I can typically tell a movie will suck if the dialogue sounds unnatural and stilted. Suffice it to say that even the best actors cannot elevate a terrible script. There's only so far that their talents can stretch.
Note: While there are certainly many movies out there that fall into the "so bad it's good" category, movies like these tend to be rather tongue-in-cheek from the getgo. There are few things more exasperating as a movie-lover than watching a movie in which characters take themselves soooo seriously but have such terrible dialogue to show for it.
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor TimeMachineToaster asked the online community,
"What are some of the first signs a movie is going to suck?"
"The backstory..."
"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
Ahhh... the exposition dump. For writers who can’t be bothered to find creative ways of building backstory.
"Excessive use..."
"Excessive use of nostalgia to keep the viewer engaged."
BigTiddyOrc
Sounds like a lot of sequels and revivals that have graced movie and television screens over much of the last decade. Few of them are good. Most of them are exhausting.
"You'll start to see..."
"You'll start to see defenses of the movie from director/producers after early screenings but before the major release."
IzzyOkie
Whenever you hear about "mixed reactions" at screenings, you know you're going to be in for a hot mess.
"What about..."
"What about when a director starts to verbally attack people who didn't like the movie?"
level100metapod
And starts calling people who give constructive criticism trolls? Yeah, that should tell you quite a bit.
"Trailers..."
"Trailers where every joke is in the trailer."
broadwayzrose
Yeah, that's typically a sign of a low-quality film. No question.
"It's a Netflix movie..."
"It’s a Netflix 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
To be fair, it's not difficult to get The Rock to star in anything.
"When there is..."
"When there is a review embargo. Unless it is to protect some plot element, that usually means the film is going to bomb."
[deleted]
Most films don't warrant a review embargo, but the ones that do are bound to be pretty bad. The studio knows they have a turd and will try to hide it as long as possible.
"When the three trailers..."
"When the three trailers they release before the movie comes out pretty much show most of/the best of the action."
RAZOR314
This is why I dislike trailers. They really hurt the element of surprise.
"If the commercials..."
"If the commercials have the cast talking to the audience about the movie, instead of showing clips of the actual movie."
[deleted]
Yes, when you do see that – and you will – just know that it's definitely not an accident!
"It stays in limbo for years with constant script changes and rewrites, director changes, etc. Rumors circulate about drama on set and studio meddling and reshoots."
[deleted]
Ah, yes, what people in the industry call production hell. And yes, typically the movies do turn out to be pretty bad, but there are always some exceptions like Mad Max: Fury Road.
You'll think twice the next time you're watching a movie, won't you? Time is valuable – no need to sit through a terrible movie if you can avoid it!
Have some observations of your own to share? Tell us more in the comments below!
@thetnholler/Bluesky
@wensilver/Bluesky