5. Clifford the Big Red Dog
The trailer for Clifford the Big Red Dog purports to be a light-hearted adaptation of the children’s picture books of the same name. But it is abundantly clear that this is not the case. Wrenched from the more forgivingly cartoonish page to the realm of photorealism, this crimson nightmare fuel is a few tentacles shy of a true eldritch abomination. With ironic rubbernecking comparable to the infamous “why does Sonic have human teeth?” debacle, Clifford’s uncannily glossy eyes stared straight through our screens and into our souls to make this one of 2021’s more memorable — and unintentionally terrifying — movie trailers.
4. The Last Duel
Ridley Scott blessed us with not one but two movies this year. So if you ever needed proof that cinema is healing, there you go. The Last Duel’s trailer was a special treat for those of us anxious to see the Ridler back in the historical drama saddle — and the duel saddle thanks to his feature film debut, The Duelists.
Putting its ridiculous ensemble cast (Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck) front and center, the trailer lays out the central conceit: a rape accusation and the ensuing duel that, as was the custom at the time, was to reveal the truth of what really happened. Look at that well-worn, mud speckled armor! Look at Affleck’s blonde goatee! This is what the movies are all about!
3. House of Gucci
Of the two movies released this year directed by Ridley Scott and starring Adam Driver, The Last Duel is absolutely the better. But as far as this list of the best trailers of 2021 is concerned, being “a good movie” can only buy you so much grace when bananas Italian accents get thrown into the mix.
Look, I’m a simple woman. If you show me a roster of Hollywood’s finest talents hamming it up while Blondie blasts in the background, my money is as good as yours. Bless you, House of Gucci trailer. What is more delightful? Lady Gaga’s wigs or the fact that Federica Castelli is probably going to win an Academy Award for her prosthetics work? It is impossible to say.
2. Licorice Pizza
Sure, there are some great movie trailers on this list of the very best of 2021. But Licorice Pizza blows them all out of the water because Paul Thomas Anderson knows how to sell a goddamn movie. While we bask in the undeniable screen presence of Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, we’re transported to the 1970s haze of the San Fernando Valley. (There are also some enticing glimpses of Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, and Benny Safdie along the way.) PTA is easily one of the greatest directors of the 21st century, and Licorice Pizza confidently advertises itself as yet another notch in the director’s career-long obsession with “two weirdos falling in love.”
1. The Matrix Resurrections
What could possibly be a bigger trailer than a new PTA movie? A new Matrix movie, that’s what. As its subtitle proclaims, the ultra-influential sci-fi action world of Neo, Trinity, and company is back. Not only that but barring a few exceptions, the gang’s all here. With Lana Wachowski at the helm, this latest installment sees Keanu Reeves trapped, once again, in a digitized world designed to distract humanity from their post-apocalyptic reality,
The events of the past films are now a half-remembered dream to be untangled with therapists. How Neo remembers that he’s Cyber Jesus and how he connects with characters old and new remains to be seen. But The Matrix is back, baby. It’s a Christmas miracle.
Related Topics: 2021 Rewind, Trailers
