"The Viewer Was Catfished" — 16 Trailers That People Felt Were So Different To Movies, They Made Viewers Scream "Lies!"

"Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie, but the misleading trailer makes it a case of bait 'n' switch."

Recently, I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community which trailers they thought were nothing like the movie. Here are some of their responses:

BTW, ⚠️huge spoiler alert⚠️ for all these movies! 

1. Kangaroo Jack (2003)

Warner Bros.

"The trailer featured a funny, hip, seemingly talking kangaroo and looked like a typical silly animal family film to me. The ACTUAL movie is a crime caper and the talking kangaroo appears very little, in a dream sequence." 

—bradleyteacher6119

Here's the trailer, judge for yourself:

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2. Scream (1996)

Dimension Films

"Drew Barrymore was in the Scream trailer, so viewers back then assumed she'd stay alive throughout most, if not all, of the movie. At that point, it’d been ages since an A-list actor was killed off so quickly. It was a huge twist right at the start of the movie that had viewers shocked and hooked.

I feel like with social media, there aren't as many movies that take us by surprise anymore. You have to make a point to keep your ears/eyes closed when there’s a movie you want to see to try and avoid spoilers. It’s not easy."

—stephaniesable

"I think about this every time I watch Scream or hear anyone talk about it. They really blew everyone's mind with that, because it was basically a law that the most famous cast member would never be killed in horror movies. And then it was like, 'okay, so literally ANYTHING can happen in this movie???'" 

—skilletgirl81

"That's what makes Scream awesome. It was Drew's idea — she was supposed to play Sidney if I remember correctly."

—mishybp73

Do you agree?

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3. Brave (2012)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

"According to the trailer, it was about a young woman trying to take control of her life and going after what she wants by avoiding an arranged marriage. It looked badass! But nope, the movie is about turning people into bears..." 

—lovelyaardvark50

Do you agree?

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4. Pleasantville (1998)

New Line Cinema / Warner Bros.

"The trailer gave me the impression it was a fun little family movie about two teenagers getting sucked into a TV show set in the '50s.

It was really about... a town getting sexually liberated? It's been a while but I mostly remember it being awkward to watch with my parents." 

—t49e12a934

What are your thoughts?

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5. Suicide Squad (2016)

Warner Bros. Pictures

"It looked like a dark and gritty thriller and something very different from the usual comic book movies that were coming out. But instead, it was a rushed dumpster fire." 

—cornygoose88

Do you think so too?

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6. The War (1994)

Universal Pictures

"It's an old Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner movie. The trailer made me think it was a family film about kids battling for a treehouse. It was actually a heartbreaking drama about PTSD, veterans, and loss. I have never recovered from the weight of that movie. I don’t even know why the poster showed poeple smiling in it." 

—bblackberri35

7. Marley and Me (2008)

20th Century Studios / FilmFlex

"I had a total 'Phoebe from Friends' moment thinking it was going to be a fun family movie about a rambunctious dog. Always read the book before you see the movie!" 

—nerdgroupie22

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8. Downsizing (2017)

Paramount Pictures

"People shrinking themselves for economic reasons! Looks fun! No. It turns into four different movies, none of which knew what they were." 

—nerdgroupie22

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9. Jennifer's Body (2009)

20th Century Studios / Fox Atomic

"A victim of horrendously tone-deaf marketing."

—almtzdx

Do you agree?

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Side note: 'You can barely finish gym class' was not in the final movie.  

10. Passengers (2016)

Columbia Pictures / United International Pictures / Sony Pictures Releasing

"Ugh…. I was so disappointed. I anticipated an action-packed sci-fi movie with a side of romance, only to have it be some sociopathic mental study set in space. Stupid trailer." 

—karialder

Do you feel the same way?

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11. The Bucket List (2007)

Warner Bros. Pictures

"I took my dad to see it (who was very sick at the time). From the looks of the trailer, I thought it would be comic relief for him. No! Though it definitely was hilarious, it was so much heavier than I had anticipated and I left the theatre with my teared-up father, who I had only seen cry twice in my then-30 years of existence." 

—ashhole

Do you think they're right?

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Side note — most people hadn't used the term "bucket list" before this movie so likely had no idea what it meant. It wasn't a phrase in common parlance until this film came out.

12. Argylle (2024)

Warner Bros. Pictures

"As a fan of Henry Cavill, that trailer made me think we'd be seeing a lot of him in the field. I was very disappointed when we didn't see him but a couple of times." 

—fancylion73

What do you think?

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13. Into The Woods (2014)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

"The trailer used the entirety of spoken dialogue in the movie (which amounted to all of two minutes) and turned out to be a 2.5-hour musical — which *I * was fine with, but I wasn’t allowed to pick movies for a long time after that, LOL.

Disclaimer though: I was relatively sheltered and didn’t know it was a musical, and I did love it! I just had no indication otherwise!" 

—angrycoyote45

Can you see it too?

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14. Catfish (2010)

Universal Pictures / Relativity Media, Rogue Pictures / Alliance Communications

"The trailer for the documentary very much gave the impression it was almost going to be like a horror film. It wasn't but I still very much enjoyed it."

—angelicskull35

"Damn, you might say the viewer was…

Catfished." 

—empresspenguin

Meta, right?

youtube.com

15. Flight (2012)

Paramount Pictures

"It had Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and a host of other great actors. The trailer makes it look like it's about the intrigue surrounding the investigation of a plane crash when really the film is about one man's losing battle with alcoholism. Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie, but the misleading trailer makes it a case of bait 'n' switch." 

—theomna

Do you agree?

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16. Thin Red Line (1998)

20th Century Studios

"It looked like a celebrity-packed version of Saving Private Ryan in the Pacific, but it was a hot mess. I've never seen so many people walk out of a theatre in my life."

—bethechangeyouwanttosee

"What??? That movie is beautiful." 

—tortillachips

The movie's pretty critically-acclaimed — but do you agree the trailer was different?

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Thanks so much to the BuzzFeed Community members who shared their thoughts!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.    

Do you have other trailers to add? Let us know in the comments below!