Posted on Aug 10, 2019

22 Movie Trailers So Amazing, They're Basically Short Films In Themselves

If trailers are the foreplay of filmmaking, then these are some great lovers.

Allie Hayes

BuzzFeed Staff

We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community a very simple question: What is the greatest movie trailer of all time? Well, their passionate responses DID NOT disappoint. Here are just a FEW of the best:

1. Logan (2017)

"The first trailer for this — the one that used Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' — is art. That trailer made me actually tear up." —afstash — 20th Century Fox

"The first trailer for this — the one that used Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' — is art. That trailer made me actually tear up."
—afstash

20th Century Fox

"The first trailer for this — the one that used Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' — is art. That trailer made me actually tear up."
—afstash

2. The Handmaiden (2016)

"THIS. ONE. The quick and vivid images accompanied by a very unique piece of music manages to catch your attention without giving away literally ANY of the plot. A trailer fit for the masterpiece that is this movie!"—elephantgirl8 — CJ Entertainment

"THIS. ONE. The quick and vivid images accompanied by a very unique piece of music manages to catch your attention without giving away literally ANY of the plot. A trailer fit for the masterpiece that is this movie!"
—elephantgirl8

CJ Entertainment

"THIS. ONE. The quick and vivid images accompanied by a very unique piece of music manages to catch your attention without giving away literally ANY of the plot. A trailer fit for the masterpiece that is this movie!"
—elephantgirl8

3. The Shining (1980)

"Specifically the teaser trailer for this one. It showed the iconic elevator filled with blood, and was the perfect tease for the movie without showing anything from the plot."—bdrew125 — Warner Bros.

"Specifically the teaser trailer for this one. It showed the iconic elevator filled with blood, and was the perfect tease for the movie without showing anything from the plot."
—bdrew125

Warner Bros.

"Specifically the teaser trailer for this one. It showed the iconic elevator filled with blood, and was the perfect tease for the movie without showing anything from the plot."
—bdrew125

4. Prometheus (2012)

"They used some subtle elements from the first Alien trailer (namely, the music) as a perfect nod to the original, and a way in to enter this new franchise. I honestly watched that trailer an embarrassing amount of times when it first came out."—kbd0190 — 20th Century Fox

"They used some subtle elements from the first Alien trailer (namely, the music) as a perfect nod to the original, and a way in to enter this new franchise. I honestly watched that trailer an embarrassing amount of times when it first came out."
—kbd0190

20th Century Fox

"They used some subtle elements from the first Alien trailer (namely, the music) as a perfect nod to the original, and a way in to enter this new franchise. I honestly watched that trailer an embarrassing amount of times when it first came out."
—kbd0190

5. Joker (2019)

"This hasn't even been RELEASED yet, it just has such an amazing trailer! The trailer has me seriously freaked out — which is a good thing when the Joker and his backstory are involved — and I can't WAIT to see it."—fritzmariak — Warner Bros.

"This hasn't even been RELEASED yet, it just has such an amazing trailer! The trailer has me seriously freaked out — which is a good thing when the Joker and his backstory are involved — and I can't WAIT to see it."
—fritzmariak

Warner Bros.

"This hasn't even been RELEASED yet, it just has such an amazing trailer! The trailer has me seriously freaked out — which is a good thing when the Joker and his backstory are involved — and I can't WAIT to see it."
—fritzmariak

6. Independence Day (1996)

"Specifically the Super Bowl TV spot...it was just the White House blowing up and the text 'Enjoy this Fourth of July, it may be your last.' It built anticipation for a movie literally no one had heard about."—anyone11 — 20th Century Fox

"Specifically the Super Bowl TV spot...it was just the White House blowing up and the text 'Enjoy this Fourth of July, it may be your last.' It built anticipation for a movie literally no one had heard about."
—anyone11

20th Century Fox

"Specifically the Super Bowl TV spot...it was just the White House blowing up and the text 'Enjoy this Fourth of July, it may be your last.' It built anticipation for a movie literally no one had heard about."
—anyone11

7. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

"I've watched this teaser trailer, roughly, 100 times. The way they mash-up some of the more popular Queen songs to fit perfectly to the changing frames is just breathtaking."—okaykaylyn — 20th Century Fox

"I've watched this teaser trailer, roughly, 100 times. The way they mash-up some of the more popular Queen songs to fit perfectly to the changing frames is just breathtaking."
—okaykaylyn

20th Century Fox

"I've watched this teaser trailer, roughly, 100 times. The way they mash-up some of the more popular Queen songs to fit perfectly to the changing frames is just breathtaking."
—okaykaylyn

8. Us (2019)

"Honestly, I was terrified of the trailer alone months before I even saw the film. I love horror, but I used to feel my heartbeat getting quicker every time the trailer would come on in the cinema. It's so intense and bone-chilling soundtrack."—florencem443d72861 — Universal Pictures

"Honestly, I was terrified of the trailer alone months before I even saw the film. I love horror, but I used to feel my heartbeat getting quicker every time the trailer would come on in the cinema. It's so intense and bone-chilling soundtrack."
—florencem443d72861

Universal Pictures

"Honestly, I was terrified of the trailer alone months before I even saw the film. I love horror, but I used to feel my heartbeat getting quicker every time the trailer would come on in the cinema. It's so intense and bone-chilling soundtrack."
—florencem443d72861

9. Suicide Squad (2016)

"You know the one...it's set to Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' That trailer alone was better than the entire movie."—mjamieson15 — Warner Bros.

"You know the one...it's set to Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' That trailer alone was better than the entire movie."
—mjamieson15

Warner Bros.

"You know the one...it's set to Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' That trailer alone was better than the entire movie."
—mjamieson15

10. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

"It perfectly captures the hazy romance and nimble yearning of an indelible memory."—mattm4fd61ada8 — Sony Pictures Classics

"It perfectly captures the hazy romance and nimble yearning of an indelible memory."
—mattm4fd61ada8

Sony Pictures Classics

"It perfectly captures the hazy romance and nimble yearning of an indelible memory."
—mattm4fd61ada8

11. The Social Network (2010)

"It’s essentially just a movie about a website, yet the trailer has so much intensity. Beautiful editing, stunning music, and stellar performances from the actors. It’s as good as the movie itself."—lostgirl1231 — Sony Pictures Releasing

"It’s essentially just a movie about a website, yet the trailer has so much intensity. Beautiful editing, stunning music, and stellar performances from the actors. It’s as good as the movie itself."
—lostgirl1231

Sony Pictures Releasing

"It’s essentially just a movie about a website, yet the trailer has so much intensity. Beautiful editing, stunning music, and stellar performances from the actors. It’s as good as the movie itself."
—lostgirl1231

12. Interstellar (2014)

"This trailer is amazing because it's emotional AND intriguing. When you go to watch this movie, you think you know what's going to happen, but there's so much more that you're left shocked by. When movie trailers show too much it can ruin a movie, and this trailer is one great example of how trailers SHOULD be made."—huastanicole — Paramount Pictures

"This trailer is amazing because it's emotional AND intriguing. When you go to watch this movie, you think you know what's going to happen, but there's so much more that you're left shocked by. When movie trailers show too much it can ruin a movie, and this trailer is one great example of how trailers SHOULD be made."
—huastanicole

Paramount Pictures

"This trailer is amazing because it's emotional AND intriguing. When you go to watch this movie, you think you know what's going to happen, but there's so much more that you're left shocked by. When movie trailers show too much it can ruin a movie, and this trailer is one great example of how trailers SHOULD be made."
—huastanicole

13. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

"The very first teaser trailer for this is exactly what every trailer should be. It captured the dark atmosphere of the movie perfectly without telling you ANYTHING."—chai_latte — Columbia Pictures

"The very first teaser trailer for this is exactly what every trailer should be. It captured the dark atmosphere of the movie perfectly without telling you ANYTHING."
—chai_latte

Columbia Pictures

"The very first teaser trailer for this is exactly what every trailer should be. It captured the dark atmosphere of the movie perfectly without telling you ANYTHING."
—chai_latte

14. A Serious Man (2009)

"I didn't see the movie itself until two or three years ago, but the rhythmic sound of Sy Ableman throwing Larry Gopnik's head against the chalkboard accompanied by the sound of Larry's car crashing, his pleas for help, and Sy telling him everything will be fine stuck with me for literally 10 years. It was the sound of one man's life chaotically falling apart, and you can't help but laugh as it's happening."—whatadickens — Focus Features

"I didn't see the movie itself until two or three years ago, but the rhythmic sound of Sy Ableman throwing Larry Gopnik's head against the chalkboard accompanied by the sound of Larry's car crashing, his pleas for help, and Sy telling him everything will be fine stuck with me for literally 10 years. It was the sound of one man's life chaotically falling apart, and you can't help but laugh as it's happening."
—whatadickens

Focus Features

"I didn't see the movie itself until two or three years ago, but the rhythmic sound of Sy Ableman throwing Larry Gopnik's head against the chalkboard accompanied by the sound of Larry's car crashing, his pleas for help, and Sy telling him everything will be fine stuck with me for literally 10 years. It was the sound of one man's life chaotically falling apart, and you can't help but laugh as it's happening."
—whatadickens

15. Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

"I don't know if it's the 'greatest' movie trailer, but only once in my life have I witnessed spontaneous, joyful applause break out during the coming attractions in a movie theater, and it was in response to this one. It was such a magical moment that I don't even remember what movie we ACTUALLY saw that day, I just remember seeing this trailer for the first time."—etconner — Warner Bros.

"I don't know if it's the 'greatest' movie trailer, but only once in my life have I witnessed spontaneous, joyful applause break out during the coming attractions in a movie theater, and it was in response to this one. It was such a magical moment that I don't even remember what movie we ACTUALLY saw that day, I just remember seeing this trailer for the first time."
—etconner

Warner Bros.

"I don't know if it's the 'greatest' movie trailer, but only once in my life have I witnessed spontaneous, joyful applause break out during the coming attractions in a movie theater, and it was in response to this one. It was such a magical moment that I don't even remember what movie we ACTUALLY saw that day, I just remember seeing this trailer for the first time."
—etconner

16. The Goldfinch (2019)

"This movie hasn’t even been released yet, but the first trailer alone has convinced me it’s the best movie of the year. The amount of times I’ve watched it speaks for itself."—e2001 — Warner Bros.

"This movie hasn’t even been released yet, but the first trailer alone has convinced me it’s the best movie of the year. The amount of times I’ve watched it speaks for itself."
—e2001

Warner Bros.

"This movie hasn’t even been released yet, but the first trailer alone has convinced me it’s the best movie of the year. The amount of times I’ve watched it speaks for itself."
—e2001

17. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

"This was such a great trailer. It starts out quite cheerful — like it might be a family relationship type drama/comedy — but it slowly turns dark and you realize something sinister is going on. John Goodman is such a lovely chap in real life, so it’s jarring to see him play such a menacing character...even just in the trailer. This trailer still gets chills out of me, and I’ve seen the whole movie twice."—elleh5 — Paramount Pictures

"This was such a great trailer. It starts out quite cheerful — like it might be a family relationship type drama/comedy — but it slowly turns dark and you realize something sinister is going on. John Goodman is such a lovely chap in real life, so it’s jarring to see him play such a menacing character...even just in the trailer. This trailer still gets chills out of me, and I’ve seen the whole movie twice."
—elleh5

Paramount Pictures

"This was such a great trailer. It starts out quite cheerful — like it might be a family relationship type drama/comedy — but it slowly turns dark and you realize something sinister is going on. John Goodman is such a lovely chap in real life, so it’s jarring to see him play such a menacing character...even just in the trailer. This trailer still gets chills out of me, and I’ve seen the whole movie twice."
—elleh5

18. Brave (2012)

"The second trailer was such an interesting way to go about marketing a movie. It's just the scene where Merida shoots for her own hand...THAT'S IT. It's a full scene from the movie, rather than random snippets. It tells you nothing about the plot, but gets you excited to see a badass princess that refuses to play by the rules, and it doesn't spoil any part of the movie."—ktk8895 — Walt Disney Studios

"The second trailer was such an interesting way to go about marketing a movie. It's just the scene where Merida shoots for her own hand...THAT'S IT. It's a full scene from the movie, rather than random snippets. It tells you nothing about the plot, but gets you excited to see a badass princess that refuses to play by the rules, and it doesn't spoil any part of the movie."
—ktk8895

Walt Disney Studios

"The second trailer was such an interesting way to go about marketing a movie. It's just the scene where Merida shoots for her own hand...THAT'S IT. It's a full scene from the movie, rather than random snippets. It tells you nothing about the plot, but gets you excited to see a badass princess that refuses to play by the rules, and it doesn't spoil any part of the movie."
—ktk8895

19. A Star is Born (2018)

"The trailer for the 2019 version is just incredible. It was the first time we all heard "Shallow" and hearing Lady Gaga belt her now famous "Ahhhwahhhahaaa" gave me chills!"—christopherc4811e9de0 — Warner Bros.

"The trailer for the 2019 version is just incredible. It was the first time we all heard "Shallow" and hearing Lady Gaga belt her now famous "Ahhhwahhhahaaa" gave me chills!"
—christopherc4811e9de0

Warner Bros.

"The trailer for the 2019 version is just incredible. It was the first time we all heard "Shallow" and hearing Lady Gaga belt her now famous "Ahhhwahhhahaaa" gave me chills!"
—christopherc4811e9de0

20. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

"I love this trailer because it's the perfect example of what a comedy trailer should be. It makes the movie look so funny without spoiling all of the best jokes, and it gives you a taste of the plot without revealing anything too important."—shawnab4f166aa30 — Sony Pictures Releasing

"I love this trailer because it's the perfect example of what a comedy trailer should be. It makes the movie look so funny without spoiling all of the best jokes, and it gives you a taste of the plot without revealing anything too important."
—shawnab4f166aa30

Sony Pictures Releasing

"I love this trailer because it's the perfect example of what a comedy trailer should be. It makes the movie look so funny without spoiling all of the best jokes, and it gives you a taste of the plot without revealing anything too important."
—shawnab4f166aa30

21. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

"Hands. Down. I still get chills every time I watch it. They managed to trigger waves of nostalgia, but also give the thrill of seeing something completely new and, at the end, even the most bitter fans were moved by the 'Chewie...We're home' line. Cinematic perfection."—ultimatefangirl12 — Lucasfilm Ltd.

"Hands. Down. I still get chills every time I watch it. They managed to trigger waves of nostalgia, but also give the thrill of seeing something completely new and, at the end, even the most bitter fans were moved by the 'Chewie...We're home' line. Cinematic perfection."
—ultimatefangirl12

Lucasfilm Ltd.

"Hands. Down. I still get chills every time I watch it. They managed to trigger waves of nostalgia, but also give the thrill of seeing something completely new and, at the end, even the most bitter fans were moved by the 'Chewie...We're home' line. Cinematic perfection."
—ultimatefangirl12

22. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

"Look, everyone knows that this trailer is the best trailer ever cut in the history of trailers. The trailer literally won awards BEFORE the movie itself even came out."—latinalibra1005 — Paramount Pictures

"Look, everyone knows that this trailer is the best trailer ever cut in the history of trailers. The trailer literally won awards BEFORE the movie itself even came out."
—latinalibra1005

Paramount Pictures

"Look, everyone knows that this trailer is the best trailer ever cut in the history of trailers. The trailer literally won awards BEFORE the movie itself even came out."
—latinalibra1005

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Some entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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