Why Modern Horror Movies Trailers Got So Bad

Movie trailers have been with us for more than a century. The first promos for upcoming films appeared in the mid-1910s, taking their name from the fact they followed the main feature (ie. trailed), rather than screening before. In the 1960s, the format shifted from being text and voiceover heavy to the faster clip montage style that has continued to develop ever since. The advent of the internet made trailers more important than ever to film companies, and today, the first promos for big movies are as anticipated as the films themselves, with some trailers racking up hundreds of millions of views within the first 24 hours.

Horror, in particular, has lent itself to effective trailers. Horror is the one genre that doesn't need big stars, big budgets, or familiar IP to work for audiences and succeed at the box office. The promise of tension, scares, mystery, and gore is what draws fans to horror movies. As a result, some of the most inventive and memorable trailers ever made have been for horror films, trailers that can play to the film's strengths without having to show a movie star's face or an explosion ever​​y few seconds.

Some classic horror trailers are subtle, such as The Exorcist, which simply doesn't show any of the scary moments, merely hinting at the movie's disturbing content. Others go for the throat--for example, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's quickly cut montage of terror. And some break all the rules, such as Alfred Hitchcock teasing the shocks of Psycho in typically deadpan style or The Blair Witch Project's groundbreaking viral campaign.

But as anyone who watches a lot of modern trailers will know, they've become incredibly formulaic in their construction, editing, and style. Part of this might be the fact they have to appeal to the widest international audience possible, so familiar, templated beats will work well for any nationality or demographic. And why change a formula that works? Marvel fans aren't looking for a reinvention of the trailer. They want to see their favorite heroes, some new faces, and a tease of the surprises that the next movie contains. And the trailer viewing numbers and ensuing box office speak for themselves.

But horror is not Marvel. Horror movies themselves don't need those elements that are crucial to the success of other genres, there seems little reason for their trailers to follow the same formula as other. And yet, horror trailers have become every bit as bland and predictable as all other promo and teasers, making many modern horror movies seem utterly indistinct from each other.

Let's take a look at the initial trailer for one of 2021's highest-profile horror movies--The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It. It starts as man​​y do--an out-of-context scene to set the tone--in this case a bloodied young man wandering, confused, down the street. Ominous, rising soundscapes punctuates the soundtrack. A key line is delivered--"I think I hurt someone"--then we cut to silence. There's a brief shot of the main characters, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, then a voiceover filling in the basic story, as eerie soundscapes rise once more, another key line is delivered--"I think it's about time they accept the existence of the devil"--then cut to silence again.

Then there's more soundscapes and more voiceover, ending with another longer clip--this time a boy on a water bed. The sound rises, then cuts out. There's a few seconds of silence as we prepare ourselves for the utterly predictable sudden jump scare... and there it is! A hand bursts through the bed! Now we head into a faster-cut montage of characters delivering dramatic single lines, as the music picks up pace--before, you got it... Cut to silence. Sound builds up yet again as Vera walks through the woods... and more silence! We get ready again for another jump scare. Hello! Something jumps out of the wood at Vera and she runs off screaming. Then... oh, you get the idea.

The Conjuring is one of horror's biggest franchises, so it might not be surprising that whoever made the trailer has stuck to a familiar bag of predictable tricks. What's notable is how this structure seems to be used again and again in the vast majority of modern horror trailers, from the biggest Hollywood hits to the smallest indies. In the past year, trailers for movies such as Candyman, Halloween Kills, the Fear Street trilogy, Scream, Escape Room 2, Malignant, and The Black Phone have all followed the same pattern to one degree or another. Start with a scene from the middle of the movie, cut to silence, sudden jump, the plot summed up, some more quiet moments that transition to jump-scares, and a quickl​​y cut, increasingly intense montage to the end. All accompanied by the same ominous but generically abstract soundscape.

Even when something new and effective happens in a horror trailer, it doesn't take long for it to start appearing in seemingly every other promo that follows. Jordan Peele's Us had a great first trailer that released on Christmas Day 2018, which was made even more striking by the fact that no one really knew what the movie would be about. One of the most distinctive elements were the scratchy, dissonant violins on the soundtrack, which was a refreshing break from boring ambient textures and really helped to put the viewer on edge. But since then, you can't move for scratchy, dissonant violins in horror trailers. Fear Street Part 3: 1966, Candyman, Brahms: The Boy II, and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin all got 'em.

Of course, there are some modern horror trailers that remain effective. While Candyman's initial trailer followed a familiar path, this striking animated teaser was one of 2020's most memorable promos. Antlers' first trailer contained almost no dialogue, instead building menace through an inventive collage of percussive sound and moody shots, while the trailer for the recent French body horror Titane was as disturbing, surreal, and funny as the movie itself.

Horror is as popular now as it's ever been. Along with superhero movies, it's proven to be the genre that still works at the box office in the pandemic era, with movies such as Halloween Kills, The Forever Purge, and A Quiet Place Part II luring younger audiences out to the theater. So, again, perhaps it's not surprising that the marketers behind these hits are in no hurry to mess with a winning trailer formula. But it's a shame. At their best, trailers can be much more than simple promotion--they can be an artform in their own right, with a style and impact as great--and sometimes greater--than the movie itself. Let's hope the horror trailer rediscovers some of that lost artistry and spooky magic.