Movie marketing is only a part of the movie-making process that has been kicked up a notch over the course of time, and within the last 25 years, the release of trailers has increased in quality and scope. With the latest releases of Christopher Nolan’s trailer for his upcoming Tenet, which have already undergone microscopic examination by cinephiles everywhere, I decided to have a look at the best trailers from the 2010s.
Disclaimer: this list does not represent the quality of the movies themselves, but rather the trailers which preceded and marketed them.
10: PROMETHEUS (first trailer)
Ridley Scott’s first prequel to the famous ALIEN series unleashed this teaser late in 2011. The music, the sound effects, the familiar Alien script forming the title, along with visuals of – well, we didn’t quite know what, teased a movie filled with the same type of horror, tension, and mystery as the original ALIEN.
9. STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS (first teaser)
“There has been an awakening…have you felt it?” From those words, Star Wars fans everywhere were hooked and excited for the first Star Wars film in 10 years, and Disney’s first foray into the beloved franchise. Say what you will about the sequel trilogy, but this trailer was EVERYTHING and more. Stormtroopers, X-Wings, and that shot of the mysterious Kylo Ren’s badass lightsaber igniting are all incredible teaser shots, but nothing comes close to the triumphant Star Wars theme accompanying the Millennium Falcon swooping through the air. It was literally everything you could hope for in the first Star Wars trailer of the new instalments.
8. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Whatever it Takes)
The biggest movie event of all-time didn’t need to be marketed at all, but boy did it deliver anyway. The flashbacks to the main characters’ origins tie the whole franchise together with perhaps the best piece of music created in the MCU swelling in a darker tone than we’re used to in the franchise. The “Whatever it takes” line being delivered multiple times before we see the heroic slow-motion walk by the remaining Avengers offers us glimpses at who is there but no explanation as to how they got there, which is what trailers should do. We’re left with the parting shot of Captain Marvel and Thor’s first interaction, injecting a tiny bit of humour into a dark and intense trailer.
7. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE (teaser)
The rhythmic collaboration of the music and the visuals sync up perfectly in this trailer. The first bit makes it seem like any other movie set in the ’60s or ’70s, but with the blast of a shotgun the trailer shifts in tone, and we become apparent that just like the movie itself, not all is as it appears in the hotel. Chris Hemsworth’s rain-soaked and shoulder-shimmying appearances in the trailer were worthy of breaking the internet at the time, and the fantastic ensemble cast were all featured prominently within the two-minute trailer, giving us brief introductions without giving us really any information about them.
6. NIGHTCRAWLER (teaser)
The piano-synth combination of the background music provides a great glimpse into the tone and mystery of the movie the trailer is advertising, but this trailer revolves around Jake Gyllenhaal. His chatterboxy voiceover transitions seamlessly into the dialogue from the scenes the trailer shows, and as the trailer unfolds we become more and more aware of the unhinged and unpredictable nature of his character. From breaking the fourth wall to the increasingly wild repetitions of the line “You have to make the money to buy a ticket!” this trailer offers up visuals which escalate in nature as well. This trailer makes it clear that the film is a conduit for a very different Gyllenhaal in a very different and weird role.
5. MAN OF STEEL (trailer #2)
After offering different glimpses into Clark Kent’s life both as a child and as an adult, the trailer reaches its peak after the first of two iconic “cape shots” with the music swelling to a triumphant crescendo and a montage of the first glances of Superman doing Superman things. Glimpses of Zod, Lois, carnage and chaos, and the mysterious shot of Superman in handcuffs being escorted by military personnel all created a huge amount of buzz from viewers who now knew they were preparing for a very different type of Superman movie.
4. SUICIDE SQUAD (Comic-Con First Look)
As far as breaking the internet goes, this took the cake in July 2015 when DC unveiled this first look at David Ayer’s bad-guy ensemble film. Introductions to all major characters without spoiling anything, and emphasis on Will Smith’s star power as Deadshot, as well as introducing Margot Robbie’s particularly psycho take on Harley Quinn were highlights. But nothing produced more internet chatter than the final shots of Jared Leto’s heavily-tattooed, silver-toothed Joker. Much darker than the final product, this trailer offered us a look at what David Ayer’s true vision for Suicide Squad could have and should have been.
3. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (first trailer)
Based on the first 45 seconds of the trailer with different Avengers chipping in to the voiceover and the visuals accompanying them, we know this film would have destruction and likely some death in it – but boy did we have no idea what we were really in for. From there, Thanos takes over the trailer in what was really his first extended appearance in the MCU, his voice dominating the trailer long before he emerges from a cloud of dust into the trailer visually. Glances at Iron Spider, Black Panther, a bearded Captain America, another mini-monologue by Thanos, and an epic slow-motion hero run by the main ensemble highlight the rest of the trailer, but the best part of all comes at the very end. We knew the scope and scale of this movie would involve all MCU characters, but Thor’s “who the hell are you guys?” cutting to the Guardians of the freaking Galaxy was maybe the best single moment from any trailer of the past 10 years.
2. LOGAN (Hurt trailer)
“Charles, the world is not the same as it was.” In trailer talk: “Comic book movies are not the same as they were.” Johnny Cash’s tormented “Hurt” plays through the trailer as a battered and aged Logan talks to an equally aged Professor X about a mysterious girl. The dusty, desert shots inundate the trailer with a sense of gloom and dread, a much different tone than any of the other X-Men or Wolverine movies. The plain white title over the plain black background further reinforces the point that this is an extremely different movie, and the clips from the trailer promise lots of action without telling us anything that happens in the film.
- ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (trailer #2)
The frenetic, up-tempo music promises a movie filled with action, and the visuals offer a little fan service and plot, but ultimately offer up glimpses at a much bleaker, grimmer Star Wars movie. Glances at different planets, different action set-pieces and an inspiring monologue by Jyn Erso didn’t come close to matching the incredible quick glance at the return of Darth Vader to the big screen – but once again, we as viewers didn’t know what kind of treat we were in for with regards to that. It was important that the first standalone Star Wars project maintained that trademark Star Wars look, and this Rogue Onetrailer delivers just that while showing it would be different – perfectly blending familiar characters or settings with new ones into an exhilarating two and a half minutes.
Talking Films 