10 Lies Told In Recent Movie Trailers

The trailers for Smile were a twisted sort of genius - they sold the movie as yet another dumb horror-comedy that didn't take itself remotely seriously.

With its focus on a woman being perused by a bevy of people pulling outrageously goofy faces, Smile seemed immediately reminiscent of 2018's wretched Blumhouse joint Truth or Dare. The trailer's additional emphasis on cheap jump scares certainly didn't help shift that association.

Expectations were low, then, but for those who dared watch Smile on opening weekend, they were likely pleasantly surprised that it was actually a dead-serious, sharply executed movie about the damaging effects of trauma.

The trailer was bluntly effective in getting teenagers looking for a schlocky fun time into the cinema, while surprisingly positive word-of-mouth also encouraged more discerning audiences to give it a shot.

And as a result of effectively marketing the movie as far stupider than it actually was, Smile became a breakout box office hit, grossing an astonishing $217.4 million against a mere $17 million budget.

When a movie ends up being way better than you expected, it's generally tough to begrudge the lie too much, even if those expecting - nay, hoping for - something dumber might've actually felt a little let down by how classy and well-crafted Smile ultimately was.