The 13 Best Misleading Movies According to the Tuesday Night Movie Night Community

A community-curated watchlist.

Updated: January 19, 2026 | Written by Drew Levy

Have you ever gone into a movie expecting a crime drama but got a horror movie? Or walked out of a movie wondering how the advertising could have missed the mark by so much? Would you consider it a nice surprise or a waking nightmare to unknowingly watch a musical? These are the types of questions the Tuesday Night Movie Night community had to ask themselves when picking their recommendations for this week's community watchlist. Don't subscribe here, unless you like the idea of receiving one good movie recommendation every week from two brothers who like to watch movies, and having the opportunity to be part of a community that creates awesome lists like these. The community came up with a great list of movies they'd recommend watching despite (or because of) misleading marketing or some other defiance of expectations they had going into the film. Below are the rankings according to your votes.

David Farrier & Dylan Reeve's Tickled (2016)

DocumentaryCrimeMystery

Recommended by Blake L.

Description:: A journalist investigates the world of competitive endurance tickling.

Blake L. says:"Tickled was sort of what I expected: a dive into the underbelly of a competitive tickling league. But the lead reporter's relentless quest to understand the man in charge of the league results in some deeply disturbing turns that, well, were not exactly what I'd expected."

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Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

HorrorMysteryThriller

Recommended by Kelly F.

Description:: Five friends unleash evil at a remote cabin.

Kelly F. says:"What starts out as a campy teen horror flick is revealed to be... not that. It also pokes fun at the classic horror tropes and is a great time."

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Ryan Coogler's Sinners (2025)

HorrorDrama

Recommended by David G. & Kris S.

Description:: Twin brothers must defend their newly started juke joint in 1930s Mississippi.

David G. says:"To be honest, I didn’t walk into this movie entirely unaware of where it was going. However, the masterful blend of social commentary, musical power, and horror shouldn’t have worked. But in the hands of Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, and Ludwig Göransson, this movie is both surprising genre-bender and a stone-cold classic."

Kris S. says:"No one told me there would be vampires. No one told me to stay through the credits. An awesome mash-up of history, music, and monsters."

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Denis Villeneuve's Arrival (2016)

DramaSci-FiMystery

Recommended by Drew L.

Description:: A linguist works with the military to communicate with aliens who have come to Earth.

Drew L. says:"From the trailers, I remember expecting another typical alien invasion movie, but it ended up being so much more."

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Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak (2015)

HorrorMysteryRomance

Recommended by Cary C.

Description:: Edith marries Thomas and goes to live in his mansion, which seems to be haunted.

Cary C. says:"I remember the trailers making this look like a straight up ghost story, but it's an incredibly well done gothic mystery dressed as a horror movie."

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Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

ActionCrimeHorror

Recommended by Andrew C.

Description:: Two criminals and their hostages hide out in a bar that turns out to be host to some unsavory characters.

Andrew C. says:"(Spoiler?) Suspenseful thriller that turns into all out zombie slayer half way through."

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M. Night Shyamalan's The Village (2004)

DramaMysteryThriller

Recommended by Jana H.

Description:: An isolated village lives in fear of creatures in the surrounding woods.

Jana H. says:"This movie "died" because the advertisement led you to believe it was something it was not. With proper ads, I think this movie would have "killed"."

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Everything Everywhere All at Once poster

Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

ActionAdventureSci-Fi

Recommended by Christina L.

Description:: Evelyn must save all of existence by exploring parallel realities.

Christina L. says:"I thought it was going to be about a middle-aged woman going through a mid-life crisis. It wasn't."

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Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira (1988)

AnimationActionSci-Fi

Recommended by Mico P.

Description:: A teenage bike gang member develops telekinetic powers that may destroy Neo-Tokyo, which was rebuilt after Tokyo was destroyed in WWIII.

Mico P. says:"The poster prominently features the classic Akira slide and then the movie begins with about 25 minutes of beautifully drawn motorcycle gang action before Boom no more motorcycles for the rest of the movie."

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Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

AdventureComedyDrama

Recommended by Laurie K.

Description:: A businessman attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter while undertaking an ambitious infrastructure project.

Laurie K. says:"Out of the box different. Expected more of a mystery but got a juxtaposed family drama."

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Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another (2025)

Drama

Recommended by Adam B.

Description:: A former revolutionary must save his daughter.

Adam B. says:"Based on the trailers, I thought this was going to be "old messed up revolutionary returns to action," but it was so much more a father-daughter story!"

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Johannes Roberts' PRIMATE (2026)

HorrorThriller

Recommended by Tim H.

Description:: A tropical vacation turns horrific when their chimpanzee becomes violent.

Tim H. says:"I think the trailer did this film a great disservice, making it look a lot cheesier than it was."

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Samantha Jayne & Arturo Perez Jr.'s Mean Girls (2024)

ComedyMusical

Recommended by Anna T.

Description:: The new girl in school befriends the popular clique, until she pursues the ex-boyfriend of the clique's alpha.

Anna T. says:"Why did no one mention that it was a musical? Wtf."

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© Tuesday Night Movie Night

Tuesday Night Movie Night is your free newsletter for one movie recommendation every week, created by two brothers who love film.

Tuesday Night Movie Night is your free newsletter for one movie recommendation every week, created by two brothers who love film.

© Tuesday Night Movie NightTuesday Night Movie Night™ is a trademark of Tuesday Night LLC.

© Tuesday Night Movie Night
Tuesday Night Movie Night™ is a trademark of Tuesday Night LLC.