2016's Best and Worst Summer Movie Trailers
We’re now knee-deep in July, which means studios have released the majority of trailers for their biggest summer releases. Which of these first-looks have stoked anticipation for their films, and which have left us dreading their arrival? Read on for our rundown of the top 10 — and bottom three — summer movie trailers of 2016.
BEST:
Suicide Squad
Warner Bros’ DC-based supervillain saga made waves courtesy of its early peeks scored to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but we say that the film’s third trailer — set to Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” — is the malevolent tops.
The Secret Life of Pets
The first full-length trailer for The Secret Life of Pets lays out its premise with cute-and-cuddly aplomb — and concludes with hilarious heavy-metal exclamation point.
Pete’s Dragon
Sometimes a trailer takes moviegoers by surprise, and that’s certainly the case with this Disney release, whose first look gracefully conveys not only the film’s plot, but also a sense of wonder and magic.
The Shallows
The Shallows boasts a simple storyline, thus allowing its third trailer to dispense with exposition in favor of 1950s instructional-video narration that lays out its self-reliant feminist ethos as Blake Lively’s surfer battles a great white shark.
The Neon Demon
There’s lots of glitter and ominous suggestions delivered by this debut glimpse of Nicholas Winding Refn’s fashion-industry horror satire, which crescendos into violence while only hinting at the true, gory madness of its material.
Kubo and the Two Strings
This Asian-influenced tale about a young boy on a magical quest alongside a talking monkey is awash in gorgeous, enticing imagery – no surprise given that it’s from the creators of the sterling Coraline.
Jason Bourne
Matt Damon is back as the amnesiac spy, and the Super Bowl teaser for his latest outing is a brusque, brisk promo, complete with a knockout final moment that left fans gasping for more.
Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s most recent superhero blockbuster was preceded by a trailer that played by a familiar rulebook — until, that is, it delivered the year’s biggest, most exciting reveal: Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
High-Rise
The first trailer for Ben Wheatley’s mordant social critique keeps its gnarliest secrets hidden from view, all while detailing the class-based tensions that leave Tom Hiddleston struggling for survival in a skyscraper devolving into apocalyptic chaos.
Don’t Breathe
It may give away a bit too much plot, but the trailer for this August’s Don’t Breathe provides a tantalizing taste of the cat-and-mouse terror promised by this thriller from Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez.
WORST:
Alice Through the Looking Glass
There’s nothing compelling about the trailer for Disney’s Alice in Wonderland sequel; awash in gaudy kaleidoscopic colors, ugly CGI, and hammy performances, it makes us want to take whatever pill will let us sleep through the film itself.
Star Trek Beyond
After the dreariness of Star Trek Into Darkness, there’s good reason for director Justin Lin to position this third entry in the rebooted sci-fi series as a more fun, action-oriented affair. Nonetheless, the Beastie Boys-scored first trailer was a forced, misguided attempt at making the cerebral Trek world seem fast and furious. Costar and cowriter Simon Pegg had to promise it wasn’t reflective of the movie.
Ghostbusters
The first trailer for Paul Feig’s all-female reboot didn’t do its stars any favors with its confusing setup and clunky editing. (Even star Melissa McCarthy agreed.) On the plus side, the newer spots have been much more promising.
