Independence Film writes:
While reading this article (above), the idea of spoilers not being important seemed inarguably untrue. As a cinephile, I think these studies should not be taken into consideration. In my perspective, I feel like people watch movies to immerse themselves in it's universe. They want to know every character, every action, every aspect of the story, just every little thing that's contributing to the plot. They want to see how the plot unfolds as their friend, the protagonist, starts uncovering more and more details in this epic mystery, they need to experience every little emotion that he/she is feeling. And to get to that level of subsumption, you should know as little as possible of the story, so when that shocking moment comes, it really hits you.
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See, it is a very interesting debate. I too am a cinephile, but as I said before, spoilers don't bother me very much. I too, love to be immersed in a universe and know the characters and see how they interact in the world....None of that changes for me if I know the plot.
Because you're right, it's the world and the characters that are fun to watch and get into. Knowing a secret doesn't change how you feel about a character. Would Bruce Willis' character have been any less fun to watch if you had known from the start what he was in Sixth Sense? He'd still be an endearing character and someone you care about.
While surprises are fun in film (don't get me wrong, I do love a good twist), I wouldn't say they are necessary to enjoy a movie. Otherwise, we wouldn't watch a movie over and over again. I know if I like a film, I'll keep coming back to watch it multiple times, and it's still just as fun to watch, as it was that first time.