A24 and Timothée Chalamet’s latest movie, Marty Supreme (2025), is right around the corner and already generating Oscars predictions. The film’s latest marketing tactic has further stoked anticipation after Chalamet posted a hilarious 18-minute skit on Instagram to promote the movie.
If the video has piqued your interest in other unhinged but brilliant marketing campaigns for films, our guide will show you how to watch the movies with the wildest marketing campaigns on platforms like HBO Max, Hulu, and more.
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was one of the earliest movies to utilize an unusual marketing campaign. At the time, theaters had looser admission policies, often resulting in audiences arriving in the middle of a movie. However, Hitchcock demanded that theaters instill a “no late admission” policy to ensure no one would miss the iconic twist after Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) arrives at the Bates Motel. Although theaters initially balked at the policy, it intrigued audiences enough that long lines quickly formed outside theaters as viewers waited to enter.
Psycho’s unique marketing worked well because it is the kind of movie that demands a unique theater experience. Popularizing the slasher genre and offering one of the most memorable murders in horror cinema, few films compare to Psycho. It’s a must-see for fans of Hitchcock’s work, especially Vertigo (1958) and Rear Window (1954).
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Today, most of us know The Blair Witch Project as a horror movie that employs the found-footage technique. In 1999, though, some audiences went into the movie believing it was real, thanks to its wild marketing campaign. The creators marketed the film as a real case, going so far as to create a website with missing-person posters and staged interviews. The Blair Witch Project was even preceded by a 45-minute faux documentary, Curse of the Blair Witch (1999), to fool audiences further.
Not only was The Blair Witch Project one of the first movies to utilize the internet for its marketing, but it also helped popularize the found-footage format. It makes excellent use of the technique, keeping audiences in the dark and adding another layer of creepiness through its ambiguity. If you love found footage movies like The Dyatlov Pass Incident (2013) and Creep (2014), you’ll want to check out The Blair Witch Project.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and sees Batman (Christian Bale) face off against The Joker (Heath Ledger). It boasted one of the most interactive marketing campaigns in recent years through ARG (alternate reality gaming). Fans were able to uncover details of the movie through clues on websites, a Gotham-inspired newspaper, and at San Diego Comic-Con. These clues led to the first image reveal of Ledger’s Joker, or to fans voting in the fictional election for Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).
Thousands of people participated in The Dark Knight’s expansive campaign, helping build anticipation for the movie. The film was deserving of such a campaign, as it stands among the best Batman movies of all time. Dark, thrilling, and featuring, arguably, the best iteration of The Joker to date, The Dark Knight demonstrated just how sophisticated superhero movies can be. It’s an excellent watch for fans of mature superhero films like Watchmen (2009).
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
The Cloverfield Paradox is the third movie in the Cloverfield series, and sees a group of astronauts attempt to solve Earth’s energy crisis, only to cause a terrifying paradox in the process. The film boasted a pretty unusual marketing campaign. Its first trailer took audiences by surprise, dropping abruptly during Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018, and announcing that the movie would premiere on Netflix immediately after the game. One major marketing push during the biggest sports event of the year, along with a surprise release, certainly caught viewers’ attention.
The Cloverfield Paradox is a nice addition to the Cloverfield franchise. Even if you’re not familiar with its predecessors, it’s a sturdy, albeit slightly predictable and formulaic sci-fi movie. I found The Cloverfield Paradox fit in well with the franchise and offered a standard space thriller in the vein of Life (2017) and Event Horizon (1997).
Smile (2022)
Smile follows Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), who begins suffering haunting visions and hallucinations, including sinister smiles, after witnessing a traumatic event. The film capitalized on just how creepy a smile can be by bringing them into the real world. If you were watching live sports in the months leading up to the film, there’s a chance you caught glimpses of audience members standing stock still and smiling eerily at the camera. The creepy stunts went viral on social media and were strange and disturbing enough to generate interest.
Smile’s marketing campaign highlighted the movie’s strongest aspect: its deeply eerie, disturbing visual imagery. From contorted beings to creepy smiles, Smile consistently creates an unsettling, dreadful atmosphere. It also goes a little deeper than most horror movies, touching on trauma and mental health. It’s a great watch if you’re interested in unique and complex horror films like The Ring (2002) and Cuckoo (2024).
Barbie (2023)
Barbie centers on Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) as they venture into the real world on Barbie’s journey of self-discovery. The film enjoyed an extensive marketing campaign. Barbie collabs popped up everywhere, including with Airbnb, which opened a renovated, life-sized, hot-pick Barbie Dreamhouse mansion for rent. Most notably, Barbie also embraced the internet phenomenon of “Barbenheimer,” which celebrated the concurrent release of Barbie and Oppenheimer (2023). Although much of that marketing was generated by social media users, Barbie’s team played into it, including having Greta Gerwig and Robbie pose with their Oppenheimer theater tickets.
Barbie’s marketing perfectly captured the movie’s eye-catching set designs and costumes. With vibrant colors, stunning outfits, and gorgeous, practical effects, the film brings Barbie to life in a way no other movie has. On top of that, its strong feminist themes added depth to its otherwise fun, humorous premise.
Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs tells the story of FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she attempts to solve a serial killer case with occult elements. The film garnered attention for its unconventional marketing campaign, especially since audiences initially didn’t know which movie the campaign was for. Longlegs’ studio, Neon, began releasing cryptic, disturbing short video teasers. For example, one was titled “Every year there is another,” and featured an image of a family against the backdrop of a 911 call. The end of the teasers contained hieroglyphics that fans had to solve to reveal which film the video teased. Another teaser unveiled the release date via heroglyphics.
Longlegs’ cryptic, creepy marketing did justice to the film’s frightening premise, as many critics dubbed it the scariest movie of 2024. Featuring an unhinged performance from Nicolas Cage, a constant atmosphere of dread, and nightmarish imagery and jump scares, it’s an excellent horror movie that really capitalizes on your anxiety.
Novocaine (2025)
Novocaine is an unconventional superhero story about Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), a man with a rare condition that prevents him from feeling pain, who sets out to save his abducted love interest. The film boasted a cheeky marketing campaign reminiscent of Smile. Quaid attended a Los Angeles Clippers game before Novocaine’s premiere. Audiences were a bit concerned when, every time the camera turned to Quaid, he appeared to have sustained progressively worse injuries, ending the game in a neck brace and with fake blood on his face.
The funny marketing campaign caught the audience’s attention and wasn’t as unsettling as Smile. Novocaine itself is a witty, bloody, and wildly entertaining superhero underdog story. With its unconventional hero, dodging of superhero tropes, and twisty premise, it’s sure to be a hit among The Boys (2019) fans.
Bugonia (2025)
Bugonia is Yorgos Lanthimos’ new movie, which follows Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aidan Delbis), two men whose conspiracy obsession drives them to abduct Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Promotional materials unveiled Stone with a shaved head for her role as Fuller, and the studio decided to capitalize on the hype around her unexpected look. In Los Angeles, audiences had the opportunity for an advanced screening. The price for admittance, though, was to shave your head. An on-site barber was available for those interested in the deal.
The strange marketing tactic actually fits in quite well with Bugonia, a peculiar movie. Boasting the signature absurdity of Lathinmos’ films, it delves deep into the nature of conspiracy theorists through a darkly comedic lens. Satirical, absurd, and complex, it’s a must-see for fans of Lanthimos’ work, especially Poor Things (2023) and Dogtooth (2009).
Marty Supreme (2025)
Marty Supreme is a sports comedy in which Marty Mouser (Chalamet) seeks greatness through table tennis. The film attracted attention with a creative marketing stunt from Chalamet. The actor uploaded an 18-minute meta-video in which he met with A24’s marketing executive to pitch his increasingly ridiculous marketing ideas for Marty Supreme, such as pouring ping pong balls into crowds and painting the Statue of Liberty orange. From his unhinged ideas to his interjections of “SCHWAP” to emphasize his opinions, the video is funny, self-deprecating, and oddly relatable to those in the corporate world.
The video accomplished its purpose, quickly going viral on social media and earning a positive reception from many media outlets. It also seems to foreshadow Chalamet’s character in Marty Supreme and the drawbacks of unfettered ambition. If the film is as intense or humorous as its marketing campaign suggests, it could be a hit upon its December 25, 2025, release.
