As a movie that follows detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) trying to solve the murder of writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). however, Knives Out is far from your average murder mystery.

At first, the audience did not expect the mystery of who "kills" Harlan to be revealed to them so early in the film. By discovering this so early, Knives Out takes a completely different direction than the viewers would expectPretty much a game of cat-and-mouse between Benoit and Harlan's nurse, Marta (Ana DeArmas). Johnson is able to blend comedy, drama and social commentary into this whodunit, making it one of the most memorable subversions of audience expectations of the last decade.

1

La La Land (2016)

A different take on love

Damien Chazelle's La la country was a seminal moment in musical movie history. From the trailers and other promotional material, La la country Just a typical romcom, albeit with a slight twist of romanticizing the nostalgia of jazz and classic Hollywood.

The audience went into the movie expecting a feel-good movie about the wonders of music and the true magic of love between Seb (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone). While La la country Certainly delivers on the musical elements and is full of feel-good moments, His true message is one of sacrifice and lost love.

Seb and Mia break up by the end of the movie, and while a short montage shows an idealized life where they are able to stay together, the final shot of them both giving each other a knowing look of love in Seb's jazz bar setting the Bitter sweet. ending Subverting audience expectations here by any means makes La la country A bad movie. It improves the viewing experience, with La la countryIts sad ending blends both romanticized and realistic elements very effectively.