There used to be a time when fans would have to take a chance on a movie only from the description and promotional materials they saw. Nowadays, fans are blessed with movie trailers that are easily accessible and give them a better understanding of the movie and whether it is something they want to watch or not. They give fans information about the movie and have the potential for hours of analysis while also just being fun to watch.
Movie trailers keep getting more and more exciting as they give fans a first look at their most anticipated movies, like Deadpool and Wolverine or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Growing past just marketing, trailers have gotten to the point of entertainment and becoming massive events shown during the Superbowl. Movie companies have also upped their game, making movie trailers even more of a spectacle these past five years and giving fans some of the best ever.
10
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Soaring onto YouTube in 2022, the Top Gun: Maverick trailer gained an impressive 43 million views. This sequel sees Tom Cruise reprise the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he must now train a group of young aviators to take on a dangerous task or lose his job. The trailer features stunts, drama, humor and intrigue, playing the film’s iconic music in the background.
A long-awaited sequel needs to deliver on every level, starting with the trailer to ensure that fans’ excitement isn’t misplaced, and Top Gun: Maverick did just that. Its trailer is heavy on world-class airplane stunts never before seen on film, showing what fans want to see and more, including many references to the original Top Gun. It also gets them in the mood with the original soundtrack to remind fans how good the first movie was. Luckily for loyal audiences, Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed Cruise will star in Top Gun 3, meaning Maverick will soar once more.
Watch on Paramount+
9
‘Pearl’ (2022)
Directed by Ti West
Pearl acts as a prequel to the movie X, both starring Mia Goth as Pearl and Maxine. Pearl dreams of stardom as an actor but is forced to take care of her father under the supervision of her mother, sending her into a sinister state to try to take hold of her dream. The trailer was released in July 2022 and has over 10 million views on YouTube.
The Pearl trailer is so good because of its eerie tone and outstanding performance by Goth, showing the audience not too much but enough to excite fans. The trailer showcases Pearl‘s Grand Guignol style, with scenes such as Pearl petting a goat with bloody hands or the split frame of someone exploding. The trailer also has well-integrated text stylized to match the movie’s theme. Fans also see Pearl slowly break down, clearly showing off her motivations and the obstacles forcing her hand to turn her into a villain. The X trilogy will conclude with MaXXXine releasing July 2024, as seen in the new trailer for MaXXXine.
Watch on Amazon
8
‘Barbie’ (2023)
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Taking the world by storm in 2023, Barbie gave fans a unique story about the famous toy doll through the lens of gender stereotypes and the patriarchy. The Barbie movie is filled with great quotes and incredible set pieces to bring this creative world to life. It follows Margot Robbie‘s Barbie, who needs to learn the truth about the real world while escaping from those trying to silence her. The trailer gained 84 million views and gave fans a first look at the set pieces and colorful world.
The Barbie trailer is packed with incredible detail and showcases many of the film’s great qualities. The vibrant colors of the world and unique setting take center stage, providing many hints of what to expect from the movie. It also features some of the movie’s brilliant humor and passionate performances from Robbie and Ryan Gosling. This fun trailer takes the audience on a journey with Barbie, showing the wild scenarios and remarkable style that the movie delivers.
Watch on Max
7
‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Adapted from the original The Lion King from 1994, 2019’s The Lion King takes the memorable story and puts it in live-action with stunning visuals and beautiful cinematography. Gaining a whopping 76 million views since its release in 2019, The Lion King trailer retells many of the original movie’s events, including the iconic scene of Simba walking with Pumbaa and Timon on the log and the buffalo stampede.
One of the most iconic animated movies ever, The Lion King trailer was hotly anticipated. It hits fans right in the feels with nostalgia, bringing a blast from the past. The music is a large reason behind its success; the epic sound of the revamped original soundtrack gets the audience feeling what they did when they first watched the 1994 version and gets them excited for the epic tale retold. The ultra-realistic effects of the animals and the impressive editing helped make this trailer even better and played a big part in making The Lion King the highest-grossing musical of all time.
Watch on Disney+
6
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022)
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever takes place shortly after T’Challa’s tragic death. Unfortunately, the people of Wakanda don’t have time to mourn when a new threat emerges, Namor. Since Black Panther’s introduction to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, fans have been obsessed with the character; this popularity is part of the reason why the trailer gained so much attention, with 46 million views. Fans were also curious about how Marvel would handle the character after Chadwick Boseman‘s passing.
While it is technically a teaser trailer, it provided fans with more than enough information to be hooked, from the wonderful use of music to the sneak previews of action and the story’s emotional beats. The trailer is a beautiful display of respect for Boseman, centering the movie around his good nature and the toll his passing took on the characters. What makes the trailer great is that it almost feels like an homage to Boseman and makes fans emotional while also delivering the story’s details.
Watch on Disney+
5
‘The Wild Robot’ (2024)
Directed by Chris Sanders
The Wild Robot is an upcoming animated movie coming out in September 2024. The creator, Chris Sanders, is best known for his work on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. The film is based on the #1 best-selling book under the same name and is about a robot who must adapt to his environment after observing the wildlife and growing a bond with them. The trailer was released on Mar 5, 2024, and has gained over a million views on YouTube.
While the trailer doesn’t reveal too much of the story and plot, it makes up for it by showcasing the movie’s stunning visuals, animation, and art style. The trailer gives off a heartwarming feeling with the connection between the robot and the animals it encounters. Conflict brews in the story, with some of the animals leaving the robot disheartened and a forest fire spreading quickly. This trailer is already enough to get fans excited, as they have to wait an extra week until The Wild Robot premieres in theaters.
4
‘The Batman’ (2022)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Fans have gotten no shortage of Batman in recent years, but The Batman takes the franchise to a much more grounded and gritty approach, focusing on the mystery. Giving fans a much younger Batman who doesn’t see any value in Bruce Wayne, he follows clues left by the Riddler, a criminal targeting important figures in Gotham, exposing a conspiracy.
Gaining 62 million views, The Batman trailer highlights the darker tone and building mystery. The music alone is enough to make it great, from Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” to Michael Giacchino’s stellar new Batman theme. The Batman has many Easter eggs, and the trailer also hints fans in on some of the mysteries, like the Riddler’s clues. The serious tone also gives fans a good idea of what the movie will be like, with scenes such as Batman holding a taser a little too long on a henchman. The trailer has a brilliant ending, showing part of the Batman and Penguin chase scene and finishing with the slow, upside-down walk towards the car.
Watch on Max
3
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Directed by Jon Watts
Spider-Man: No Way Home has gained 93 million views since August 2021 and is one of the most viewed trailers on YouTube. The movie is one of the highest-grossing movies ever and has earned critical acclaim from fans. After his identity is exposed, Peter Parker hopes Doctor Strange can make everyone forget, but his reckless actions cause more trouble as villains from alternate universes start appearing to give the hero more trouble than he wished. Spider-Man: No Way Home crosses over the other Spider-men to deliver an incredible fan experience.
Being a highly anticipated movie at the time, the trailer was also really looked forward to, and it delivered. The trailer highlights the movie’s stunning visuals, incredible action, humor, and heartwarming scenes. It also does an excellent job of filling the audience in on the story’s events before dropping major bombshells about which character will appear in the movie. The scenes revealing Doc Oc and Green Goblin turned out to be one of the most hype scenes in any trailer and did exactly what a trailer should do, driving fans to watch it in theaters.
Rent on Amazon
2
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)
Directed by: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All at Once is considered one of the greatest movies of all time and the best of 2022. The story takes fans through alternate realities with different versions of Michelle Yeoh‘s character, Evelyn, who must battle a powerful being to save the multiverse. The film covers various topics, such as philosophy, nihilism, surrealism, and existentialism, to give it the ability to relate to many different people.
The trailer is fittingly edited to the theme of alternate realities, giving fans a meta impression of what the characters are going through. Editing cuts, like showing the same person in the same position with different backgrounds, hook fans into the style of the movie and make them stay with the impressive effects of the movie and thought-provoking story. The trailer is also A24’s second most-viewed video on their YouTube channel, with 33 million views, showing that it is rewatchable even after the movie’s release.
Watch on Netflix
1
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ (2024)
Directed by Shawn Levy
Deadpool and Wolverine is an upcoming Marvel movie coming out in theaters in July 2024. Being one of the most anticipated movies of 2024, Deadpool and Wolverine‘s trailer amassed an incredible 365 million views across all platforms. The movie will have Deadpool recruit an alternate version of Wolverine to help him save his world, bringing the two on a multiverse journey with the TVA. The trailer introduces fans to the main villain, Cassandra Nova, and includes many Marvel Easter eggs, like Antman’s giant skull.
While Marvel‘s recent track record of movies hasn’t lived up to many fans’ expectations, the trailers know how to deliver. Maybe it’s because of recency bias, excitement, or anticipation, but the trailer gave fans everything they’d been hoping for. It delivered on all aspects, from well-choreographed fight scenes to wise-cracking humor and superhero fan service, while giving a glimpse of the long-awaited dynamic and interactions between the two characters. Overall, the reception proves the trailer’s quality and the movie’s excitement. The hype surrounding Deadpool and Wolverine, the constant action, humor and the synergy between the editing and music make it one of the greatest trailers of all time.
