5. “Burning”
“To me, the world is a mystery,” Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo) says at the top of the trailer for “Burning” and it sets the stage for everything to come in Lee Chang-dong’s masterful love triangle, thriller, murder mystery, maybe a serial killer movie. It’s a suffocating movie about impotence, frustration, longing, rage and also, about the inscrutability and mysteries of human nature; why we do what we do, why we sometimes act against our own self-interest, everything that you can’t put your finger on. Chang-dong’s indescribable drama, is the sort of rare movie that just needs to be experienced before one discusses it is, and this taut trailer— admittedly, a lot faster and traditionally claustrophobic in a way the movie isn’t—points to a real bottled up tension, anxiety, and anger that makes “Burning” sear in your soul. This trailer is maybe selling you a bill of goods, it’s not a traditional thriller in the least, but if it lures you to the theaters, where you should absolutely see this movie, hell, job well done. – Rodrigo Perez
4. “If Beale Street Could Talk”
With his highly-anticipated follow-up to 2016’s rightful Best Picture winner “Moonlight,” masterful indie filmmaker Barry Jenkins once again continues to prove his love of film and showcase his excellence in crafting film in full measure. His latest, “If Beale Street Could Talk,” based on the acclaimed and deeply moving 1974 novel of the same name by the late, great James Baldwin, is gorgeously tenderhearted and intimate. This marvelous trailer—which instantly captures the punch-drunk dizziness of love so perfectly rendered in the movie— is certainly a blessing. It gives us a brief peek into the gifts and splendors that abound in Jenkins’ heartfelt, heart-wrenching tale of unwavering love in the pressing face of injustice; it absorbs us, gratifies us and moves us in mere two minutes of cinematic bliss. There are few filmmakers quite as emotionally dexterous as Jenkins. With only a few passing glimpses into his latest film, we’re instantly taken. (And if you’re wondering what the song in the trailer is, we have you covered.) – WA
3. “Mid90s”
Seriously, who are the trailer editing geniuses over at A24? Profanity-laced, nostalgia-driven and irradiating enough positive energy to keep you smiling for days, the trailer for Jonah Hill‘s earnest directorial debut “Mid90s” is a flawless selling point. It’s maybe not a film many were anticipating at first, the idea of a comedian turned serious, sincere filmmaker, but it proved your skepticism wrong. The ad coagulates its youthful angst through grainy 16mm, an off-kilter aspect ratio and crass humor before releasing its emotional payload with its integration of “Gyöngyhajú lány” by the Hungarian rock band Omega, a song that hip-hop fans may recognize as the sample from Kanye West’s song “New Slaves,” a testament to Hill’s admiration for the genre. As the bittersweet guitar chords boom over a montage showcasing the finest moments of the film’s naturalistic cinematography, you’ll probably find goosebumps erupting along your skin and a tear trickling down your cheek. It’s just that beautiful, and never forget, that you have Jonah Hill to thank for that. – JC
2. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”
One of the keys to the box office success of 2014’s “Godzilla” was its fantastic and attention-absorbing marketing: artful, imposing, and never revealing too much. Thankfully, the early trailer for its sequel, 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” dropped online during July’s Comic-Con madness was not only ravishing and impressive in its scope and scale, but it was also pulsating, gripping, immediately enticing and, well, surprisingly touching — not to mention very eye-catching to boot. Accompanied by a beautiful rendition of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” this trailer is jam-packed with a towering sense of stakes, no shortage of gorgeous imagery (the striking shot of Mothra still gives me goosebumps), and a righteous understanding of showing the goods but not revealing too much. It takes your fire-breathing breath away and we’re excited to see it on the biggest screens we can hope to find. Director Michael Dougherty (“Trick R Treat,” “Krampus”) is a consistently strong filmmaker who hasn’t garnered a hit to his name. That’ll likely change with “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” a blockbuster we pray lives up to everyone’s sky-high hype. – WA
1. “A Star is Born”
However you ultimately feel about Bradley Cooper‘s “A Star Is Born,” movie, it’s nearly undeniable that the movie has at least two magical moments in it, if not, two magical songs — “Maybe It’s Time,” and “Shallow.” And when you have pure unfiltered gold like that you use it, and you let it guide the way. The “A Star Is Born” trailer is electric and its song help the hairs on your neck stand up at attention as the story unfolds more like an ephemeral, moody music video. The crowd roars, Jackson Maine breaks into the melancholy of “Maybe It’s Time” and the emotional stakes of a broken man are shown, but then hope. We meet Lady Gaga’s Ally as Maine sings the opening licks to “Shallow” and now, we’re really in trouble. The music and moments ramp up to that etched-in-cinema-history moment of Ally first singing, and then the montage of punches, flashing lights and romantic longing blasts in like a meteor shower of moments that will eventually make your heart break in the theater. Through tears, you push over a bunch of kids to be first in line to get tickets. Though the trailer featured the scene that launched a thousand memes, this was the trailer, more than any in 2018, that you just wanted to take another look at. – CW
Honorable Mention
First and foremost there was some bone of contention and fighting over the “Mission Impossible- Fallout” trailer and we have to admit, Henry Cavill’s pump-action shotgun arms were pretty cool, so hold on, here it is, cool?
Other trailers we liked and considered include ” Paddington 2,” a movie no one seems to remotely dislike, Steve McQueen‘s intense and socially layered heist movie “Widows,” Fede Alvarez‘s “The Girl In The Spiders Web” remake, and of course Alfonso Cuaron‘s water-centric and flowing “Roma.”
Other films we debated, had a lot of vocal supporters and almost made the cut include the J.J. Abrams-produced zombies Nazis WWII thingy “Overlord,” Warner Bros.’ ” Oceans 8,” “Assassination Nation,” A24‘s mysterious “Under The Silver Lake” with Andrew Garfield, Pixar‘s delightful “Incredibles 2,” Alex Garland‘s psychedelic “Annihilation,” Wes Anderson‘s “Isle of Dogs,” and the black pitched indie “Thoroughbreds.” There are surely dozens more that you think strongly about and think we’re absolutely f*cking nuts for forgetting and that’s why that wonderful place called the comments section was invented so you could civil articulate your grievances and differences have at it! And because you’re good, and we love you so much, here’s all those trailers.