10 Trailers That Were Better Than The Trailer

MOVIES

3 min read

In a time when truth is stranger than fiction, the rise and fall of cults and religious empires have captivated audiences across the world. These documentaries don’t just recount bizarre rituals or infamous mass tragedies—they dig into the psychology, manipulation, and power structures that allow such systems to flourish. They expose what happens when blind faith meets unchecked authority and how personal devotion can spiral into public devastation.

The ten documentaries below offer a chilling, gripping, and sometimes deeply emotional look into the darkest corners of modern spirituality. From high-profile megachurch implosions to tragic mass deaths, each one serves as a reminder that behind every charismatic leader or promise of salvation, there may be a darker agenda at play.

10. Godzilla (2014)

With haunting choral music, skydiving soldiers slicing through clouds, and only glimpses of the monster, the Godzilla trailer promised a grim, awe-inspiring epic. It was atmospheric, mysterious, and expertly restrained. The movie? A mixed bag that sidelined its monster for most of the runtime and gave us too much human drama and not enough Kaiju spectacle.

9. 2012 (2009)

The trailer for 2012 showcased Earth-shattering destruction with jaw-dropping visuals and the chilling tagline: "We Were Warned." It had a foreboding tone that hinted at a smarter disaster movie. What we got instead was bloated, implausible, and unintentionally hilarious—a CGI rollercoaster with the emotional weight of a popcorn kernel.

8. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

7. Ghost in the Shell (2017)

That trailer with Clair de Lune playing over majestic monster carnage? Chills. It teased poetic destruction, mythic stakes, and a monster ballet worth remembering. Unfortunately, the movie buried all of that under murky visuals, thin characters, and too much exposition, proving once again that selling beauty and delivering chaos don’t always line up.

6. Eternals (2021)

Marvel fans were intrigued by a new direction: epic landscapes, Chloé Zhao’s natural lighting, and a weightier, more introspective tone. The trailer promised a profound story about gods among humans. Instead, Eternals felt overstuffed, tonally confused, and lacking the emotional depth or urgency that the trailer had so beautifully teased.

5. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

The trailer hyped up an end-of-the-world showdown with a legendary villain and high-stakes action. It featured haunting lines and ominous visuals that teased a game-changer for the franchise. But the movie delivered a dull, uninspired story with cartoonish CGI, underused characters, and a villain that failed to live up to his hype.

4. Justice League (2017)

After the dark mess of Batman v Superman, the trailer for Justice League brought color, humor, and hope. It made us believe DC had righted the ship. Then the movie hit theaters, pieced together by reshoots, studio mandates, and clashing visions. Tonally disjointed and emotionally empty, the final product bore little resemblance to the trailer’s promise.

3. Mortal Kombat (2021)

Fans went wild for this trailer—gory, action-packed, and surprisingly faithful to the games. Every punch, fatality, and music cue screamed fan service. Unfortunately, the movie fizzled once the fights stopped. Lackluster pacing, forgettable characters, and the baffling decision to invent a bland new protagonist left fans KO’d with disappointment.

2. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

This trailer was pure nostalgia gold. The haunting use of White Rabbit, the mystery, the slick cinematography—it all hinted at a thought-provoking return to form. But the movie turned out to be a meta mess: self-referential, sluggish, and emotionally detached. The trailer pulled you back into the Matrix. The film made you wish you’d taken the blue pill.

1. Suicide Squad (2016)

No trailer in recent memory sold a vibe like Suicide Squad. Set to Bohemian Rhapsody, it was anarchic, stylish, and fun as hell, teasing a chaotic, character-driven antihero romp. But the final product? A studio-mangled disaster with jumbled editing, terrible pacing, and characters that barely resembled their trailer counterparts. It became the poster child for “misleading marketing.”

Conclusion

A great trailer is an art form, but it's also a double-edged sword. These ten trailers sold dreams—mystery, action, emotion, style—only for the films to fumble the handoff. Whether through mismanagement, poor writing, or studio interference, they left us realizing: sometimes the highlight reel really is the best part.

So next time a trailer gives you chills… Maybe wait for the reviews.