Movie posters are supposed to sell you a promise: tone, genre, maybe even the kind of night you’re about to have at the theatre. Sometimes that promise is a little generous. Other times, it’s a flat-out lie. From posters that suggest a completely different movie to marketing that hides the real stars, themes, or even the genre itself, some films went out of their way to mislead audiences before the lights even went down. This list looks back at movie posters that totally lied, whether by accident or design—and how those glossy one-sheets set expectations the movies never even tried to meet.
Drive (2011)
The poster sold a slick action thriller, but the movie was a quiet, brutal, and meditative crime film.
The Cable Guy (1996)
Marketed as a broad Jim Carrey comedy, it turned out to be dark, uncomfortable, and unsettling.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
The poster promised a whimsical fantasy adventure and blindsided audiences with emotional devastation.
