Rumours of the death of the spoiler, gleefully celebrated by Netflix in September with a website that allowed users to reveal famous plot twists, may have been greatly exaggerated.
Two months after a survey for the streaming site suggested that 94% viewers no longer care if they know the plot before watching, a new report suggests the opposite is true.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia’s school of art, media and American studies discovered that film-goers are becoming increasingly irritated by overly revealing promotional material for new movies.
“Audiences want to be excited and teased about forthcoming films, to be emotionally engaged without feeling pummelled by excessive narrative revelation,” said lead researcher Keith M Johnston, whose team examined responses to a 2013 promo for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
In a separate finding, they also noted that more than 80% of people were left disappointed with a film after viewing its trailer.
“Despite the enduring appeal and apparent popularity of these coming attractions, modern trailer releases arrive with a perceived popular stigma – the presumption that they actively mislead or deceive audiences,” added Johnston. “Our research confirms this complaint. But we also found that audiences are aware of those issues when they watch a trailer, and find trailers enjoyable despite the expectations that a marketing campaign might set up.”
