Something great has happened in the movie industry these past few years, trailers have become…exciting! Hollywood began to recognize the power that it had within its target demographic and then began to weaponize it in the form of movie trailers. Prior to, say, 2008, movie trailers followed a very specific formula. There was the deep overtone voice over that described the scene and the plot of the movie in roughly sixty to eighty seconds. The dialogue from the trailers were limited to the narrator of the people in the films, accompanied with a simple score. They were…boring, to put it mildly. Spanning back a few years, Hollywood Studios have recognized the power of hype and they have been working to feature it through their trailers ever since.
I would like to say this trend started in 2008 with “Pineapple Express.” When this trailer had been released, I had never seen anything like it. The trailer was chaotic but it featured a sick MIA Feature Track of “Paper Planes” in the background. There were no voiceovers, no narration, it was simply…great. And since this moment in time, studios have been ramping up their pop culture equivalent trailers, seeking to hype audiences with relevant tracks and scenes specific to their target demographic.
Now, the argument can be made, the trailers have become too commoditized. There are actually trailers for movie trailers and trust me you have seen them. They usually surface online about 24-hours before the trailer drop, to create its own hype around the trailer drop itself, its wild. And after the circulate online, they usually debut during the Super Bowl or a break during The Oscars for maximum coverage. Prior to this, movie trailers were essentially just reserved for theaters before the movie, but now they have expanded their reach and they are doing it just for us.
Trailer drops are so important for Studios as the initial hits are tallied to better predict what type of saturation, they will see at the box office when the movie is released, so it has become very important for the first glimpse of the product to be…well, bingeworthy, shareable and great.
Now there have been an obscene amount of trailers released in the past decade, I am breaking down my Top 10 Most Iconic Trailers for the past 15+ years, specifically focusing on movies. Here’s my list!
Best Movie Trailers in the Past 20 Years
10. Girl on the Train
Another great example of re-mixing a pop culturally relevant song to play in the backdrop of a trailer. In 2016’s “The Girl on the Train” is a remix of Kanye West’s “Heartless.” The use of the song was very critical in its placement and helped draw in the younger demographic. Even if the movie was….bad. The trailer made up for it in some ways!
10.3 Million Views
9. The Dark Knight Rises
"What a lovely, lovely voice." One of the most iconic Bane lines from the film is featured in the Christopher Nolan movie "The Dark Knight Rises." It makes sense that this trailer was so successful, it's simplistic and it signals the end of "The Dark Knight Saga." The trailer ends with the football field blowing up as the receiver runs in for a touch down. Amazing stuff.
38 Million Views
8. Suicide Squad
While the movie itself was a huge success, box office-perspective, the story was kind of a flop. Still, one of the reasons for such high attendance can be contributed to the star-studded catch and the mega-successful trailer. "Ballroom Blitz" and features the iconic Joker laugh, even if Leto's Joker was anything, but iconic. It still holds up.
15.6 Million Views
6. Inception
Most people remember seeing the "Inception" trailer for the first time thanks to the memorable clip where the city folds in on itself while in a dream. This trailer doesn't feature any flashy songs or gimmicks, but the premise described by Leonardo is enough to attract viewers.
11.8 Million Views
7. Judas and the Black Messiah
The needle drop at the beginning of the first trailer for Warner Brother’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” is quite literally, a work of art. There are few things that hype me up as much as this trailer and it’s clear why Kaluuya’s performance won him Best Actor at the Golden Globes.
2.8 Million Views
5. Thor: Ragnarok
The trailer is probably my favorite trailer from the Marvel Universe. It essentially personifies the iconic meme that we have all come to know. You know the one I’m talking about: * Record scratch * “Yeah this is me, you’re probably wondering how I got here” and it also features the iconic Led Zeppelin “Immigrant” needle drop. The pop references are well placed in this trailer, as it is one of the funnier Marvel Films released, purposefully poking fun at itself. It also ends with Thor in battle with The Hulk, referencing him as a friend from work.
It is * Chef’s Kiss*
51 Million Views
4. Logan
Arguably the best movie in the X-Men Wolverine’s saga, the “Logan” Trailer features the rough, but soothing voice of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” playing through the backdrop. Another great song, easily recognized coupled with the X-Men’s recognizable star – the trailer easily surpassed 30 Million views
30 Million Views
3. Crazy Rich Asians
There is nothing quite like a nice romantic comedy of blockbuster proportions and the initial trailer for “Crazy Rich Asians” certainly got the rest of the world excited for it as well. The film marks one of the first movies to feature an all-Asian cast and the trailer is nothing short of perfection.
27 Million Views
2. Gone Girl “She”
“I did not kill my wife. I am not a murderer” Those are the chilling last words in the “Gone Girl” Teaser trailer that dropped a few months before is Fall 2014 release. Coupled with the iconic back drop of “She” by Charles Aznavour. The trailer essentially just features a lengthy speech from Ben Affleck, the husband of Amy Elliot who has gone missing, at a community rally. The sad, elongated song in the background and flashes of violence in their marriage has you gripping your seat for what’s to come.
5.5 Million Views
1. Pineapple Express
This has got to be my number one placement. The entire trailer is so iconic, from the team up between Rogen and Franco to the iconic MIA “Paper Planes” blasting in the background. The trailer gives you just the right amount of chaos to enlists viewers and it was one of the first trailers to incorporate so much of the pop culture references that we have come to expect in any trailer drop these days. #1 for me, for sure!
2 Million Views
What are some of your faves and did they make the list? Let me know!
And that’s the sitch.
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