As movies push forward into new and innovative fronts, the trailers for them must follow. Movie previews, as some might say, are just that: previews. They’re tiny windows into the future that can be considered one of the more important factors in any film’s eventual success or failure. Of course, countless other facets come into play if a movie ends up crushing or bombing, but what really gets the ball rolling? Since the early 1900s, trailers have acted as the fuse for the anticipated explosion at the box office that all major studios so desperately desire. The only difference is that back then they used to show them AFTER the main picture instead of before – hence the name, trailer. As the years have gone on, the marketing for motion pictures has evolved rapidly. From putting the trailers before the movie instead of after so that people are forced to watch them, to adding voice-overs, removing voice-overs, showing clips from the movie that won’t even make the final cut, using songs or scores that aren’t even on the official soundtrack – the thirst for innovation cannot be quenched. A movie trailer has an extremely important but simple job: to entice you to go see the movie. That being said, GREAT movie trailers require a few vital elements to do this job well. Mystery, tone, and music.
- The Mystery
- A well-done trailer will tell you an entire story in 2 minutes, but not the real story. It allows you to use your imagination to fill in the gaps and create a narrative that appeals to you, purposefully leaving out the big details to make you want more. The mystery is the key.
- The Tone
- If the trailer doesn’t make you feel something, it has failed. Whether it’s goosebumps, tears, anxiety, fear, or just saying to yourself, “Holy SH*T I need to see that.” The reaction you have will determine the pre-value of the movie.
- The Music.
- The MUSIC is the GLUE – this cannot be overstated. It colors in the lines of the tone, and the visuals on the screen need to be receiving a piggyback ride from the score.
Sure, there will be more than just those 3 components that are going to play a role in whether you see the film or not; actors, directors, writers, IP, studios… the list can go on! But a well-done trailer should be able to make even the most objectively bland film look like it is going to be the next (fill in the blank with your favorite movie). That is how I feel about the trailers below. This is a list comprised of the 10 best movie trailers from the last 10 years. Now before you raise any questions, just know that this article is the product of years of statistical analysis and data points that prove these are – without a doubt – the best trailers from the last 10 years, and quite possibly of all time. There is absolutely no subjectivity here and if you disagree, you are simply wrong.
ALRIGHT FINE.
Obviously, these are just MY favorite trailers based on the parameters that have been previously laid out. They have stuck with me through the years, earning a re-watch on Youtube every so often to try and conjure up that magic feeling once again. Now without further ado, here are THE 10 BEST MOVIE TRAILERS FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS.
The Place Beyond the Pines
An absolute masterclass in trailer making. The tension in these couple minutes builds to an emotional breaking point which somehow makes you feel like you’re invested in these characters without even seeing the movie yet. This could easily be my favorite trailer of all time and every time I watch it, I am immediately transported to another realm of believing in the possibility of movies. If every trailer were this well-done, Hollywood would be saved and every movie would make 1 billion dollars – probably.
Good Time
Similar to the previous trailer, the combination of tension-building followed by an emotional breakdown is very effective. The visuals are chaotic and they tell you just enough to know that you need to know more. Give me synths, bad boy Robby Pattison, and a melancholy piano track with important words being spoken over it and I will go see your movie. Simple as that. This trailer will evoke goosebumps 10/10 unless you have no soul.
The Force Awakens
I mean… COME ON. What more could you really ask for when it comes to highly anticipated franchise films? This trailer gives you everything you want while telling you nothing at all about what is going to happen. Hearing the classic John Williams mash-up accompanied by the extremely well-done VFX is all any of us nerds were looking for with the excitement of this trailer drop.
The Batman
When this movie was first being talked about, it seemed that the Batman fatigue was at its peak. This trailer made all of that discourse disappear into the shadows. Although this teaser is slightly guilty of showing a lot of the film’s coolest moments, it definitely gets the job done. I would watch a new Batman movie every week if all the trailers looked like this. Dark, gritty, mean, and MYSTERIOUS – perfectly paralleling the tone of Something in the Way by Nirvana. I give this one an A++.
Crimes of The Future
Talk about MYSTERY. When I first saw this trailer I had no idea WTF was happening, but I knew I wanted to see the movie. The menacing synth bass and quick cuts between somewhat disturbing visuals are enough to at least peak the interest of anyone who is watching the trailer, regardless of whether or not they’re going to watch the actual film. That aside, you’re telling me Viggo and Cronenberg are up to no good again in the style of sci-fi horror? Say no more.
Green Room
Using cover songs that are done in a brand-new style can go totally and utterly wrong, especially for classics like CCR‘s Bad Moon Rising. But I think for this trailer in particular, it couldn’t have worked better. An impeccable job of building suspense and mystery in a short amount of time. I only wanted to know more after seeing this trailer, but I was also absolutely terrified to find out.
Song to Song
This trailer does a fantastic job of making you wish you were with these people in this setting at this exact moment in time. You want to know more about these characters and the world they reside in, but the only way to do that is to spend 2+ hours watching the actual film. The movie may or may not be everything you hope for, but at least you have the trailer to fall back on and become immersed in the aesthetic.
Man of Steel
The hype was all too real for this film following the success and praise of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, and this teaser only heightened it. Top-tier trailer stuff happening here. You could put anyone’s voice narrating literally anything in front of the score for LOTR and it will bring tears to your eyes. Beautifully crafted work of art.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
If you love Star Wars, then you have a longing to spend as much time in this universe as you can. With this being the first Star Wars movie to take place outside of the Skywalker saga, how could you not be enticed? Placing you in the time frame of the original movies with updated special effects is an absolute dream for the Star Wars truthers, and this trailer served as the perfect appetizer. Emotional, mysterious, and stunning.
Mad Max: Fury Road
I don’t usually love action movie trailers, but this intro into the new and improved world of Mad Max is in a league of its own. The short teaser alone has plenty of moments that make you ask yourself, “How the hell did they do that?” So it was indeed no question that this movie was going to be seen on opening weekend. You don’t know much, and you don’t need to know much, other than BUCKLE UP BABY, WE’RE GOING FOR A RIDE.
The Hollow Muse 