Here are our favorite movie trailers released over the past year. Cinema is one of the most popular artistic mediums of the modern era, but cutting together an effective trailer has become an art form in itself. Once upon a time, movie trailers were a straightforward affair - a montage of interesting shots cut with rousing music and "voice-over guy" doing his best to propel punters towards the box office. But with high-speed internet and the sheer volume of trailers vying for attention, marketing teams are working harder to make their teasers stand out.
With a court of public opinion waiting to cast social media judgement, movie trailers must also strike a fine line between not giving away the entire plot, and not being so obtuse as to deter the audience. Thus, the art of editing together a compelling movie trailer is rapidly becoming a coveted skill.
2020 has obviously scuppered Hollywood's plans, with delays galore and mass release date shifts. This means the past 12 months have seen less movie trailers that might've been dropped otherwise but, fortunately, 2020 still has more than enough to offer in the trailer stakes (if little else). The following list will take into account the look, style and impact of a trailer, as well as its ability to put butts in socially distanced seats. Trailers will also be judged exclusively on footage released in 2020 - the likes of No Time To Die, Tenet and Black Widow released strong trailers over the past year, but all contained large swathes of footage released first in 2019. These are the most impressive trailers of 2020, ranked from worst to best.
11. A Quiet Place Part II
A Quiet Place proved to be one of 2018's surprise packages. The dialogue-shy, low budget horror embraced its unique premise, John Krasinski announced himself as a talented director and Emily Blunt stole the show with another stunning performance. Some questioned whether a sequel was really necessary, but the first trailer for A Quiet Place Part II largely puts those fears to rest, mixing footage from before and after the monsters' arrival. Featuring a terrifying bus stunt, Cillian Murphy and subtle shots of those famous sound-sensitive creatures, A Quiet Place Part II quietly promises a continuation of the original film's tone and style, rather than the full-scale submission to Hollywood's blockbuster machine some feared.
10. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Like the movie itself, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was the right trailer at the right time. Taking the world entirely by surprise, the trailer's shock release worked wonders for generating buzz, especially with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's plot grounded in the year's COVID-19 reality. That Sacha Baron Cohen filmed a Borat sequel both in relative secrecy and in the midst of a global pandemic certainly catches the imagination, and the teased involvement of Mike Pence heightens that sense of curiosity. The Borat Subsequent Movefilm trailer plays into Cohen's real-world fame by showing ordinary folk recognizing his character in the street, while leaving a note of intrigue over the arrival of Borat's daughter. Neat touches such as the "not suitable for under 3s" card only add to the fun.
9. Bill & Ted Face The Music
Some trailers succeed by being innovative, some deliberately subvert the audience's expectations, and others try to generate heat by being provocative. But sometimes a trailer succeeds simply by revealing something fans have been waiting years to witness, and so it proved with Bill & Ted Face The Music. After almost 30 years on hiatus, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter make a glorious comeback as the titular rockers. The Bill & Ted Face The Music trailer places its two stars front and center, and allows history to sell the film. The three-way air guitar shot between Bill, Ted and Death alone was worth the wait.
8. The Green Knight
So often, fantasy film trailers take the same tried and tested route of epic swordplay, mythical monsters and rousing speeches. The Green Knight has all of those elements, but wrapped up in a uniquely unsettling tone that leaves far more questions than answers. Countering flashes of another great Dev Patel role with the in-movie performance of a puppet show, watching the trailer for The Green Knight feels eerily like receiving a bad tarot reading, full of imagery that means little to the untrained eye, but draws the subject into seeking deeper knowledge. Visually, The Green Knight's trailer sets a standard that could take King Arthur's nephew straight to the Oscars.
7. Zack Snyder's Justice League (The Snyder Cut)
This time last year, some still believed there was more chance of Christopher Nolan releasing Tenet as a iPhone exclusive than the Snyder cut seeing daylight, but in one of 2020's few highlights, Warner Bros. confirmed the release of this alternate (original) Justice League movie, now with fresh footage and added Joker. Set to the melancholy of "Hallelujah," the Snyder cut trailer gives DC fans exactly what they wanted - the darker lighting reinstated, black suit Superman, missing pieces and characters from the theatrical cut, and Darkseid himself. Since not all of the trailer's footage was new, and some CGI moments attracted criticism online, ranking the Snyder cut trailer higher would be difficult to justify. But for its sheer cultural impact and several iconic shots, Justice League ver. 2.0's trailer deserves its place. Hallelujah indeed.
6. Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee's critically acclaimed Da 5 Bloods boasts a trailer worthy of those glowing reviews. Putting a new twist on the Vietnam movie sub-genre, the trailer for Da 5 Bloods goes all-in on its chosen 'Nam aesthetic, evoking the sentiments of the era while retaining Lee's trademark modern edge. Dancing between the past and present, the viewer becomes invested in the titular Bloods before learning a single thing about them. Few directors could handle such tough subject matter without adopting the morose tone of a traditional war film, but Spike Lee successfully navigates that obstacle, and this is reflected in Da 5 Bloods' powerful trailer. Exuding through the footage is one of the final performances from the late Chadwick Boseman, whose charisma anchors the trailer's story teases.
5. The French Dispatch
Moviegoers already know what to expect from a Wes Anderson movie trailer - striking visuals, bright colors, and exotic locales, but knowing what's coming doesn't make the combination any less effective. The trailer for The French Dispatch is essentially a short movie in itself, whipping between black and white and a post-war European color palette. Rather than trying to get across the film's intertwined narratives, The French Dispatch's trailer focuses more on the quirky humor and out-of-place A-list actors, creating a romantic mood that's all but impossible to look away from. You won't necessarily come away with a solid grasp of The French Dispatch's plot, but you'll definitely want to explore Anderson's latest rabbit role further.
4. Mank
From the opening old-school Motion Picture Association certificate, Mank's trailer promises something special. Complimenting David Fincher's black and white color scheme, the Mank trailer utilizes era-specific transitions and golden age Hollywood-style credits to generate a feeling of showbiz glamour, before turning on a dime to unveil the darker side of this Herman J. Mankiewicz biopic. What the trailer lacks in color, it makes up for with memorable quotes, with more witty one-liners packed into 2-and-a-half minutes than most movies manage in their entire running time. Mank's trailer wisely puts Gary Oldman at the center of proceedings, and resists the temptation of playing up to the Citizen Kane connection
3. I'm Thinking Of Ending Things
As one might expect from Charlie Kaufman, the I'm Thinking of Ending Things trailer is a twisting journey that leaves its audience helplessly intrigued as to what the full movie might have in store. Things begin innocently enough with a romantic winter landscape and a relatable in-love couple, but à la Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, proceedings take a turn for the nightmarish soon enough. From Jessie Buckley's character repeating the film's title in her mind, to the arrival of the in-laws from hell, the I'm Thinking of Ending Things trailer boldly leaves everything to the imagination, and is arguably the promo of the year in terms of building curiosity.
2. Dune
As one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2020 (now 2021, following a COVID delay), the first Dune trailer was a very big deal indeed. Fortunately, this initial look at Denis Villeneueve's big budget adaptation does not disappoint, delivering a suitably epic introduction that leaves fans of Frank Herbert's classic novel and complete Dune newcomers equally agog. Vast alien landscapes, a stream of big-name talent, a foreboding sense of doom surrounding Timothée Chalamet - the Dune trailer is everything fans hoped for and more. The pièce de résistance of the iconic sandworm puts a suitably climactic exclamation point on a trailer full of impressive cinematography and alien political intrigue, all to the soundtrack of Pink Floyd's "Eclipse." In a year that blockbusters more or less forgot, Dune takes the crown as 2020's most ambitious, expansive movie trailer.
1. The Batman
DC fans lost their collective Bat-droppings as Robert Pattinson proclaimed "I am vengeance" while beating a Gotham thug mercilessly into the pavement. Any first look at a new big screen Batman is a major cinematic event, but the skepticism surrounding Robert Pattinson's casting ensured even more eyes were locked onto The Batman's trailer debut. Fortunately, the initial glimpse into Matt Reeves' Gotham City was far beyond what many expected... and far darker too. The twisted vigilantism of The Riddler, Colin Farrell barely recognizable as Penguin, the most noir-inspired Dark Knight yet - everything's coming up Pattinson ahead of The Batman's delayed 2021 release. Perhaps more impressively, however, is how many cards The Batman has yet to play, with most of the supporting cast yet to be revealed in their full glory.
