Tonight, hundreds of people across the UK saw burning anticipation turn into crushing disappointment in a single instant. They were all about to watch Triple 9 – John Hillcoat’s new thriller. Almost all of them, however, were certain that they were about to get an early glimpse of Deadpool.
These people were Cineworld Unlimited Card holders and they were attending “secret screenings”. In these screenings, customers book a seat without knowing what they are about to see. This initiative is also popular with ODEON in the UK, who run their “Screen Unseen” events once a month.
In this case, it would be fair to say that people were incredibly unhappy as a result of tonight’s screening.
Social media was ablaze with bizarre fury from people who had signed up to see a film for free and were subsequently angry that they hadn’t been allowed to see one of the year’s most highly-anticipated movies hours before the review embargo was lifted. Apparently logic wasn’t exactly in abundance.
Pissy manbaby stood up, called the room at large a "pack of cunts" & flounced out cos the @cineworld secret screening wasn't Deadpool. Aww.
— ambrotypes (@ambrotypes) February 6, 2016
@cineworld #UnlimitedScreening is Triple 9, you made everyone believe Deadpool, i will NEVER waste my time going to a secret screening again
— DAMN DANIEL (@SuperSonicDan) February 6, 2016
I'm sure @cineworld put poor films as a secret screening for them to actually have views I don't care if it's 'free' don't lead people on.
— Abbie Handforth (@AHandforth) February 6, 2016
Pure disappointment from @cineworld secret screening. GIVE THE MEMBERS WHAT THEY WANT!! We walked out after 10 minutes… £30 popcorn wasted
— Fuzz (@MixFuzz) February 6, 2016
@cineworld you hyped up the secret screening making us think it's dead pool then put a shitty film that no one wants to watch. #wastedsnacks
— hollie (@holliedervish) February 6, 2016
The social media chaos was treated with a mixture of carefree trolling and slight disdain by the people behind the Cineworld Twitter feed. It’s as if they didn’t know how to deal with people complaining that they had been given different free stuff to the free stuff they wanted.
As one Twitter user stated, the Deadpool controversy said rather more about our culture than it did about people’s views on a Hillcoat actioner that has attracted middling reactions.
Who would have thought that the Cineworld secret screening would be a pertinent window into today's entitlement society?
— Alasdair Crews (@AJ_Crews) February 6, 2016
This isn’t even the first time that the Cineworld secret screenings have angered fans. Back in December, the chain showed In the Heart of the Sea at a screening that took place around a week before the release of Star Wars. There were walkouts from fans who had made up their minds and weren’t going to take anything other than Harrison Ford at the helm of a spaceship.
The same is true of ODEON Screen Unseen. The depressing prejudice towards animated cinema led to people walking out the door when the multiplex showed Inside Out last year and once clues began to point to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in August, plenty of people loudly opted not to attend.
There’s an inherent risk to these events, but that is part of the fun. The sense of mystery is what makes these secret screenings work and it’s ridiculous to complain when the film isn’t what you want it to be. This is particularly true if the film you want to see, like Deadpool, is out within a week anyway.
Secret screenings can be a way to experience films that would not have otherwise been on your radar at all. They can broaden cinematic horizons and shine a light on gems that won’t get the major marketing push of something like Star Wars or Deadpool. That should be welcomed; not attacked.
Were you at the Cineworld secret screening? Were you disappointed not to see Deadpool? How do you feel about secret screenings in general? Let me know in the comments section.