As You Are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkVe4fEn7W0
Brynne: Compelling as this film looks, I can’t tell exactly what it’s getting at. The overhead shot in the opening, the music, and the creepy ending all point to a horror film, but I have a sense that this is really going to be the film to which every other element in this trailer points: a dramedy about two boys who fall in love but are kept apart by their families. The found footage bits make me suspect that it will also be about a crime of some sort, which raises a red flag for me immediately, since a complex romance story and a crime plot line likely won’t have time to fit too happily together limited to a one hour, 50 minute running time.
Graham: This trailer doesn’t do a whole lot for me. It oscillates way too much between trying to be artsy and gritty, and the juxtaposition of these two different styles create a very confused experience. I understand the central story, but I think the trailer gives a little too much away. It may have been more effective to hint at a gay relationship between the two teenagers, as opposed to showing it outright. The film also just seems a little too cliché: the entire sequence with the father just screams American Beauty. The cinematography isn’t all that impressive either. I’m not very interested in seeing where this one goes.
The Discovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9j6WcdU-ts
Brynne: This was an interesting trailer right up until I saw the found footage. And I was so excited for this one, too. Forgetting the moment that the weird, B-rated horror film-esque found footage ruined the experience of this trailer for me, however, this film looks compelling. I’m always happy to see Robert Redford, and the idea behind this film is one I have thought about before: what would people do if they knew that there was an afterlife? This film is going to give a bleak, realistic answer, but luckily it has got Jason Segel as one of the leads, so I’m sure it won’t ever get too dark.
Graham: This is certainly one of the more disorienting trailers I’ve seen recently. I think that Netflix might be trying a bit too hard to make the film edgier than it is. The trailer does do a good job of conveying the film’s story without getting too heavy-handed about it, and there definitely are some intriguing visuals. The cast also looks superb. But I think the trailer is going for a bit too much, with the choppy vocalizing in the background and the constant cutting between found footage and regular footage. I’m definitely interested in seeing the film based on who’s involved and the intriguing premise, but this trailer does nothing to heighten my interest.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIM4-HLtUM0
Brynne: I couldn’t be more excited for this film, and that’s almost entirely because of the music used here in the trailer. I love the mixing of a song of one genre with a film of an entirely different one, and I’m a big believer in the power of a film’s soundtrack. The Zepplin song is catchy and drives the pace of the trailer. If the rest of the soundtrack was similar to this, then I’m confident that it will be to the film’s overall benefit. With any director other than Guy Ritchie, and if a standard, stock soundtrack had been chosen, then this trailer and film would have undoubtedly blended in with the rest of the “coming soon” previews. Lucky for King Arthur, though, he’s got the creative talent Richie telling his story, and apparently a fun soundtrack to boot. This is going to be a fun film.
Graham: The moment Led Zeppelin started playing, I was completely sold on the movie. Not because it’s going to be any good, but because it looks appropriately bonkers. This seems like unusual fare for Guy Ritchie, who made a name for himself directing smaller crime thrillers. But if he can bring his smaller-scale sensibilities to an epic like this, and maintain his penchant for snappy dialogue and creative editing, then this film should be a ton of fun. Admittedly, I am a Guy Ritchie fan, and I’m hoping that he returns to finish off his Sherlock Holmes trilogy. Thanks to this trailer, I know exactly where to set my expectations for this film, and I’m excited to see it.
This post has been updated to reflect the removal of a contributor.
