What makes a trailer great? It's like asking "what makes a movie great?" The fact is that there is no one answer, nor is there a list of ingredients. The magic is simply in the alchemy.

I consider myself a movie trailer addict, and the best trailers I saw this year represented a wide range of movies, from huge blockbusters to forgotten indies and award-winning documentaries. Almost every trailer on this list featured good music, a good hook, a strong cast and well-chosen beauty quotes from critics. Quotes are actually an underrated tool in a trailer's arsenal, as they can be quite effective when properly deployed, as seen in trailers for Sound of Metal, Jungleland, Minari and The Killing of Two Lovers.

While Warner Bros. took the top two spots on this list, you won't find any of the Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984 trailers on here, as the studio never quite found a way to sell either film beyond pure spectacle. Tenet boasted one of the year's best scores from Ludwig Goransson, but hey, he doesn't have 35 million Instagram followers like Travis Scott, whose song "The Plan" was a truly terrible fit over the film's final trailer, indicating that Warners' already-departed marketing department was simply grasping at straws. Likewise, where's the emotional hook in the WW84 trailer? We got a lot of '80s jokes about parachute pants and some terrible-looking CGI courtesy of Kristen Wiig's Cheetah, but there wasn't enough of that awesome theme from Hans Zimmer.

Meanwhile, a bunch of strong trailers for 2021 movies were released last December outside of the eligibility window for this list, including Top Gun: Maverick, No Time to Die, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. So keep that in mind, and feel free to let me on Twitter which trailers released over the past 12 months were your favorite.

Before I unveil the official list below, I wanted to highlight 10 honorable mentions, in alphabetical order: Fatman, The French Dispatch, The Green Knight, The Mauritanian, Mope, Run, Shadow in the Cloud, The Shadow of Violence, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, and The Truffle Hunters. And with that, here are the top 20 trailers of 2020.

20. Dune (WB)

The fact that this supersized trailer is more than three minutes long underscores the idea that Dune is a true epic, replete with golden-hued studio logos. The trailer leads with its best assets upfront -- rising young stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Within just a few seconds, this trailer has already captured the zeitgeist, set up a mystery ("what's in the box?"), offered a grand sense of scope (ships floating in the sky), and introduced us to a galaxy of Hollywood stars, from a bearded Oscar Isaac and a badass Josh Brolin to an evil-looking Dave Bautista and a very huggable Jason Momoa, the latter of whom urges his fellow warriors to "fight like demons."

The Dune trailer is set to an appropriately epic-sounding cover of Pink Floyd's "Eclipse" that seems to convey the film's life-and-death stakes ("all you feel and all that you love") as all of civilization hangs in the balance. Introducing themes of fate and destiny, this trailer trailer does a good job of establishing that the world rests on Lord Chalamet's small, slender shoulders, and no one, not even Aquaman on bended knee, can take his place as its savior. The trailer climaxes with a big sandworm set piece, because if you're going to spend the kind of money that Warner Bros. and (mostly) Legendary spent on Dune, you might as well advertise the spectacle. On that front, this trailer has to be seen as a success, though we'll see if the spice flows in October, or whether a fear of theaters will be the mind-killer.

19. Unhinged (Solstice Studios)

This is the kind of effective trailer that lets you know exactly what kind of movie you're in for by the time it ends. The trailer opens, appropriately enough, in traffic. We've all been there. The blaring car horns are interrupted by the familiar opening chords from a bad cover -- there are no good covers -- of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box." Then we're introduced to a sweaty Russell Crowe, who explains with a Southern accent that he'd like an apology from a fellow motorist (Caren Pistorius) who he felt owed him a courtesy tap. She says she has nothing to apologize for, and it proves to be the biggest mistake she'll ever make, because if she's not sorry now, she will be soon. He's out for revenge, and he's going to make it hurt.

Crowe follows our heroine to a gas station where the clerk suggests he's just "road raging." But the truth is that he wants to teach this woman a lesson she's never forget. General mayhem ensues, including a stabbing in a diner, before the title pops up accompanied by that iconic guitar riff. And if you didn't know that Unhinged meant business before, the trailer makes sure of that when a post-title sequence sees a tractor trailer drive right through an occupied police car. Unhinged, indeed. Ticket sold!

18. Our Friend (Gravitas/UPHE)

This trailer had its work cut out for itself because it has to sell a few different tonal shifts, but it navigates those tricky waters quite well. The trailer starts out very comedic, with Jason Segel breaking down Casey Affleck's motel door fearing his buddy is in trouble. The music is upbeat and happy-go-lucky, which seems appropriate enough for a story of three best friends -- two of whom are married. Theirs is a special friendship... but then you find out that Affleck's wife, Dakota Johnson, has cancer. The couple has a long, hard road ahead of them, but fortunately, Segel is around to help out and play Mr. Mom while Johnson undergoes treatment, even if it means putting his own life on hold.

Maybe it's because I lost my own mother to cancer a few years ago, but this trailer hit me hard, especially when Johnson starts writing letters addressing special moments in her daughters' lives that she may not be around for in the future. That's when you realize that this movie may not have such a happy ending. Such is life. You have to take the good with the bad, the beautiful with the tragic. To be clear, I don't know how this movie ends, but I found the trailer to be life-affirming and wise regarding the misguided way that many folks treat sick people as if they're already dead, as summed up by Johnson's concern about how people don't look at her when they talk to her anymore. That line broke my heart because I know how it's all too true. This is the kind of feel-good film that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm eager to check it out when it debuts next month.

17. Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix)

Say what you will about the movie itself, but this happens to be a great trailer, one that made me well up with emotion several times. It starts by selling the transformation of two Oscar mainstays, Amy Adams and Glenn Close, the latter of whom is damn close to unrecognizable. It's clear that Hillbilly Elegy is about poor people who are struggling, and the trailer positions the film as catnip for Oscar voters. Adams says she's had a down month, but takes pride in the fact that she always seems to land on her feet... except when she's being pinned down by the police.

Given the way the actress' voice trembles when she says "I always try," it's easy to sense her frustration as a mother. She's also dangerous, and maybe even suicidal, steering her truck into oncoming traffic with her young son inside. Close's Mamaw holds her accountable, urging her to "take responsibility!" And that's when we get The Terminator Speech, which no matter how ridiculous you think it sounds, is one of the most quotable moments in any trailer this year. The trailer ends on a hopeful note of reconciliation as Adams promises to do better and Close reminds her grandson that "family is the only thing that means a god damn." It's a strong note to go out on, not just because it's the truth, but because it communicates the idea that this is a film that is as much about family as it is about addiction.

16. The Devil All the Time (Netflix)

This trailer takes a little time to get going, as it opens with a grim-looking birthday party for Tom Holland, who is gifted his father's gun and calls it the best present he ever got. It looks like it might be the only present he ever got, too. The trailer quickly introduces a narrator who sets up the ensemble, including Jason Clarke as a perverted photographer, Sebastian Stan as a shady sheriff, and Robert Pattinson as a manipulative preacher who might as well be a snake oil salesman.

Things pick up once Holland cocks his new gun and asks Pattinson whether he has time for a sinner. The music intensifies and so does the imagery. A couple having sex in a car. A bloody knife. A dog barking from the front seat of a car. Some kind of religious ceremony involving bugs. A fire in a wastebasket. Two feet kicking at air as their owner hangs themselves. And then the cast is introduced by name and the percussion picks up. Stan raises a gun to someone's head in their kitchen, two people hold guns on each other in a car, and the violence rages on, culminating in a shotgun blast. The title then appears while a gentle but sinister melody plays from some kind of twisted music box. The Devil All the Time may have ultimately been a mixed bag, but Netflix did a hell of a job cutting this trailer.

15. Candyman (Universal)

This is a terrifying trailer that in its first 10 seconds quickly reintroduces Candyman as an urban legend who will kill you if you say his name five times. Well done. Then we get a 35-second sequence inside a public bathroom where a group of girls partake in that very ritual and get exactly what's coming to them. It seems that Candyman isn't just some myth... he's real, and he has returned to the Cabrini-Green housing project first seen in the original movie. By the time Jordan Peele is introduced as the film's producer, a creepy remix of the Destiny's Child song "Say My Name" starts to play, and it's a brilliant choice given how the title relates to the film.

We soon learn that "something is happening" to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Is he turning into Candyman? We're not quite sure, but the mirror motif continues to play out -- art can be a kind of reflection as well, mind you -- and if there's a bee in the frame, you know a bloody hook won't be far behind. I chose the official Candyman trailer over the black-and-white animated prologue that director Nia DaCosta shared on social media because that isn't so much a trailer as it is part of the actual movie. However, we do get a glimpse of the prologue and it's one of the many memorable images from the trailer, which culminates with a blood-spattered bathroom, indicating that this new film will be just as gory as its predecessors.

14. Promising Young Woman (Focus)

We actually saw the first Promising Young Woman trailer way back in December 2019, and while everyone freaked out over the use of the Britney Spears song "Toxic," this second trailer is actually more effective because it draws on the discussion that this film generated at Sundance. "Every now and then, a film comes along that ignites a conversation, holds up a mirror, and jolts us awake." That's the kind of direct tagline you need for a movie like this, which has #MeToo themes that are obviously timely. You need to make people feel like they have to see this movie, or else they'll be missing out on "the conversation."

The trailer also promises "a day of reckoning for everyone," and that includes other women who are complicit when it comes to matters of sexual assault. Seeing as how the trailer opens with a scene in Connie Britton's office, it's clear that Promising Young Woman is not necessarily about Carey Mulligan getting revenge on men, it's about her holding the entire system accountable. The trailer ends with the title in hot pink font, which implies a certain edginess that this movie certainly has in spades.

13. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus)

From the opening chords of Sharon von Etten's "Seventeen," this trailer just hits all the right notes. It starts with newcomer Sidney Flanigan telling her friend (Talia Ryder) that she went to the doctor because of "girl problems." That's right, she's pregnant. Her eyes seem to wince as she listens to the sound of her baby's heartbeat, knowing she's not ready to be a mom and plans to have an abortion. She feels helpless, as there's nowhere she can go in Pennsylvania without her parents finding out, which sets up a journey -- they'll have to go someplace else. And when you live in Pennsylvania, that someplace else is New York.

At first, they're alone and overwhelmed in a big city. She can't quite get that subway swipe right on the first try. Men leer at both the girls, and later, as one boy kisses Ryder, her hand searches for Flanigan's in support. We see Flanigan dealing with a nurse who explains that she knows this is hard, and the young actress sells that moment with an absolutely devastating look, at which point "Seventeen" intensifies and the trailer is off to the races. The trailer climaxes with the girls on the beach, indicating that there's hope for them, and a happy ending awaits no matter what Flanigan decides to do. Finally, we learn the title and its meaning -- Never Rarely Sometimes Always refers to the possible answers to the nurse's intake questions. The movie itself can be challenging at times, but I can't imagine anyone cutting a better trailer than the one Focus released.

12. Boys State (Apple)

I never would've seen Boys State is not for this impressive trailer, which does a good job of selling the unique concept of this documentary while hinting that what's at stake is nothing less than the future of this country. Do we want a leader who listens to others but stands behind what they think is right, or someone willing to say anything to secure someone's vote, even if they don't believe in what they're saying? Should politicians tell people what they need to hear, or just what they want to hear? It's also fascinating to see the kinds of young men who are attracted to politics, because they aren't your "average" teens. I mean, one even has a Ronald Reagan action figure for chrissakes!

These boys may come from different backgrounds, but they all have a passion for politics, even if that means getting their hands dirty from time to time. "A message of unity, as good as it sounds, is not winning anyone any elections," says one young man. This trailer promises a real eye-opener, and offers a window into how young people think. One leader describes another as "a fantastic politician, but I don't think a fantastic politician is a compliment either." The critical quotes are also spot-on, as Boys State is at once "compelling," "entertaining" and "rowdy." You could say "that's politics" and you wouldn't be wrong, but whatever side of the aisle you're on, Apple did right by this acquisition with this intriguing trailer.

11. Minari (A24)

This is just a beautiful trailer that showcases the heart and humor of Lee Isaac Chung's period film. Driven by the film's lovely score, this trailer conveys the hope and the hardship behind the American dream, as the film follows a Korean family who move to Arkansas. Dad (Steven Yeun) is excited, but Mom (Yeri Han) is mortified, giving him a look that says, "what have you gotten us into?" It's clear that this family doesn't quite fit in, but it's not for a lack of effort. And when those dual Sundance cards come up publicizing its Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award wins, you know to sit up and pay attention to this one.

Then the piano kicks in and this kind of enchanting music takes over, and all of a sudden, it's like you're watching a Korean-American fairytale. The critical quotes sell the tone -- "intimate," "sweeping," "it will break your heart." It's the small moments that elevate this trailer. You can see Dad's frustration when he kicks the crate, but then there's tenderness in the way he touches his wife's arm in the bathtub. The music swells just as the trailer cuts to the barn burning, and the trailer ends on a comedic note showcasing its secret weapon. That would be the film's young lead Alan S. Kim, who earlier complained that his Grandma (Yuh-jung Youn) smells like Korea and walks around swearing in her underwear and snoring through the night instead of baking cookies like she should be, and later insists that he's not a pretty boy, he's just good looking! Talk about a charming crowdpleaser.

10. Tiger (HBO)

I chose this 75-second teaser rather than the official Tiger trailer because conceptually, it's brilliant. The teaser is driven by Tiger Woods' doting father, Earl Woods Sr., and the way he speaks about his son and what he could mean to both the world and the game of golf, makes it clear that the boy is special. But boys don't stay boys forever. They grow up to be men, and it becomes clear that Tiger is a fragile man, one who may have been mentally tough enough to handle the pressures of professional golf, but not the global fame and adulation that came with it.

Between the archival footage and the dramatic music that plays over this expertly-made teaser, you'd think this two-part HBO documentary could be the next O.J.: Made in America or The Last Dance, which also put two of the world's most famous athletes under a microscope. I've never been a big golf guy, but I am fascinated by the behaviors that led to Tiger's downfall, and all I know is that I can't wait to watch this intimate film when it hits HBO Max in January.

9. Nomadland (Searchlight)

This no-frills trailer is appropriate for a woman who leads a no-frills kind of life, as depicted by the numerous shots of her van driving down an open road in the middle of nowhere. It quickly defines what a "nomad" is -- one of the lucky people who could travel anywhere -- and gives Frances McDormand a chance to explain her character's circumstances. "I'm not homeless, I'm houseless. That's not the same thing, right?" She lives a hard-scrabble life, grinding out shifts at an Amazon warehouse but constantly looking for work even though she's told she should consider early retirement. The trailer promises a quiet, contemplative film featuring gorgeous nature photography, and it gives you a taste of the lush, piano-driven score.

The credits are both subtle and tasteful, as "From director Chloe Zhao" appears in the upper-left corner of the screen. The credit doesn't dominate the frame, or go out of its way to call her an "acclaimed director" or "visionary director." It keeps the focus where it should be -- on the story, and on McDormand's non-professional co-stars, as even David Strathairn does not get mentioned by name. The trailer offers moments of joy, but it's a melancholy kind of joy, and it ends on a note of self-reflection as McDormand looks up to the sky as if to ponder the meaning of life before the title appears in simple white font against a black background. Everything about this trailer screams Oscar Contender! and I suppose that's the point, but it also hints at a certain intimacy that feels inviting rather than pretentious.

8. Jungleland (Paramount)

Sure, I'm a sucker for movies about brothers, but this is a great trailer on its own, driven by the excellent song choice of "Something Real" by Wave System. Boxing films are usually about underdogs who win, and this trailer sets you up for that big win, as Charlie Hunnam bets big on his unstoppable little brother Lion (Jack O'Connell). Then we see Lion being thrown into a wall and calling for the fight to stop, and that's when the mournful part of the song kicks in. The brothers, it seems, have lost someone a lot of money, and now they have to escort a young woman (Jessica Barden) across the country to repay that debt.

The trailer makes sure to establish her as a fighter herself, and then the music picks up as the critical quotes start to unfurl, landing like body blows on the screen. Both the song and the trailer climax with a shot of Hunnam tied up and gagged, which hammers home the life-and-death stakes of this movie. And the trailer ends with a quiet shot of the brothers shadowboxing in an empty lot as more glowing quotes fill the screen, putting a perfect bow on this two-and-a-half minute story.

7. Nobody (Universal)

This has to be one of the most entertaining trailers of the year, if only because it plays on the audience's expectations of Bob Odenkirk. Nobody has the gall to cast Odenkirk as an action star, and the whole premise is cast-dependent in that you need an atypical leading man for it to really work. The red-band trailer has a Death Wish vibe to it, positioning Odenkirk as a family man who's not man enough to defend his family when the situation calls for it. After witnessing some thugs harassing his fellow passengers on a city bus, he decides to show them -- and us -- who's boss in a well-choreographed sequence that Universal was wise to let play out for a bit.

Odenkirk then gives us his character's backstory -- his family is completely in the dark regarding his violent past -- and we're treated to some glorious mayhem before Odenkirk's suburban schmuck misses his chance to take the trash out. And that's not a euphemism. The action is complimented by moments of humor (i.e. "the god damn kitty cat bracelet") as well as a remix of an old Louis Prima song called "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody." We may not be getting a new John Wick movie in 2021, but Nobody looks like the next best thing, and seeing Odenkirk play against type like this will no doubt be worth the price of admission when it hits theaters in February -- and VOD platforms just 17 days later.

6. Possessor (Neon)

The trailer opens with a warning that "this film has not been modified from its original version," selling you on its controversial nature right off the bat. It also opens with a rotating camera angle that conveys a skewed perspective of the world. Neon set the stage for this spot with a visceral teaser that emphasized the film's face-melting binding process and other disturbing imagery, but the official Possessor trailer explains the story a bit more. Following a violent opening, we hear a woman say "pull me out" and see Andrea Riseborough wearing some kind of futuristic tech that allows her to take over the bodies of random strangers and use them to assassinate high-profile targets. Her work is dangerous, but she lies to her family about what she does.

The critical quotes set a high bar, calling Possessor "the first great sci-fi movie of the decade," and promising an "unforgettable" film that is "unlike anything you've seen." The idea that this trailer is trying get across is that one single thought it all it takes to lose control. But what happens when your chosen vessel refuses to pull the trigger. The yellow text really pops amid the film's dark themes, and by the time Christopher Abbott looks in the mirror and asks "what has she done to me?" we're totally hooked. I don't know how a genre fan could watch this trailer and not want to inject it directly into their eyeballs.

5. Let Him Go (Focus)

We open on a gun and a badge in a box. Whoever they belonged to is either retired or dead. Right away, Kevin Costner asks his wife "You're going with me or without me?" which puts the action on Diane Lane's character. She's the one going somewhere to deal with something, and he can back her up or not -- it's up to him. There's a tinkle of a piano and we quickly learn who she is looking to deal with -- Donnie Weboy, the abusive stepfather of her grandson, who is introduced hitting his wife and the young boy. The trailer does a good job of establishing all the relationships and the fact that the Weboy family is dangerous. You don't find them, they find you. After meeting a creeptastic Jeffrey Donovan, we're introduced to a Native American man (Booboo Stewart) who tells Lane and Costner to "go careful," which serves as a warning. They're in enemy territory in the middle of nowhere, and no one, not even the cops, can help them now.

That's when we get out first shot of Lesley Manville standing over her kitchen table like a queen in her secluded castle. There's a dinner scene where the air is thick with tension, and Lane gives Manville some lip. That could have deadly repercussions, as it's not long before we learn that Donny and his maniacal mother are both capable of murder. We hear an ominous storm moving in as the music ratchets up and Manville strikes Lane like a bolt of lightning, prompting all hell to break loose. It's not long before the house is on fire, someone is falling down the stairs and Costner is smashing a guy's face with the butt of his gun. This trailer comes to a crescendo like some kind of horror movie, and with the tagline "don't start what you can't finish" makes a promise of sorts that even the good guys may not make it out of this one alive.

4. The Killing of Two Lovers (Neon)

This trailer was absolutely riveting from start to finish. Right away, the aspect ratio signifies that it's an art film, and it's clear from the jump that this is a low-budget movie about low-budget people. We're told that this man and his wife love each other, but feelings come and go. They're trying to work it out, but he senses he's losing her. And then their daughter drops the hammer: "Mom's cheating on you." It's unclear whether the man already knows this, or whether he's just stunned that his daughter knows now too.

The quotes here don't mince words, and peppered in between those critical adulations are shots of the man using a mannequin for target practice and visiting his kids in the middle of the night. You sense his desperation. He reminds his wife that she promised him she'd make an effort, and his daughter urges him to "fight for us," which sets up some kind of confrontation. All of a sudden, he's throwing his jacket in anger and driving dangerously alongside another truck before his own vehicle spins out of control. "This is my family." And thus begins the countdown, which is a clever device for a trailer that culminates with the man holding a gun on his wife and her lover as they sleep soundly in what used to be his bed. The camera just lingers there in silence for a beat before we smash cut to the title: The Killing of Two Lovers. This is a brilliantly designed trailer that will leave you haunted.

3. Sound of Metal (Amazon)

First of all, this trailer is automatically subtitled, which is a stroke of genius, because it places hearing audiences within the world of the deaf. The trailer starts with two loud drum sounds, though it's not long before the drummer, Ruben, senses something is wrong with his ears. You can see how scared he is, because he doesn't know what is happening to him. The trailer gives you a sense of his aural perspective -- and the film's Oscar-worthy sound design -- when we can't hear the water coming from his shower.

Ruben visits a doctor who tells him he needs to preserve the hearing he has, because the hearing he has lost is never coming back. He starts to freak out and panic. He's angry about the situation, but there's no one to direct that anger towards. That's when we meet Paul Raci's character, who leads a community for the deaf, and explains that their mission is to fix Ruben's mind and attitude, not his hearing. That's when you understand what this movie is all about -- Ruben dealing with that sense of isolation. We see him begging his girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) to stay with him, but this is a journey he has to go on alone. She can't help him, because he has to learn to help himself first.

Upon arrival at the deaf community, everyone starts signing, but Ruben can't understand them. He pounds the wall as Raci explains that the world is cruel. So Ruben goes to school with deaf kids who show him that losing his hearing is not the end of the world. He can still live a full life and be happy, but he has to want that for himself. The trailer ends with a penetrating close-up of Riz Ahmed's face in which his big brown eyes show no fear, only peace and acceptance. That one look promises a special movie, one that speaks volumes about what it is to be human, even when you're surrounded by silence.

2. Judas and the Black Messiah (WB)

This is an absolute dynamite trailer that proves Warner Bros. doesn't need A-list IP to cut a fantastic promo. It wisely starts by introducing its titular messiah Fred Hampton of the Black Panther party, who is in the midst of getting a crowd worked up with chants of "I am a revolutionary!" Meanwhile, Lakeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons share a knowing look, one that hints at their lopsided power dynamic and a certain betrayal to come. This trailer soars on the strength of its music, which is the instrumental track "False Prophet" by Pusher Music, and when that first siren blares and we see "from producer Ryan Coogler and director Shaka King" followed by Stanfield jumping on the hood of a car (which lines up with the percussive track), we know to sit up and pay attention. It's quickly established that Plemons' FBI agent has Stanfield's character by the balls, as the guy is looking at a serious prison stretch. Which means he has to cut a handshake deal with the feds.

From there, Daniel Kaluuya's Hampton takes over. "You can murder a liberator but you can't murder a liberation! You can murder a revolutionary but you can't murder a revolution! And you can murder a freedom fighter but you can't murder freedom!" It's a powerful rallying cry interrupted by several different shootouts and even a few tears before the somewhat provocative title card comes up. I don't know whether Judas and the Black Messiah is a commercial movie doubling as a prestige picture or vice verse, but what I do know is that it looks great and I can't wait to see it when it hits HBO Max in February -- just in time to qualify for this year's Oscars.

1. The Batman (WB)

From the opening sound of duct tape unraveling over red WB and DC logos, you just knew Matt Reeves would be serving up something special with this trailer, and that was before Nirvana's "Something In the Way" kicks in a few seconds later. The trailer does a great job of introducing Robert Pattinson's goth Batman (combat boots first, black eyeshadow later) and his rogues gallery of villains, including the Riddler (Paul Dano) and cat burglar Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), but the talk of this trailer was Colin Farrell's nearly unrecognizable turn as the Penguin.

The defining moment in this action-packed trailer arrives when Batman wallops an unnamed thug and continues to pound on him even when he's on the ground before saying "I'm vengeance." The beating makes it seem like Pattinson's Batman is a little angrier than past iterations of the character. Following a smash cut to the Batmobile's engine firing up, the trailer is off to the races, setting up some tension between Batman and the Gotham City police while teasing more of the cat-and-mouse game between the Riddler and the world's greatest detective. In its closing moments, it also hints at a larger mythology that Batman is unaware of thus far, indicating that Reeves does indeed have some kind of master plan for a trilogy. Expectations could not have been higher for The Batman trailer, and somehow, Reeves and Warners delivered with an assist from Kurt Cobain. Bam! Pow! Bravo!

Be sure to catch up on all of Collider's Best of 2020 content.