5. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Though the film is yet to be released at the time of writing, the trailer for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty deserves inclusion on the grounds of simply being original. Directed by Ben Stiller and based on James Thurber's short story of the same name, the film charts the life and fantasies of the title character, who is stirred into real life action when his job is threatened. Why It Works: Lack of dialogue. No matter how good or bad they are, trailers usually run to a formula. At the start, expositional voice overs reinforce images to set the films story up. The preview then moves into a 'main plot middle third' where the films main narrative is repeatedly rammed home so the audience members leave in no doubt what the film is about, before we wrap things up with a cacophony of noise and dramatic/effects shots. Walter Mitty is different. It runs like a silent film, at times not even bothering with sound effects, let alone voice overs. A single song plays over the top of scenes and shots that tell the story of a lonely man, the woman he longs for and the life he wished he lived. Beautiful, affecting and ended with a well placed joke, the film has a lot to live up to.