Trailers are their own industry now. In some cases, they tend to be more highly anticipated than the movie they’re selling. But they can also have their own artfulness as they walk the line between advertising and skillful editing. A good trailer stays with you when even the film may have faded.

Looking through the trailers of 2018 (to be eligible, a trailer had to be released in 2018 even if the film doesn’t come out until 2019), there were plenty of good ones (it looks like we’ve finally sloughed off the trend of sad cover songs), but these fifteen were the ones that stood out from the pack. They either put an unheralded movie on people’s radar or they found a unique way to sell a movie that could have just gone through the motions. Either way, they avoided predictable techniques to be more than just an advertisement and stand out as one of the best trailers of 2018.

15) Mandy

What I love about this trailer is that it gets to the psychedelic core of the movie rather than just trying to sell this as another wacky Nicolas Cage movie. Yes, it does have a button of Nicolas Cage having a chainsaw fight, but the trailer is really about the plot of the film and the insane world it inhabits. Credit to RLJE Films for selling the totality of the movie rather than just banking on Cage and his fans.

14) Overlord

When you don’t have major stars, you’ve got to try a little harder to sell your movie. The trailer for Overlord starts off looking like a typical World War II movie, but it’s expert use of “Hell’s Bells” helps lead us into something more twisted and unexpected. Also, kudos for getting away with a shot as gross as the guy with a quarter of his face missing.

13) Sorry to Bother You

I don’t know the best way to sell a satire about race and capitalism, but this trailer is probably the answer. The best thing about this trailer is that it hints at how crazy the movie gets without spoiling its craziest aspects. Some may have argued that the film could have done better, but I don’t know a trailer that could have done a better job at selling the film honestly while still making it appealing to a general audience.

12) Suspiria

I guess you could argue this is a “bad” trailer since Suspiria was a flop, but honestly, when it comes to a remake of a 1970s cult horror film that takes place in a dance academy and involves witches, is that really a movie with broad appeal? It’s far better to try and sell it to people who either need convincing that this is a different beast than the original and that this isn’t your average horror film. It does so wordlessly and to great effect.

11) The Old Man & the Gun

What immediately catches you here is the 16mm filming that David Lowery uses here to make it look like the film stepped out of the late 70s, early 80s when the film is set. It’s classy, it’s debonair, and it’s fun. Yes, it’s the story of a bank robber, but it does so with great aplomb and not a hint of meanness. I also love the use of Jackson C. Frank’s “Blues Run The Game”.

10) Glass

The ways people’s opinions change over time never ceases to amaze. I remember being at a Comic-Con where they showed the trailer for Devil, a movie just produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and people booed. But now we’ve got Glass, and people can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve with a long-awaited direct sequel to Unbreakable. The ending of Split was a wry tease, but now we get to see the payoff, and while I’m sure there will be twists aplenty, this trailer makes the film look exciting on its own merits rather than having you guess what Shyamalan has up his sleeve.

9) Hereditary

What a shot to open this trailer. It lets you know that Hereditary isn’t your typical horror film, and while it may not appeal to everyone, it immediately clues you in to how utterly creepy this movie is without giving away some of its biggest scares. Also, weaving in the “clicking” sound is both clever and unnerving.

8) Us

It came in just under the wire, but the trailer for Us had to make the cut. It would have been easy enough to just sells this on Jordan Peele’s name and the success of Get Out, but this trailer treats its audience with enough respect to scare the hell out of them based on the concept alone. Rather than cloaking itself in mystery, the trailer for Us just comes out and says what it’s about, and knows that the concept and the imagery is terrifying enough on its own. It’s one of the year’s boldest and best trailers, and it’s already giving me nightmares.

7) If Beale Street Could Talk

All of the trailers for this movie were pretty good, but it’s hard not to fall for the one that uses the voiceover of the book’s author, James Baldwin. His words and voice when paired with the gorgeous camerawork make you just want to sink into this movie and let it wash over you.

6) Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I love the use of “Claire de Lune” here because it’s such a wonderful juxtaposition between the lilting melody and these giant, hulking, violent beasts. It ties it all together with majesty rather than just having it sit as another blockbuster packed with CGI destruction. This trailer makes Godzilla: King of the Monsters come off as epic, as it should be.

5) Shazam!

Right from the joke about “Why so dark? You’re a disabled foster kid. You’ve got it all!” you can tell that Shazam! isn’t trying to just be fun, but it has the goods to back it up. It’s one thing to lean on that tone, but another to show that you’ve got the goods, and while this is a fun trailer, it convinces me that the film itself is joyous rather than just a trick of the marketing.

4) Vice

While there was never really any doubt that Christian Bale would, as he often does, disappear into a role, it’s still kind of breathtaking to see how much he embodies Dick Cheney in this Vice trailer. But rather than just resting on Bale’s stellar performance, the trailer goes further by showing the danger and lunacy of Cheney’s power by weaving in The Killers’ “The Man” to masterful effect.

3) A Star Is Born

It’s kind of a credit to the power of this trailer that Warner Bros. released this in June, and even though the movie didn’t come out until October, they didn’t feel the need to release a second one because they nailed it with this one. It gives you the basic plot while also providing a taste of the original songs until you’re absolutely craving “Shallow” on repeat.

2) Mission: Impossible – Fallout

How good is this Fallout trailer? So good that I’m going to overlook that it uses an Imagine Dragons song! The trailer actually turns “Friction” to its advantage by mixing it with the Mission: Impossible theme and then cutting the trailer to the beats. But let’s be honest: this trailer would have been in the top 10 for Henry Cavill reloading his arms alone.

1) Madeline’s Madeline

This is the trailer I haven’t been able to shake all year. It’s unlike any trailer I’ve ever seen even though it uses the same beats of images and pull quotes. But it employs them in a unique fashion that tells me this movie is like nothing I’ve seen before, and that therefore it demands to be seen. I may not know what the movie is about or the character conflicts, but the trailer is so masterful and unique that I have no choice but to see this movie. That’s a triumph of the form.