A new embargo warning from a studio is only allowing people to post ‘spoiler-free enthusiasm’ if reviewers want to get their views out early.
You may or may not be familiar with the idea of review embargoes, but a brief summation of how it works. In exchange for getting early access to a film, to prepare coverage and do something more than a fast reaction, outlets generally have to sign an ‘embargo’ form.
This doesn’t dictate what you say – if you hate a film, you hate it – but you agree to hold back your reviews and spoiler-y features until an agreed time. Embargoes are commonplace across many industries, films being one of them.
To muddy things a little, in movies and TV, there are ‘social’ embargoes, and review embargoes. A social embargo allows you to go on social media and share a sentence or two, which is where studios generally get the most enthusiastic quotes to plaster across their marketing.
However, yesterday, an unnamed studio – it’s not too tricky to find out who it is, and for what film we’re talking about – tried something different.
It’s introducing a different embargo time for those who have nice things to say about the film, to those who are a bit more critical.
As per this widely-shared text across social media:
I confess, I’ve never seen this approach taken before, and it’s gone down how you’d probably expect.
The gist, if I’m reading it right, is if you have something enthusiastic to say about the film in question, you’re allowed to talk about it as of now. But if you’ve got critical comments, those are embargoed until 4th June 2025. You get a two-week lead if you’re nice, then.
If the price to be paid for having a negative review of a film is you have to delay your work, then I might suggest this is going to be an interesting audit of who plays along and who doesn’t.
On the day we’re reporting this happening, it’s a very odd time for writing about movies, and trying to avoid being penalised for being honest.
Fun times, folks. Fun times…
