What makes a great movie trailer? We live in an age where so many are lackluster. Personally, I think a good trailer should work like a good mini-movie without giving everything away. It should grab the viewer, leave them wanting more and never, EVER give away everything. There should be bonus points for using material not featured in the movie. Remember: the movie doesn't have to be good to have an excellent trailer. Let's have fun with this!

So, here are a few that I found that stand out:

You can't go wrong with Kubrick when it comes to unusual trailers:


This is probably the best trailer for a Stone movie:
This gets special points for having a specially made chorus for "Creep" made for the trailer:

This one is terrific--even if I don't like the movie:


This is the best trailer of the 2010s (IMHO) :

The song came first. The group is a Belgian women's choir called Scala & Kolacny Brothers. They cover popular songs. Creep is from their first album.

Their music video for Use Somebody (Kings of Leon) is heartbreaking.

This one is amazing to me that it was from 1941, but of course for Citizen Kane, it would have to be innovative.

Just to begin with, the tone is mildly sardonic, mocking the very idea of advertising and promotion as "ballyhoo."


Welles known to the populace for his name and his voice, keeping his appearance concealed, while he introduces the Mercury Players, but all the while, playing god as he directs them (smile, look up). And certainly unusual to present the actors as themselves in their down time on the set, rather than in character on the screen.
Then the trailer just sets up this mystery of who Kane is, while Welles still refuses to show himself as the character.

So odd, especially when you consider the way most trailers try to explain who the main character is in some thumbnail way, and then sell you on coming to see the story of what happens to him/her. CK just wants to pique your interest in finding out about the title character, which would seem like a stunt, until you realize that is actually exactly what the movie is about. Welles (the magician) seems to be playing tricks with the audience, but he is really being honest.

I admire the trailer for Midnight In Paris. Seems to me Woody Allen has his audience, most people know whether they want to see his movies or not, so the trailer doesn't need to be anything more than, "Hey, come see the new Woody Allen movie, if you're into that sort of thing."

The trailer for Midnight In Paris does a great job of making it look like your generic Woody Allen relationships movie, then looks as though it may be him doing a version of After Hours, and then ends by suggesting a mystery that could very sinister. It doesn't give away anything about what the movie is actually about, or even the style of movie it is.

Someone really stepped up and created a much more thoughtful trailer than was probably necessary. Cool that this turned out to Allen's most successful movie in years.

One thing that usually always will get me when it comes to trailers is music selection. It's also why I tend to enjoy teaser trailers way more than theatrical trailers. Theatrical is all about divulging as much of the plot as possible, where teasers more just kind of set the mood of the film. It's why "Magnolia" and "The Social Network" trailers posted above are so great. With that being said, here's two more recent teasers that had wonderful music selection and ones I've watched many a time!

I remember seeing the Wall Street trailer in theaters with the Vivaldi and being so psyched to watch the movie.

Though I despise the movie, this is an AMAZING trailer.


Actually, the one common denominator for QT movies is they all have AMAZING trailers.

Even the ones he doesn't make!

I realize it's for a superhero movie but I adore the original Logan trailer. Also because of the fantastic use of "Hurt".

I appreciated the dialog free trailers to Dark City and City of Lost Children. Both feel like odes to Metropolis, though CoLC may of been hiding the language for foreign markets (this trailer has French text and almost no Ron Perlman, so that kinda blows it.) Both sell their atmosphere more than plot.

Here are two off the beaten path trailers by directors Alfred Hitchcock and Albert Brooks. I don't think they even make trailers like this anymore.

I’ve always been fond of Ron Howard’s hands-on involvement in the trailer for his early picture GRAND THEFT AUTO (and the fact that he let co-star The Real Don Steele handle some of the narration in his inimitable style):


And Norman Mailer in the trailer for his own oddity TOUGH GUYS DON’T DANCE was rather inspired:

I love this trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

There’s an obscure movie that’s actually pretty damn good called The Minus Man and it has the greatest trailer ever made. Blew me away. I thought “damn, this is the future of trailers.” Turns out is a one of a kind oddity.

There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about The Men Who Stare at Goats trailer but they manage to make the movie actually look good. The people who edited this trailer have a better understanding of comedic timing that the filmmakers apparently did.



I don’t want to turn this in to a “Favorite Trailers” thread but I could also list Star Wars: Episode I trailer since it’s arguably the best trailer ever created for such a shitty movie.

True about Phantom Menace.

Men Who Stare At Goats is actually a very good movie.

Both movies contain considerable discussion of using the Force

The teaser trailer to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country doubles as a tribute to the first 25 years of Star Trek. It takes a campy tv show from the 60s and makes it absolutely fucking epic:


Also: Christopher Plummer doest the narration. (Rest in Peace, Chris)

Already mentioned, the Magnolia trailer is probably one of the best trailers ever. Love the film too.

I always liked the trailer for Adaptation.

This is one of the greatest teaser trailers ever. The music evokes wonder and curiosity . It barely gives anything away. It's one hell of a way to hook the audience:

You Tube

Great trailer, for what I believe is Quentin Tarantino's best movie. A masterpiece.

GREAT trailer for a good movie that I'd probably like more if it wasn't so challenging for my brain.

At least its for the best superhero movie ever!

I really, really like the trailer for Buffalo 66, it's like a short film version of most of the movie and that Yes song plays so well, it's great.

The trailer for Glass was pretty good



A pity the movie turned out to be such a piece of crap.