Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

Geoff's Top 10 Trailers of 2014

Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

2014 was one of my favorite years of moviegoing, played in no small part by attending my first Sundance. While I watched less films this year overall than I have in my four years of officially being part of the film community, I still watched more than my fair share of trailers. I know people that live for trailers; I also know people who refuse to watch them. Both groups have very valid reasons, with the former embracing the snippets of story and style to help determine their film choices amidst the world of ever-increasing ticket prices, and the latter wanting to enter the film experience full of surprise and intrigue. Listed over the next few pages are some of my personal favorite trailers of 2014. I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I did.

by Geoff Henao

[Trailer 2] Gone Girl

I'll admit something: I didn't watch the first trailer for David Fincher's (The Social Network) next film, Gone Girl. This was one of those films I didn't want to spoil by watching a trailer and getting swept up into hype that the film may or may not be able to live up to. Then, of course, I received the email for this latest trailer and couldn't resist. If only I could go back in time and watch the first trailer when it originally came out...

Gone Girl is an adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name that analyzes a couple's marriage after the wife's disappearance. Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) stars as Nick Dunne, the aforementioned husband who quickly becomes the center of scrutiny as the media paints him as a suspect in his wife's (Rosamund Pike) disappearance. Flynn serves as the film's screenwriter and has said the film will deviate from the novel and that the story won't be told in the same way as the novel.

Trailers like this new Gone Girl one is exactly what film trailers should do. They build up anticipation, share just enough about the film's tone and narrative to reel audiences in, yet leave said audiences shrouded in a veil of mystery and intrigue. Gone Girl will be in theaters on October 3rd, yet the wait will make it feel like it's more than just three short months away.

by Geoff Henao