Film enthusiasts would rather sit through a bad meal (17%), or suffer a serious holiday mishap (9%) – than feel let down by a movie that was acclaimed by critics, research has found.

Professional critic opinions are held in high regard for movie lovers when choosing their next film to watch, with 78% spending as long as an hour reading reviews to help them make their pick.

And 59% have watched something they would not have considered otherwise, based on a rave review from a film critic.

However, they don't always end up agreeing with professional opinion – as 58% have been left disappointed by a film that received a five-star review, according to the poll of 2,000 film buffs.

And on the other hand, almost two-thirds (63%) have given the benefit of the doubt to a movie that was poorly rated – and ended up being pleasantly surprised.

When doing their research on what film to watch, 74% spend up to 60 minutes watching trailers – with the length of the movie, the storyline, and who is in the cast, the most important factors in making their decision.

But six in ten have been left disappointed by a film that received five stars from critics
But six in ten have been left disappointed by a film that received five stars from critics

Sophia Ahmad, chief consumer officer at Sky UK and ROI, which commissioned the research to mark the free monthly ticket offering from Sky Cinema in partnership with Vue, said: "We know how much our customers love those goose-bump moments when watching a film they’ve been waiting for, and we know choosing one can involve serious research.

"This new offer gives people the chance to watch a movie on the big screen at no extra cost, all while still being able to enjoy an unrivalled line-up of films at home."

It also emerged that 22% have previously been put off seeing a film they were excited, about because of a bad review.

And picking their next watch is serious business, as just 36% would spend the same amount of time – up to an hour – preparing for a job interview, while 35% would spend this long getting ready for a date.

Meanwhile, only four in ten (39%) dedicate as much as 60 minutes to choosing where to go on holiday next.

Londoners take the longest to ponder over a film choice, at 37 minutes – with one in three admitting they’ve even snubbed friends for their taste in movies. But when it comes to the Scots, 18% don’t ever look at reviews before pressing play on a film.

Those aged 25-34 spend the most time reading write-ups (10 minutes) and watching trailers (nine minutes) – and are even the most likely to row with a partner about what to watch, compared to other generations (14%).

And the over-60s take the least time to prepare, as they will only spend six minutes reading up on film reviews before making their choice.

But it was also revealed 47% would trust the opinion of their partner more than they would a critic when it comes to movies.

And when it comes to disappointing movie, one in ten (9%) reckon they would get over their favourite sports team losing, quicker than they would having sat through a bad film that had received a lot of hype.

The study, conducted via OnePoll.com, also revealed comedies, science-fiction, and rom-coms are the genres people believe critics are the harshest towards.