Warning: this article contains spoilers.
One of the many joys of the hugely satisfying new thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane[1], produced by JJ Abrams, is trying to figure out just what the heck is going on. The ability to play the role of investigator while watching a mystery has become a rare pleasure in a genre dependent on surprise.
But a remarkably restrained marketing campaign that refused to reveal the answer to the film's big question – has the world really been invaded by a malevolent force? – meant that viewers could sit down comfortably unaware of the final reel. Except if you live in Thailand, where your local multiplex would have shoved the big reveal in your damn face courtesy of this god-awful poster:
That's right, hinging a film, and campaign, on whether or not evil lurks outside of John Goodman's natty bunker is of little interest internationally. Revealing that big, scary aliens are in the film is much more important, yet show little concern for how that might affect filmgoers.
It's a great shame when compared to the poster used in the UK and US[3] – a restrained and smart design that hinted at a premise rather than a conclusion. But is it sometimes necessary to be more explicit, at least on a purely commercial level – especially given the important of international box office?
The film's title was arguably a modification based on business concerns. It was originally a very different script called The Cellar. Then the trailer was released and the industry, and even some of the film's crew, realised it was now under the Cloverfield banner, a film loosely linked to JJ Abrams' 2008 hit Cloverfield. Given the sustained appeal of sequels, reboots and remakes, giving a film with an original concept a bit of pre-release awareness is a surefire way to attract audiences to a modest $15m production. (10 Cloverfield Lane has already grossed more than four times that worldwide).
But keeping the film's showdown (an impressively wrought battle between Mary Elizabeth Winstead, some creepy worm-like aliens and a spaceship) from all of the marketing materials was a brave move. It is arguably likely that audiences would have gravitated more to a sci-fi actioner with a range of big special effects than to a one-location thriller based around some tense confrontations between lesser-known actors. Internationally, greed took over and the trailer[5] and the tagline ("Outside it's dangerous. Inside it's terrifying.") conspired to ruin the big reveal.
It's not the first time this has happened. Here are five posters that gave away the plot:
Carrie
In 1976, the ad for Carrie erased any mystery about what was going to happen to poor Carrie White when she gets to the prom. Admittedly, Brian DePalma's movie was based on a book by Stephen King, so the ending could have been easily discovered, but the novel only became a bestseller after the film adaptation. For most people, the poster gave it all away.
Rocky IV
A film that revolved around whether or not the main character will triumph is ruined by a poster that assures you not to worry, Rocky's totally got this one.
Free Willy
And remember when Free Willy came out and we all wondered whether or not Willy would actually be freed? It was no real surprise about what would happen. Thanks marketing guys.
The Cabin in the Woods
Did you really want to watch most of The Cabin in the Woods to figure out what was really going on in that mysterious cabin? Well, tough luck if you lived in Japan, because the film's well-hidden ending is explicitly revealed in this poster.
Terminator: Genisys
Last year, a major twist in the belated and berated sequel Terminator: Genisys was spoiled in quite a dumb, and very central, manner. Yes, that is John Connor, who is now an android and a bad guy. Who needs to go see the movie now? Well, it turns out, not many people …
Poring over a new poster for secrets has become pretty standard before any blockbuster is released, and there are usually plenty of elements to dissect. Remember the frantic Force Awakens theories that originated just from a one-sheet? We're more eager than ever to ruin films and even more eager to get angry at films being ruined by others.
What the Thai poster for 10 Cloverfield Lane tells us, ultimately, is that we're never safe from spoilers. You can refrain from watching trailers, you can stay away from social media and avoid reviews, and yet you can still turn up to the cinema and have the film's finale spoiled as you buy your popcorn. Making aliens central to the campaign will probably result in more ticket sales at Thai cinemas but a less impactful experience for filmgoers. These days, you'd be better off hiding in a bunker watching Netflix.
References
- ^ 10 Cloverfield Lane (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ Has 10 Cloverfield Lane broken the movie trailer template? (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ poster used in the UK and US (www.impawards.com)
- ^ Gone to the wall – why modern movie posters are dreadful (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ the trailer (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Pinterest (www.pinterest.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Pinterest (www.pinterest.com)
- ^ 10 Cloverfield Lane review – taut, Hitchcockian thriller (www.theguardian.com)
