15+ People Shared Tips for How to Spot a So-So Movie Right Away

We all like to relax in the evening and watch some good movies. But oftentimes, we end up getting disappointed if it turns out that the movie is not worth the time spent on it. The good thing is that some people can predict the mediocrity of a flick.

Together with internet users, we at Bright Side decided to figure out the red flags that can signal why you shouldn’t even start to watch certain movies.

• The backstory is introduced through an unrealistic and forced conversation where people who have known each other for years list facts about each other. © ggsupreme / Reddit
• You’ll start to see defenses of the movie from directors/producers after early screenings, but before the major release. Recently, I heard a director say, maybe a week before a movie was set to release, that he was going big on historical accuracy, etc. I knew it was getting panned ahead of the opening. © IzzyOkie / Reddit
• It’s a sequel and none of the original stars are in it. © OdiousAltRightBalrog / Reddit

• It’s a movie with big-name actors. They spend 95% of their budget on getting somebody like the Rock for it and 1% writing the script. © KingBenjamin97 / Reddit
• When it’s a live adaptation from an original animated movie like The Lion King or The Jungle Book. © GhibliFan96 / Reddit

• Phrases like, “Critics say it’s the greatest film of the year.” It’s even funnier when the movie comes out in January. © yearofthebows24 / Reddit
• When the 3 trailers they release before the movie comes out pretty much show most of/the best of the action. © RAZOR314 / Reddit

• The use of cliché/cheesy “movie/show phrases” aka words and phrases only fictional characters use, like: -“Wait!!/It’s not what it looks like/I can explain!!” in place of any ACTUAL explaining, or “Let a REAL man handle this!!” or “I’m not like other girls.” Or “You’re pretty good at that for a girl!” © StreetIndependence62 / Reddit
• The trailer is crafted to make you think the movie is entirely about one thing, and then 20 minutes in, the plot twist occurs, and the entire movie is nothing like what you expected. © maniacal_cackle / Reddit
• It’s a remake of an existing ’80s movie. © Deferon-VS / Reddit
• I’m just your average teenage girl in a small town, and these are my sidekicks which have so much more personality than me, but still, this movie is about me. © unknown author / Reddit

• When there’s that cliché straight relationship to get the cishet women audience to the screen for action movies. © unknown author / Reddit
• Excessive use of nostalgia to keep the viewer engaged. © BigTiddyOrc / Reddit

• If the movie has finished the production process already, but the studio is holding it back for a “better” release window. The longer the window, the worse the movie. © BrooklynKnight / Reddit
• Movies where the drama is based on the death of one of the characters but, eventually, it turns out he or she is alive.
• The movie has poor special effects.

What red flags that indicate the poor quality of a movie have you noticed?