Best Film Trailers of 2018
I love watching film trailers. If I could do this for a living I totally would. Breaking feature-length films down into 2-minute packages is no small feat, and when they’re done well they can sometimes be better than the films they’re promoting. The movie trailer industry has grown over the last decade, thanks to the rise of the internet. It’s no longer rare for a movie trailer to break viewing records shortly after their release, and it’s become a profitable business with many companies dedicated solely to producing trailers. Nowadays, fans will dissect each and every frame from a one or two-minute trailer, come up with theories, and engage in heated debates. It’s a whole thing. I look forward to watching trailers before each film I see, even if they’re ones I’ve seen before. Below you’ll find my favorite trailers from 2018:
11. Green Book | Official Trailer
If you disregard all the (valid) controversies surrounding the film, which may be really, really difficult to do, this is a great trailer. The plot of ‘Green Book’, basically about a racist white man in the 60s who befriends a black man as they journey through the Deep South, may make you want to roll your eyes, but Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali’s chemistry and the use of Sam Smith’s “Pray” result in a surprisingly heartfelt trailer. The end with the “what do we do with the bones?” joke and “Inspired by a true friendship” tagline was the perfect capper to this crowd-pleasing trailer.
10. Thunder Road | Official Trailer
This film and its trailer wasn’t even on my radar until I saw it appear on another Best Film Trailers list. The trailer hinges on director-writer-star Jim Cumming’s powerful rant. We just see a montage of the film during the rant, but it’s a simple editing technique that pays off. I still haven’t seen this film but I’m convinced it’s one worth watching based solely from this trailer.
9. Widows | Teaser Trailer
When this trailer was first released I immediately watched it again. The cast alone is worth the price of admission, yet it’s the intense editing and plot that was most memorable to me. From Steve McQueen (director of ‘12 Years a Slave’), this looked like a film that could be mainstream without losing its artistic integrity (McQueen is known more for his arthouse dramas like ‘Hunger’ and ‘Shame’). The final shot of the trailer, lingering on a major character holding someone at gunpoint, is my favorite moment and it shows the film’s nail-biting intensity.
8. Aquaman | Extended Trailer
To be honest, none of the trailers for ‘Aquaman’ worked for me. But when Warner Bros. released this 5-minute extended trailer I was officially on board with the film. Why I love this trailer is because it shows James Wan’s assured direction, especially in the action sequences. The one-take sequence is something we rarely see in superhero films, and it’s completely different from DC’s past films. The trailer, like the film, goes all in and is not afraid to be as comic book-y as it can be. The scenes in Atlantis are gorgeous and the costumes are fantastic and appear like they’re straight from the comics. And then there’s the money shot - Jason Mamoa in the iconic Aquaman costume. Man, what a great trailer!
7. If Beale Street Could Talk | Final Trailer
All of the trailers for Barry Jenkin’s beautiful film are worthy of being on this list, but it’s the final trailer that stuck with me the most. Only one minute long, the trailer is brief but it showcases the film’s lush cinematography wonderfully with “Killing Me Softly with His Song” playing in the background. You may not know what the film is about just from this trailer, but you’ll know you’re in for an experience.
6. Life Itself | Official Trailer
One of the biggest bombs of 2018 (critically and financially) is Amazon Studio’s ‘Life Itself’. The film is from Dan Fogelman, the creator of NBC’s hit drama ‘This Is Us’, and you can probably tell, as the trailer feels like a spiritual companion to the series. Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac give heartfelt spiels and Instagram-caption-worthy quotes and the trailer makes you feel like you’re about to experience an emotional film that’s sure to make you cry. Judging by the reactions after the film’s release, audiences were crying for a different reason. Still, this is a trailer I’ve rewatched over and over again because it moves me emotionally!
5. Mission: Impossible - Fallout | Official Trailer 1
At the time of this writing I have yet to see ‘Mission: Impossible - Fallout’ but I’ve heard only great things! I’m not surprised, either, because this trailer is so good. Despite the fact that it’s another movie trailer that uses an Imagine Dragons song - I love band but they’re used in way too many trailers - it miraculously works, combining “Friction” with the franchise’s iconic theme. The trailer features Henry Cavill’s hilariously iconic “muscle recharge” shot, an intense action montage in the final minute, and you can feel the impact of each hit and crash in the action sequences presented here.
4. Us | Official Trailer
The last great trailer of 2018 is from Jordan Peele, the mastermind behind 2017’s breakout hit ‘Get Out’. It has the standard horror movie trailer tropes, such as the jump scares, but what’s great about this is that it uses Luniz’s hip-hop classic “I Got 5 On It” and manages to make the song scary. Whoever cut and mixed the song to this terrifying effect deserves an award!
3. Welcome to Marwen | Trailer 2
The first trailer for ‘Welcome to Marwen’ got such a bad reception that Universal released a second one just a month later. Luckily, The second trailer was the first and only one I saw in theatres, and it was on my mind the rest of the year! It was one of my most anticipated films of the year solely because of the emotional reaction I got from the trailer. Its use of the catchy song “Spirits” by The Strumbellas, combined with the film’s heartfelt plot (based on a true story), was effective enough to make me see this film in theatres, despite the terrible reviews it received. If a trailer can get me to see it in theatres, despite my better judgement, then that’s a sign it’s a good trailer!
2. A Star Is Born | Official Trailer 1
The trailer for Oscar frontrunner ‘A Star Is Born’ was so good they didn’t even release anymore after. The trailer showcases Bradley Cooper’s confident direction and the film’s memorable soundtrack. Like any good trailer, it doesn’t give any major plot points away! The draws here are Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s acting, chemistry, and catchy tune "Shallow.” Anyone who’s seen this trailer surely couldn’t get the song’s chorus out of their head, especially with Lady Gaga’s powerful vocal performance. The trailer also provides us with one of 2018’s most memorable memes - another sign of a good trailer!
1. Bad Times at the El Royale | Teaser Trailer
My pick for the best trailer of 2018 is for Drew Goddard’s engrossing original thriller ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’. Like the film itself, the trailer starts off breezily and laid-back, but quickly turns crazy. The ticking clock effect (I’m a sucker for that), combined with breakout star Cynthia Erivo’s singing, creates a beautiful yet suspenseful effect. And the final scene with Erivo running outside, the list of cast members, and the sound effects, results in the most memorable trailer of 2018.
Honorable Mentions: ‘Beautiful Boy’, ‘Boy Erased’, ‘Brightburn’, ‘The Curse of La Llorona’, ‘The Front Runner’, ‘Gemini’, ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’, ‘Hereditary’, ‘Mary Queen of Scots’, ‘The Mule’, ‘Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’, ‘Searching’, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’.
And finally, here’s a quick video I put together for an Instagram post, compiling my favorite 2018 movie trailers:
