Now that I’ve got your attention, I want to talk about something that really infuriates me: movies that are horribly promoted. As a pop culture junkie, I always know what to expect, regardless of advertising, when going to a see a movie. But the average audience member does not.

This was made ever-so-clear when I saw the new Ryan Gosling movie, “Drive,” this weekend. Trailers made the movie seem like it would be a clichéd Hollywood shoot-’em-up by showing the only action scenes in the whole movie. Audiences came to expect “The Fast and the Furious” meets “The Transporter,” but I knew that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Reviews from the Cannes Film Festival raved about the film but let readers know that it’s very slowly paced. Director Nicolas Winding Refn slowly builds the tension, leading up to a very intense and very bloody conclusion. There are long stretches of the film with no dialogue, and in fact, Ryan Gosling himself is silent for much of the movie. His character, who is never given a name, is dark and brooding as he falls for his married neighbor, played by Carey Mulligan. Gosling is absolutely brilliant in the role but is extremely subtle, causing the viewer to think about the reasoning of his arguably psychotic actions. In no way was “Drive” a standard action movie. It was more akin to “Taxi Driver” than “Fast Five.” People didn’t expect to think. They wanted a popcorn movie with huge explosions and Michael Bay-style quick cuts.

Critics loved the movie and it currently has a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But moviegoers were much less enamored. CinemaScore, a polling company that measures audience reactions on opening night, reported that viewers gave “Drive” a C-. It’s rare to see a movie that critics adored become so hated by the general public. I know this movie isn’t for everyone. It’s downright brutal in parts and very deliberately paced in others. But in my opinion, it’s on par with the 2007 Best Picture winner “No Country for Old Men.” Just like that movie, “Drive” has a completely frightening yet charismatic villain, played perfectly by the usually hilarious Albert Brooks.

This isn’t the first time audiences have hated a brilliant film, and it surely won’t be the last. Yes, my knowledge of people who make trailers for a living is limited to Cameron Diaz’ character in “The Holiday,” but advertisers need to start cutting trailers that are more representative of the film’s actual content. Sure, “Drive” and other movies like it would open in fewer screens and make less cash for the studio, but as a lover of film, I’d rather see a great movie start off small and slowly find its audience than opening big and alienating the action-starved moviegoer.

Sometimes, even critics are fooled by deceptive trailers and let their expectations get in the way of objectively reviewing the film at hand. Remember when “The Village” came out and everybody was expecting a bloody, action-packed horror film? Well, it wasn’t. Sure there were some creepy scenes, but it was a dramatic romance at its core. Yes, it featured one of M. Night Shyamalan’s signature twists, but the strength of the movie lay in its performances and slow buildup of tension. I know my opinion will strike some as outrageous, but the critically hated film is actually a masterpiece.

So before you complain that “all the funny parts were in the preview,” or “it was sooo slow,” do yourself a favor and research what the movie is really like before you see it. And yes, I’m sorry for the lack of boobs, sex, blood, explosions or guns in this column. But what can I say? I’m a strat comm major.