History Main / NotScreenedForCritics

* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmojiMovie'' was hit with this, with an embargo placed on all reviews until the film's release date. Given how the film had been widely mocked and criticized due to [[TotallyRadical its trendy subject matter]], [[AudienceAlienatingPremise idiotic premise]] and [[TaintedByThePreview wildly-disliked marketing and trailers]] prior to the film's release, it's not too surprising that [[Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation the studio]] tried to stave off the bad publicity for the film's opening weekend. If that was what they were trying to do, then needless to say it backfired ''spectacularly'', as the film quickly garnered [[MedalOfDishonor a 0% Tomatometer rating]] on Website/RottenTomatoes, which was later bumped up to a very paltry 8%. Sony even denied critics test screenings of the movie, just to be absolutely sure there were no bad reviews staving off profits on the opening weekend. Unfortunately for them, many theaters saw this as the writing on the wall, and released the film early anyway to try and recoup some of the money before the bad reviews caught up. [[GoneHorriblyWrong The end result was that critics got to watch and review the movie early anyway.]] In addition, the sheer efforts of Sony to stave the criticism were put on full display to the fanbase of ''WebVideo/JacksFilms'', who attended its world premiere to find an "Emoji Carpet" and other things of a similarly cheesy tone. His satirical year of coverage of the movie may have brought it just as much attention as other marketing did.

%%* ''Film/Apollo18'' and ''SharkNight'', both of which opened on the same weekend.

* Vivendi Universal Games refused to send ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' (EGM) a copy of their UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames game of]] TheFilmOfTheBook of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat''[[note]]which was already a flop with critics and audiences and caused Dr. Seuss' estate to prohibit any more {{live action adaptation}}s of his works[[/note]] because they "didn't want Creator/{{Seanbaby}} making fun of it." It didn't work, needless to say. After having to pay for a review copy, Seanbaby went full-on CausticCritic towards the game.
* Creator/CDProjekt only gave out advance PC copies of ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' to reviewers despite many asking for the console versions. When the game's release date came, the reason for this became obvious; the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne versions suffered terrible performance and even more severe glitches than the PC version, which many reviews noted was already an ObviousBeta.

* [[Creator/WarnerBrosInteractiveEntertainment Warner Bros.]] declined to give out any review copies for ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'' prior to its "early access" release for pre-orderers, with some outlets like IGN not being given review copies at all. Given that reception to the game's closed beta less than a month prior was mixed at best, it didn't do anything to endear it in the minds of gamers.

* ''VideoGame/HellboyWebOfWyrd'' was an odd variant in that review codes ''were'' sent out, but just before the embargo was about to end it was suddenly pushed back a week to the game's release date, likely because the publishers realised they wouldn't be especially kind. In particular, this was done so last minute that it resulted in a ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' review that was uploaded with all [[ClumsyCopyrightCensorship mentions of what the game was censored]], though people were pretty quickly able to guess what it was through context clues.

** One of the most notable would be the City Rover, which still appeared on the show as James May went to the dealer for a test drive while wearing a hidden camera and microphone. It was, unsurprisingly, considered one of the worst cars they'd ever featured.

* Before ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'' was first aired in 1965, CBS initially refused to let any critics see the special beforehand, fearing that the avalanche of bad reviews they expected to receive would kill the careers of everybody involved. Not only did the network order a lighthearted, goofy cartoon starring the ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'' gang only to receive a bizarre and rushed production featuring Linus quoting the Bible, voice acting by actual kids, and Music/VinceGuaraldi's jazz soundtrack, but producer Lee Mendelson and director Bill Melendez likewise thought it was a disaster. CBS eventually relented and invited a critic of Time Magazine to view the special. He wrote a positive review that was published the day after the premiere; turns out all of those things turned the special into an instant classic that would go on to become the first of ''dozens'' of ''Peanuts'' cartoons.

* Creator/{{Activision}} did not send any review copies of ''[[VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater Tony Hawk: Ride]]'' prior to release. Instead, a weekend before release, they organized a Family Fun / Review Event, which, due to the obvious attempts at essentially bribing the reviewers, many reviewers such as [[http://www.gamespot.com/news/6240528.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;story;5 [=GameSpot=]'s]] declined the invitation. They did something similar for ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'', but unlike ''Ride'', ''Modern Warfare 2'' was well received. It really didn't help that ''Ride'' was controlled by a clumsy skateboard peripheral which was savaged by most reviewers and buyers. The game now goes for a 75% discount of its original $120 sticker price in bargain bins everywhere.
** ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' had fun with this one, too, when Tony claimed that everyone who said bad things about ''Ride'' decided they hated it before they even bought it. [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/12/14/ Tycho]] [[SarcasmMode totally agreed that people tend to spend $120 on things they think they'll hate]].
** In an instance of [[HistoryRepeats history repeating itself]], no advance copies of ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5'' were sent to reviewers prior to release, for reasons [[ObviousBeta that quickly became obvious]] when the game was picked up by early adopters. [[note]]To say nothing of Activision releasing a day one patch that was ''more than 50% larger than the game itself.''[[/note]] It didn't help that the game [[TaintedByThePreview ever since it was first revealed]] had garnered a lot of criticism from fans, for what many perceived to be a general lack of gameplay polish and a low-budget presentation. The final result? The game was universally raked across the board by reviewers and players alike (especially so, considering how well-revered the original line of THPS titles were), and helped ensure the series [[FranchiseKiller would be taken off the rails for good]].

* ''Series/TheMandalorian''[='s=] [[Recap/TheMandalorianS1E1Chapter1 first episode]] was not pre-screened for critics in order to conceal the FirstEpisodeTwist at the very end. Lucasfilm then averted this by holding a screening of the first three episodes for critics two days after the launch of Creator/DisneyPlus and the series premiere. The episode ended up very well-received. For the second season Lucasfilm withheld the entire season and did not provide ''any'' screeners, even on a delay.

** Nintendo would do this again for the ''VideoGame/OneTwoSwitch'' sequel ''VideoGame/EverybodyOneTwoSwitch'' which had already had it's original early 2022 release date [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment delayed]] due to it testing very poorly with the casual audiences the game was aimed it(didn't help that the original game had already gotten a fair amount of criticism for being a relatively bare-bones collection of mini-games that charged full-price when it really should've been a pack-in game like the original ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' was). Feedback was so negative that Nintendo debated cancelling the game altogether but eventually settled on dumping it onto store shelves in June 2023 with no fanfare, virtually no promotion and with not a single advance copy sent to critics(making it the very first time a Nintendo-developed game has ever been withheld from critics for quality reasons)causing many people to be surprised by it's stealth-release.
* ''VideoGame/{{Doom|2016}}'' wasn't given out to critics as publisher Creator/{{Bethesda}} had been marketing it with a focus on the multiplayer aspect of the game. However, the pre-release multiplayer demo "beta test" received a mixed reaction due to it being too ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty''-esque, which scared Bethesda into not sending out review copies. While the multiplayer was generally ignored by the fanbase & reviewers upon release, the ''single-player campaign'' was extremely well-received to the point that it became the prime reason most people played the game. Later, towards the end of 2016, Bethesda revealed that this would become a standard practice for them, and reviewers shouldn't expect advance copies of any of their games in the future.

** Nintendo would do this again for the ''VideoGame/OneTwoSwitch'' sequel ''VideoGame/EverybodyOneTwoSwitch'' which had already had it's original early 2022 release date [[ShelfOfMovieLanguishment delayed]] due to it testing very poorly with the casual audiences the game was aimed it(didn't help that the original game had already gotten a fair amount of criticism for being a relatively bare-bones collection of mini-games that charged full-price when it really should've been a pack-in game like the original ''VideoGameWiiSports'' was). Feedback was so negative that Nintendo debated cancelling the game altogether but eventually settled on dumping it onto store shelves in June 2023 with no fanfare, virtually no promotion and with not a single advance copy sent to critics(making it the very first time a Nintendo-developed game has ever been withheld from critics for quality reasons)causing many people to be surprised by it's stealth-release.

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

-->'''Tycho:''' ''"Maybe they didn't feel like giving their retro shooter to a [[TakeThat coven of millennials]] so they could use it to [[AuthorFilibuster make tough points about fracking.]]"''

-->"After [[CriticalDissonance the chasm we experienced]] with ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote 'G.I. Joe.' We want audiences to define this film."

* The Literature/{{Twilight}} Saga films subverted in that most of them were screened . . . but only for members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and for publications certain to run feature articles on the saga. Critics everywhere else waited until opening day to see four out of the five installments, all of which were panned by everyone except the saga's devoted fans.

* ''Film/{{Quarantine}}'' and ''Film/{{Devil}}'', which both had the same director, were not screened for critics, but were met with mixed reviews as opposed to universally negative ones.

%%* ''Film/{{Apollo 18}}'' and ''SharkNight'', both of which opened on the same weekend.

%%* ''[[Film/PromNight2008 Prom Night]]'' (2008)

* The Roberto Benigni version of ''Film/{{Pinocchio 2002}}'' was this in the States. Miramax's explanation for this (according to the Other Wiki) was that the English-language dubbing for it wasn't completed in time for advance screenings. Critics who saw it gave it vitriolic reviews. The subtitled version (which was given a limited release two months later) was better received though.

* ''Film/BioDome'' Some critics did pay to see it and trash it anyway ... the 4% Rotten Tomatoes rating almost a quarter-century later makes this decision not hard to argue with.

* The 2011 "comedy" film ''Film/BuckyLarsonBornToBeAStar'' was never screened for critics because everybody knew it was going to be a catastrophe. Swardson himself [[CreatorBacklash would disown the negative reception]].

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

So it's Friday, and you're considering seeing this new movie that has just Opened In Theaters Everywhere. Before you do, you grab a copy of today's newspaper, and turn to the movie section, looking for a review. Or, in this day and age, you check a site like Website/RottenTomatoes or Metacritic to get both their combined metascore and the reviews that come with it.

* ''WesternAnimation/ArcticDogs'' not only was placed under a critical embargo, but there were also no Thursday preview showings for the film as a precaution against this. The film was roundly panned and ended up with one of the worst opening weekends in animation history upon release.

* Creator/CDProjekt only gave out advance PC copies of ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' to reviewers despite many asking for the console versions. When the game's release date came, the reason for this became obvious; the UsefulNotes/Playstation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne versions suffered terrible performance and even more severe glitches than the PC version, which many reviews noted was already an ObviousBeta.

* ''Film/VampireAcademy'', according to Wiki/ThatOtherWiki.

* The 2008 comedy ''Film/AnAmericanCarol'', about a [[StrawmanPolitical version]] of [[Creator/MichaelMoore a certain well-known leftist filmmaker]] being taught to appreciate America after being visited by three ghosts, went unscreened by critics, as its creators claimed it was too conservative for them to appreciate/approve of, leading some critics to still see it and claim that politics aside, it was just ''bad''. It subsequently put the career of helmer David Zucker[[note]]who later disowned the film[[/note]] in a grave; he has yet to direct another film and didn't get another credit period until ''Scary Movie 5'', which was ''also'' not screened for critics.

* The Literature/Twilight Saga films subverted in that most of them were screened . . . but only for members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and for publications certain to run feature articles on the saga. Critics everywhere else waited until opening day to see four out of the five installments, all of which were panned by everyone except the saga's devoted fans.

* ''Film/OneMissedCall'', which ended up getting a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

* ''Film/AllEyezOnMe'' wasn't screened for critics prior to its release, worrying fans of Music/TupacShakur that the film wouldn't do the iconic, but controversial rapper justice. Come release, while the cast was praised, and most audiences were receptive to the film, it garnered largely negative reviews, mostly stemming from its many historical innacuracies about Shakur's life -- something his childhood friend Jada Pinkett Smith [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-june-jada-pinkett-smith-shares-truth-about-1497634226-htmlstory.html took personal issue with]].

* The 2008 comedy ''Film/AnAmericanCarol'', about a [[StrawmanPolitical version]] of [[Creator/MichaelMoore a certain well-known leftist filmmaker]] being taught to appreciate America after being visited by three ghosts, went unscreened by critics, as its creators claimed it was too conservative for them to appreciate/approve of, leading some critics to still see it and claim that politics aside, it was just ''bad''. It subsequently put the career of helmer David Zucker in a grave; he has yet to direct another film and didn't get another credit period until ''Scary Movie 5'', which was ''also'' not screened for critics.
* Creator/TylerPerry never screens most of his films for critics. That said, his adaptation of ''Theatre/ForColoredGirls'' is one of the few exceptions in that regard.

Another tactic by studios is to allow critics to see a preview screening... with a bunch of contest winners, so that instead of being able to make notes and review a film in a quiet theater or purpose-built screening room, the critic has to do it in a crowded megaplex with people who probably wouldn't have seen the movie at all if they hadn't won free tickets and will probably like it only because they didn't have to pay to see it. Films aimed at kids and teenagers might get a rowdy and rambunctious audience throughout the entire film (worse if it features the TeenIdol of the moment). One of the actors or producers may even make a "[[DullSurprise surprise]]" personal appearance, taking away any sense of a neutral setting (are you going to tell them their film is awful in person?). Many critics thus will easily not take the bait and stay away in droves for their sanity.

* Many {{Gorn}} genre flicks fall into this, including the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' franchise, which notably stayed off Richard Roeper's "Worst Movies of 2007" list specifically because of this, as well as the fact that he didn't want to watch them in his free time.

* Many {{Gorn}} genre flicks fall into this, including the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' franchise, which notably stayed off Richard Roeper's "Worst Movies of 2007" list specifically because of this and the fact that he didn't want to watch them in his free time.

** Apparently, the original preview of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays "The Parting of the Ways"]] hid the fact that [[spoiler: the Ninth Doctor would regenerate into the Tenth Doctor]] by displaying an alternate scene with the Doctor standing before a TARDIS monitor that more ambiguously read "LIFE FORM DYING". Yet the press still leaked the news about Creator/ChristopherEccleston's departure. This alleged cut has not been released to the public whatsoever, and took place in a time that predated the big boom of widely-available social media. All we have is WordOfGod to go by.