Have you ever seen a trailer and couldn’t get your mind off of it, even after seeing the movie? Trailers today are often polarizing, with half of us hating it immediately and the other half hating it after discovering how misleading it was. But it feels like nowadays filmmakers are getting wise to their trailer misdeeds and have started creating totally awesome previews of their work. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most spectacular, blood-curdling, action-packed trailers that never fail to get us pumped!
Relic (2020)
Some major The Taking of Deborah Logan/The Dark and the Wicked/The Visit vibes here. Musical punches, a witchy cabin, and a mysterious entity (or possible mental illness) send a chill down my spine. There’s something inherently frightening about adults — parents, grandparents, anyone older than you — being scared of something perceived as childish, like something hiding under the bed. It’s a subtle way of forcing you into the “adult” role, making you the one having to face danger. But what’s this? A scary monster in a scary old house? Even better!
Sputnik (2020)
I’m a sucker for Soviet horror. Something about the constant gray oppressiveness and secretive aura makes horror all the more horrible. A cosmonaut brings back an alien inside of him, death comes soon after. The premise is somehow super believable too, considering the sheer amount of secrets a government can control and hold from the public. No one is safe, no place is safe. You’re trapped with the scientific crew with no escape, both from the monster inside the cosmonaut’s body, or from the powerhouse that is the USSR.
Hereditary (2018)
Any time I see miniatures, I know I’m going to be in for a wild ride. Like miniatures, the trailer gives an creepy feeling with the scenes and editing it uses, like something isn’t quite right. Quick shots transform into others. Clicking sounds, sped up frames, and vast open expanses of small rooms are unsettling at best. And the longer you watch, the crazier it gets. Blood, shouting, fire, all-around madness!
Son (2021)
After having a kid, these types of movies just hit different. Tie that in with a cult and my heart is already racing. It’s understandably scary when a messed-up event happens and no one believes you about it; it’s taken to another level when the past comes back into your life again. You’d think at this point in time, we’d be more wary of cults and cult-like action, but it goes to show that in the grand scheme of things, people are a hell of a lot scarier than any monster.
In Fabric (2018)
I wasn’t sure what to expect with In Fabric, having not heard of anything about it until seeing this trailer in an “upcoming horror” compilation. But by the way its filmed and its lowkey (i.e., under my radar) presence, I stumbled upon a gem. The classic tale of a “killer” dress that spells nothing but disaster for its wearer is given new light in a sensual, magical, and uncanny way. Ethereal and mystifying, the blood-red dress is the star here.
Fear Street (2021)
They could have literally just showed a pile of poop and I would still have watched it in its entirety. Put R. L. Stine’s name on something and I’m going to watch it. EVERY. DAMN. TIME. Make it rated R, and you’re making history at the box office (… or in stream-time, because Netflix). It’s nostalgia overload with our favorite kids’ horror IPs, 90s chic, 80s slashers, and OG Halloween imagery (by way of the Salem Witch Trials) and Fear Street because an overnight success even before its release.
Halloween Kills (2021)
2018’s return to the infamous Haddonfield revived Michael Myers and his reign of terror for a whole new generation. Knowing there would be two more movies to follow made it all the more exciting. Pair this with waiting an additional year for release (due to “Miss Rona”) and the numerous teasers and leaks, and Halloween Kills has managed not only to keep its appeal going, but make it even stronger. Where Halloween was scary, Halloween Kills is scary on steroids. Fire. Explosions. Superhuman survivability. More call-backs to Halloweens-of-days-past.
Censor (2021)
Have you ever watched a movie and recognized someone or something. It’s an exhilarating feeling. Now imagine if you saw your sister, years after her disappearance. Videodrome meets The Canal when we get an inside look at a video editor’s worst nightmare. And we’re right along for the ride, wanting to solve the mystery of video nasties, a past crime, and the world of reality and fiction as it pertains to horror. This trailer instantly had me hooked as something I needed to see through to the end.
What’s your take on trailers, and what is one you can’t help but watch over and over? Let us know in the comments!
