With the first kick-ass trailer for Jason Bourne, the newest addition to the spy series led by Matt Damon, being released just last week, I thought I'd go ahead and give my thoughts on not only Bourne but the plethora of other dynamic trailers we got so far this month as well. From the tantalizing tease at the first Star Wars spin-off to the next chapter in the Harry Potter universe, there have been so many trailers to comb through and digest just this month. Which one was the best, you ask? That question may be a lot harder to answer than I thought. Here's a brief breakdown of some of my favorite trailers of April -- some that have me begging for the film to release right now, and others that have still have me at a crossroads.
Rogue One - Of course at the top of my list would have to be the first-ever Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One. Delivering a satisfying teaser that not only brought fans back to the past -- the film set just before the 1977 classic film -- but also opening up our eyes to a whole new layer to the space saga, Rogue One is set to bring a dynamic, new perspective of Star Wars. Trading pristine Jedi for murky rebels, and introducing a plethora of morally-ambiguous characters -- from Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso to Ben Mendelsohn's crooked Imperial baddie -- this promising prequel could end up being one of the most fascinating Star Wars films we've gotten so far.
Suicide Squad - Following an explosive second trailer fueled by new footage and the killer sound of
Queen behind it, DC's next risky project after March's
Dawn of Justice, David Ayer's
Suicide Squad, throws us yet another tease at its dark and comedic take on the superhero (and villain) genre. Delivering more intense and humorous footage -- from the witty remarks of Will Smith's sharp-shooting Deadshot to a plethora of mysterious scenes involving both Jared Leto's Joker and Ben Affleck's Batman -- and set against a less-exciting, but nonetheless catchy, song by the English rock band Sweet, the newest trailer for this odd-ball project doesn't miss a beat in continually getting me more and more hyped for August.
Doctor Strange - As the acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow, quickly escalating from its initial Earth-bound superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America to more broader planes of existence, November's
Doctor Strange plans to bring fans to a whole new dimension as it introduces us to one of Marvel's most mystical characters. With a stellar cast (as per usual for Marvel), including the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch, Mads Mikkelsen, and a transformative Tilda Swinton, and a tone similar to something out of a Christopher Nolan film,
Marvel's Doctor Strange could end up being one of the most mind-bending superhero films we've ever seen.
Jason Bourne - Continuing the legacy of one of the most action-packed film series of the early 2000s, July's valiant return of super spy Jason Bourne is set to bring back the explosive and gripping narrative we missed in 2012's
The Bourne Legacy. Dumping Jeremy Renner's rookie spy for the bad-ass one-man-army of Matt Damon,
Jason Bourne will hopefully return to the better age of
Bourne films, while also revamping the series to fit into the world of modern-day espionage. With Damon looking better than ever as he goes behind the scope of his most infamous character once more, and costars Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones joining in on the chase, the next chapter of this superb spy series could end up being one of the most promising films of the summer.
The Birth of a Nation - Escaping from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival to deliver moviegoers a
12 Years a Slave-esque period drama this October, Nate Parker's ambitious tale about a 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia led by slave rebel leader Nat Turner captured my attention from the very first seconds of its first trailer. Evoking a depressing -yet highly captivating -- tone with its nearly grey-scale cinematography and dynamic Southern sound,
The Birth of a Nation looks like it could be just as profound and emotional as 2013's
12 Years a Slave. I would definitely not be surprised to see this one come award season.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Yet another franchise earning itself a prequel film this year is the magical and mysterious
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Turning back the clock on the long-finished
Harry Potter film series, David Yates'
Fantastic Beasts hopes to revolutionize the wizarding world made famous by author J.K. Rowling, introducing a plethora of both magical and muggle characters to enjoy. Led by a more toned-down Eddie Redmayne than we've seen in his more emotional roles, this ambitious spin-off could end up being either a fantastic addition to the
Harry Potter lore, or a generic prequel with little substance to it.
The Girl on the Train - With a cryptic Kanye West song in its background and an even-more cryptic
Gone Girl feel to it, the first trailer for the thriller drama based on Paula Hawkins' 2015 debut novel was probably one of the most surprising teases I saw this month. Looking to be a gripping narrative of deception and secrets, with a promising cast including Emily Blunt and Luke Evans, this right-off-the-bat adaptation could end up being just as investing as 2014's
Gone Girl, or it could fall under the pressure of the usual mystery clichés. Whether the film succeeds or not, I'm still dying to pick up this book whenever I get the time.
Lightningface - The most outlandish discover I found in this month's trailers had to be the tale of mental destruction and hallucinogenic chaos in Brian Petsos' short film
Lightningface. With the phenomenal Oscar Isaac rounding out the cast, and the film tossing us a unique and unsettling story of a reclusive man who must find solace in solitude after experiencing an inexplicable incident. Odd and frightening in its minute-long teaser, I may not see this intriguing project in the theater, but I'll definitely make it my mission to see it soon. For now, I'll enjoy yet another short film by Petsos I found today, 2014's
Ticky Tacky, which also stars Isaac.
All the Way - The last ambitious trailer I found this month was the political biopic,
All the Way, set to release on HBO this May. With the director of 2015's
Trumbo at its helm, and
Trumbo's own Bryan Cranston taking the lead as he portrays President Lyndon B. Johnson, this curious project looks to be quite formidable in both its storytelling and its casting. While the film does aim to take a few risks, especially putting Anthony Mackie up to the challenge of playing civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., this dynamic tease at the HBO film looks like it could be yet another promising presidential biopic to add to the long list of greats. Now all I need to do is get HBO.
What was your favorite trailer or teaser of the month? I know I missed a good plenty of good ones, especially the just-released final trailer for May's
X-Men: Apocalypse (I'll get to that one soon enough), but these were just a few I found to be the most tantalizing for these coming months. Stay tuned for more exciting things coming soon, like this month's Silver Screen Spotlight highlighting Melissa McCarthy!
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