Have you ever been in a situation where you had the ending of a movie ruined for you because you read something about it or someone told you what happened? It’s highly likely that this is case; movie spoilers happen a lot, and although it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, on a personal level, it can really be a problem. It can entirely ruin the movie-going experience, and that’s even more true if the movie was one you were really looking forward to seeing. 

People are free to say what they want about movies, so you can’t just tell everyone not to discuss the film they just saw or to disclose plot points if they think they’re interesting. It would be unfair for one thing and impossible for another. So what can be done? 

The best thing to do is to work out different ways to stay safe from movie spoilers so that nothing is ruined. When you take this responsibility on yourself, you’ll have much more control. Read on to find out more about what you can do. 

Be Careful On Social Media 

These days, social media is most likely to be the place where you’ll see spoilers for movies (and books, TV shows, plays, and more). Therefore, it makes sense for you to be extra careful when you’re using social media so you can avoid spoilers as much as possible. 

One thing to be aware of is if a post starts with the words ‘spoiler alert’. This is a clear sign that the ending or important parts of the plot are going to be given away and perhaps discussed in-depth within the post, and it’s your chance to keep scrolling before you see or read anything. 

The problem is that not everyone will use these words to warn people. Because of this, it’s probably best to avoid any post or page that mentions the movie you want to see completely. On some sites, you can even mute or filter certain words, so you won’t get to see anything at all, even by mistake. Or why not limit your time on social media entirely? This is good for you in all kinds of ways, including staying away from spoilers. 

Of course, once you have seen the film, you can join in with online discussions or perhaps look up more details about the ending of American Psycho if you need clarification. 

Tell Your Friends And Family 

Some people like to give spoilers because they think it’s funny – it very rarely is, of course – but others will do it completely by accident. They might be excited to talk about a film they just saw, or they might think you have already seen it. In either case, they might spoil some of it before anyone realises that you didn’t want to know. 

This is why, if there is a specific film you want to see, it’s a good idea to let people know that you don’t want to hear what happens. Let your friends, family, and colleagues know that you are planning to see it, and you’ll happily discuss it after you do, but until then, you really want the movie to be a surprise. 

Most people are going to be more than happy to stick to this rule, and they’ll enjoy talking to you about the film once you have seen it. In fact, they’ll probably be happy you were upfront with them because it can be very embarrassing to be the one who accidentally spoils a film for someone. 

Choose Your Seats Well

Even if you make it all the way to the cinema without having the movie spoiled for you, things can still go wrong when you get there. One issue is that you might accidentally overhear people talking when they leave an earlier screening of the film. This is why, although you don’t want to be late, it’s best not to arrive at the cinema too early, either. Make sure you have enough time to get your popcorn or snacks and a drink and to use the facilities if need be, but you don’t need any more time than that. This will drastically reduce the chances of a movie being spoiled. 

Something else to think about is your seat. You need to choose your seat or seats well so that you aren’t too close to others, if that’s possible. Why is this important? It’s because someone might inadvertently mention a plot point you weren’t aware of or even the ending itself. They might have seen it before, or perhaps they’re with a group of friends, and they’re discussing the plot because they are aware of spoilers. Sitting away from others is a good idea if you want to keep everything a surprise.