Ask Pappy #11: My Buddy Keeps Spoiling Movies, Is It Time to Cut Ties?

Reader Letter: Dear Pappy, my buddy is a chronic movie spoiler who just can’t seem to help himself. Even when I explicitly beg him to keep quiet so I can enjoy the twists, he blabs the ending every single time. It has reached a point where I can't even enjoy a trailer without him ruining the climax. Is it finally time to cut ties, or am I overreacting to a cinematic betrayal?

Now that’s a heavy question, kid. You’re talkin’ about betrayal on the level of a Shakespeare tragedy wrapped in a Marvel post-credit scene.

Spoilers, see, they’re not just words — they’re time theft. A fella waits months for a story, avoids trailers like potholes, dodges social media landmines, and then bam! your so-called friend drops, “Oh yeah, the villain’s her dad.” That’s emotional vandalism, plain and simple.

But before you throw the friendship in the cutting room floor, let’s consider the intent. Some folks spoil things because they can’t help themselves — they get too excited and trip over their own tongues. That’s forgivable. Others? They do it for control. They like knowing before you do. They like holding that narrative power over your joy. Those are the ones you keep at arm’s length — or at least muted until you’ve seen the picture.

Here’s my trick: treat spoilers like sunlight. You can’t stop it from shining, but you can wear shades. Tell your pal, “I love you, but I’ll love you quieter until I finish the movie.” If they respect that, great — if they don’t, well, you’ve learned what kind of friend they are.

But don’t turn cold over it. Friendship, like film, requires a little editing; you cut the noise, keep the heart, and fade out on grace.

And remember, no spoiler can ever ruin a movie that’s truly good. If a twist is all it’s got, then it wasn’t much of a story anyway.

Stay kind, stay curious, and don’t spill the butter on your way out.

— Pappy Hull, The Popcorn Philosopher

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