From Cloverfield to Inception, let's look at some of the best movie trailers of all time. What lessons can we learn from them?
Nothing hits like a well-crafted movie trailer. The best movie trailers have us scouring for hidden clues and then checking the hashtags on social media to see what everyone else is saying.
But what makes them work, and what can we learn from them as filmmakers and video creatives? Let’s check out some of the best movie trailers of all time and see why they worked so well.
What is a movie trailer or teaser?
Trailers are short, high-impact previews of films, TV shows, or marketing videos designed to generate excitement and anticipation. They’re like promo videos for your next favorite film or show. They blend some of the plot or idea with great visuals, sound, and pacing to elicit an emotional response—whether intrigue, hype, or full-on obsession!
A teaser is usually a shorter version of a trailer, typically 20-30 seconds. However, many big film studios are now putting out ‘teasers’ of up to 2 minutes, so it’s become a fairly flexible term.
What are film trailers and teasers for?
They’re marketing tools, in a nutshell, but their purpose goes beyond that too. They’re designed to:
- Tease not tell: give just enough information to create curiosity without revealing too much.
- Set expectations: set the movie’s tone, genre, and overall experience.
- Drive engagement: get people talking, generate fan theories, and create a buzz on social media.
- Make something feel like an event: a well-made trailer can turn a movie release into a cultural moment.
- Convert interest into action: it could be about selling tickets, boosting pre-orders, or building up a fan base, but trailers are all about getting people invested in what you’re making.
The best movie trailers of all time
1. Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan is great at keeping things mysterious, and the teaser for Inception followed his trend. We got some very cool, trippy visuals and the now-iconic BRAAAM sound—one of the most legendary Hans Zimmer film soundtracks.
Takeaway tip: Even if your teaser is minimal, a unique sound can create something memorable!
2. Cloverfield (2008)
Some shaky handheld footage of a party, and then… New York under attack! An explosion, chaos, people running for their lives (why are they still filming?), the Statue of Liberty’s head rolling into the road—we love it. Most intriguing was that there was no title; what a great approach to what we’d now think of as viral marketing.
Takeaway tip: Sometimes you don’t need explanations—drop enough intrigue into your trailer, and people will be desperate for answers! Think about what you can leave out that will spark curiosity.
3. The Batman (2020)
‘I’m vengeance’
Takeaway tip: Make your movie trailer a VIBE that immediately tells your audience what to expect. The Batman trailer was gritty and raw… a whole mood!
4. Dune: Part One (2021)
A teaser… for a trailer… what?! Yup, Warner Brothers put out a teaser trailer for its Dune trailer, such was the excitement for the new film. All it really shows is a handful of characters with a voiceover, but it’s enough to whet the appetite.
Takeaway tip: Releasing a teaser for a trailer means lots of people will watch the trailer at the same time, so it creates a marketing event.
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2014)
The prequels burned Star Wars fans, so Episode VII had some heavy lifting to do. The teaser featured new characters, a little drama, and super cute robots… everything to excite the core fan base for the new movie and restore some faith!
Takeaway tip: Nostalgia sells, but only if you offer something new. Tap into fan-base favorites with your trailer, but give it your unique spin!
6. The Shining (1980)
The movie trailer for The Shining introduces the characters and sets up the story, all in under a minute and a half. It’s a masterclass in Storytelling from Kubrick and shows us that the tone is going to be dark, psychological, and downright terrifying! There’s no surprise to be had in the mental downfall of Jack Torrance—the trailer leans right into it from the start.
The Shining theatrical teaser
The Shining gets an extra nod for this fantastic theatrical teaser trailer. In it, we’re fixed on some elevators with unnerving music as the credits roll until the doors open and blood pours from them—one of the iconic scenes of the film.
Takeaway tip: A single image with a big payoff can be more powerful than minutes of drama. Think about what your big moments could be.
7. The Social Network (2010)
Made in the style of browsing Facebook, this trailer for The Social Network, a movie about Facebook’s creators, starts in a way that immediately grabs our attention. It then goes into what we can expect from the movie’s content, all while layering over a choral version of Creep by Radiohead.
Takeaway tip: Reinvention works. The trailer’s creators could have gone for a generic tech-startup trailer, but they went for haunting and dramatic instead. Try to subvert expectations with your trailer.
Top tips from the best movie trailers
Whether you’re a business video producer or have a filmmaking side hustle, these tips can help you boost your video content creation.
1. Less is more—create mystery!
Great movie trailers or teasers don’t need to explain everything—they can leave people wanting more.
- Drop hints rather than full explanations.
- Show just enough of something to spark curiosity.
- Use a cliffhanger or an unanswered question to drive engagement.
2. Create a vibe
It’s all about tone sometimes: the music, the color grading, the energy!
- Pick a signature visual style, taking into account color theory in movies.
- Use music and sound design to create emotion.
- Keep it short and punchy. Remember, it is feelings, not details.
3. Build anticipation over time
Remember you can have multiple film teasers or film trailers.
- Plan a reveal strategy that teases and gradually reveals a detail over time.
- Use social media to build hype and keep up the momentum.
- Let the fans speculate! It’s great marketing.
4. Use sound to your advantage
Sometimes, a sound can be more effective than the visuals (BRAAAM!).
5. Make your trailer or teaser feel like an event
The best movie trailers don’t just drop randomly. James Gunn teased his new Superman movie’s trailer release, which excited fans!
- Time your teaser release strategically, e.g., during major events or holidays.
- Build anticipation beforehand with countdowns, cryptic posts, and sneak peeks.
- Engage your target audience by running polls or challenges or giving them exclusive content.
- A great teaser should burn into your audience’s minds and make them desperate to see more!
Tease that video
Make sure your teaser has an unforgettable hook, whether it’s a line of dialogue, a sound cue, or a shot framing wrapped up in mystery. And remember, you don’t need to be making a movie to need a trailer—you could be putting together a marketing video, releasing a game, or even just hyping up a product in a fun way!
If you’re looking to make your own video trailer, why not try some of the professionally made templates at Envato to save you time and money?
And learn more by reading about the best movie logos and Instagrammable movie locations.
