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For Halloween, We Look at 9 Hair-Raising Horror Trailers
Us, Smile 2, Ghost Game, Bagman and more
These cinematic previews from the past 10 years will keep you on the edge of your seat. I’ve learned that a scary movie doesn’t necessarily make for a scary trailer, and that a smile is so much more than a smile…
Smile 2 (2024)
Paramount
The stares, the smiles, the stares, the smiles, the smiles, the smiles … a smile is supposed to be something that brings comfort. That fundamental idea is totally upended by this trailer, since these smiles are so unhinged:
Us (2019)
Universal
Thanks to Mikki at HBO for reminding me of this trailer and the creepy faces that haunt me now. Try and look in a dark mirror with wide eyes and not be freaked out by the Tethered that stares back at you:
Bagman (2024)
Lionsgate
The calm, informative narration pulls you in, while the intermittent sounds—scratching, crackling of slow old zippers and animalistic fluttering—haunts you. Everybody has childhood anxieties they’ve outgrown, whether it’s being terrified of the dark or believing there’s a monster under the bed. This trailer is a menacing reminder that we should still be afraid:
The Front Room (2024)
A24
From the moment this monster-in-law is on screen, her odd movements, sinister eyes and gravelly voice are just too disturbing:
The Enfield Poltergeist (2023)
Apple TV+
Though I love the stories docuseries tell, the materials that stitch them together can seem sketchy—low resolution video footage, awkwardly reimagined scenes with an accumulation of talking heads, etc. This trailer celebrates that approach and invites us to gaze through a haunted lens:
When Evil Lurks (2023)
IFC Films/Shudder
These frames absorbed every awkward movement, weird sound and screaming silence, inviting you to witness something evil:
Crimson Peak (2015)
Universal
Thanks to Astrid at Focus for the reminder of the beautifully moody trailer below. The dramatic lighting, gothic architecture and madness—all stunning, creepy and twisted:
Men (2022)
A24
I wasn’t familiar with the movie, but this trailer did its job and made me curious. Imagine going to a new town where every man you meet has the same face—old, young, in the middle, doesn’t matter: their features are the same. Surrounded by such strangeness, you might think someone is pulling a massive joke, but that joke wouldn’t be funny. It’s quite sinister and would make you question your sanity:
Ghost Game (2024)
Dread
The unnerving vibe of Blair Witch meets Paranormal Activity:
