The Problem
The modern movie trailer is a disappointment, lagging far behind its potential.
When we watch a trailer we expect a brief introduction to the sights/sounds/feelings/ideas of a movie. We want to learn just enough to help us consider whether watching the movie would be worth our valuable time. And no spoilers, please.
The problem is that many modern movie trailers fail to help us in those ways, and in fact, destroy our moviewatching experience by oversharing.
Take for example this main trailer from 2023’s worldwide top-grossing box-office movie, Barbie. For almost three minutes we encounter the main characters, the main plot-points, and snippets that the moviemakers think will resonate with us.
Why would we watch this movie now? We already know the players and the actors; we already know the arc of the story and can guess its ending; we can already repeat the movie’s quotable quotes. If we care about keeping current then our job is already done, and if we care about the beauty and wonder of movies, our watch is now spoiled. An overshare like this smacks of desperation and condescension.
A Solution
Tease us.
People quite reasonably want to have an idea about a movie before they start watching it, and trailers can be a great way to establish that idea. But let’s please remember that we can only crave what we don’t have. Trailers should therefore give us less, not more.
Like this teaser.
It’s less than one minute long, but has stirred up much excitement. We don’t learn exactly what the movie is about, but who cares?! We learn enough to know: This movie is going to be scary. It involves a family, and a stranger? And cryptic codes, maybe? We don’t know the plot points, we can’t quote more than a couple garbled sentences. We certainly can’t bake the aesthetic into our minds. Our imagination begins to run wild—and at the same time, begins to crave a resolution. This is a good trailer: A teaser.
Some folks have already understood that our good will has been the engine dragging along the lagging trailer for far too long. In an age of everything, everywhere, all at once, we crave less. We need less.
So, long live the teaser!