# Would you still watch a movie that had been spoiled for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2006, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064 "2006-01-02T08:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/1 "2006-01-02T08:51:13Z")
Would you still see a movie\*\* in the theatre \*\* if a friend of yours spoiled the entire ending or would you wait until it came out on video? ---
**Author:** ![PsychoWench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@PsychoWench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PsychoWench)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/2 "2006-01-02T09:00:10Z")
> [@START](#): > > Would you still see a movie\*\* in the theatre \*\* if a friend of yours spoiled the entire ending or would you wait until it came out on video? As a proud spoiler whore almost everything I watch is watched with previous knowledge of the plot. If I wasn’t, however, I would first question whether the movie was any good, (and if it completely depends on some weird twist to shock you then it doesn’t stand up to the repeated viewing test which I feel determines if a movie is good.), if the acting sold it, and if there are any actors in it I happened to love. There’s a reason why some people see a movie in theatre numerous times, being spoiled isn’t always a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/3 "2006-01-02T09:09:39Z")
It kept me away from _The Passion of the Christ_, if that tells you anything. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/4 "2006-01-02T09:11:23Z")
I guess it would depend on the film and the genre. I might be less enthusiastic about seeing a thriller or mystery if I knew the ending but action or comedy wouldn’t really be ruined. After all, I’m guessing most people went into King Kong knowing that: The gorilla dies in the end ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/5 "2006-01-02T10:01:44Z")
It all depends on how much of the movie hinges on that spoiler. For example, being spoiled about “Fight Club” or “The 6th Sense” would piss me off. Being spoiled about “Citizen Kane” would not. Of course, it also depends somewhat of how good it is. I knew the twist to “The Village” and wasn’t bothered at all. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/6 "2006-01-02T10:05:00Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > It kept me away from _The Passion of the Christ_, if that tells you anything. And I was so looking forward to the 3 hours of watching a man be tortured to death. ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/7 "2006-01-02T10:27:55Z")
For me, it really depends on (a) the type of movie and (b) how much I’m anticipating it. Therefore, I don’t care if the various divergences from the novel in “Chronicles of Narnia” are spoiled, but I would’ve been extremely annoyed if someone had spoiled the changes in “The Lord of the Rings,” even though the two movies are essentially identical in genre. Similarly, I didn’t care how much “Revenge of the Sith” was spoiled, but kept myself carefully spoiler-free for “Serenity.” ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/8 "2006-01-02T10:53:04Z")
If I heard the movie was good, I would definitely see it anyway. Besides, I can usually spoil movies myself before the end. You see enough movies, and you learn to recognize plot twists and where things are going. _The Sixth Sense_, _The Others_ , and _Fight Club_ worked for me, though. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/9 "2006-01-02T11:27:21Z")
I still saw The Village even though someone told me the ending beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/10 "2006-01-02T11:35:47Z")
I prefer my movies spoiled and frequent spoiler sites. I tend to take a rather academic view of movies and I like to be able to concentrate on developing a good critique, which can be hard when you are trying to follow an unfamiliar plot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/11 "2006-01-02T14:09:58Z")
I’ll see a good movie if I know the twist. Did so for “The Crying Game,” for instance. Knowing it didn’t affect my appreciation. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/12 "2006-01-02T14:23:17Z")
I prefer unspoiled movies, although it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. I still watched **6th Sense** in the theater (and enjoyed it immensely) even though I knew the twist. Mostly it depends if whether the movie in its spoiled stated still sounds interesting to watch. **Signs** , for example, doesn’t sound good enough to drop $15 on even if I didn’t know that: the aliens are a bunch of complete idiots. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/13 "2006-01-02T18:49:27Z")
I watch movies for their construction, not for the surprise or suspension of disbelief. Therefore, I prefer to know the plot outline beforehand so I can focus on how the film moves from here to there. That said, if the movie sounds like its best feature is its surprise (e.g., _The Crying Game),_ I’m unlikely to watch it after I’ve heard the precis, since I’m not convinced that watching it would add anything. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/14 "2006-01-02T19:52:03Z")
Happens to me all the time, so I certainly will see a “spoiled” film, although i much prefer it to be unspoiled. I had a friend like **Shoshana** , who wanted all the details first. Me, I figure surprise has a legitimate place in a story, and may even be the main point of a film. Structure and storytelling are extremely important, but that doesn’t mean surprise and the unexpected have no part. I loves me a good “twist” ending, and I treasure watching such a film over later if it’s been done well. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/15 "2006-01-03T03:15:52Z")
Movies aren’t just about what happens, they’re about HOW it happens. If I want to see a movie at all, being spoiled isn’t going to stop me. I like being unspoiled, but knowing or not knowing what’s going to happen isn’t even a consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-still-watch-a-movie-that-had-been-spoiled-for-you/338064/16 "2006-01-03T03:23:59Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > Movies aren’t just about what happens, they’re about HOW it happens. If I want to see a movie at all, being spoiled isn’t going to stop me. I like being unspoiled, but knowing or not knowing what’s going to happen isn’t even a consideration. Damn, I was going to say this. Everybody knew what was going to happen at the end of Star Wars Episode III, but it didn’t stop anybody from going (or complaining, but that’s another story).