Trailers by Brandon: 'Thoroughbreds' looks way better than 'A Wrinkle in Time'

Trailers by Brandon (we've got a new name now and some new graphics, but same old Brandon) returns with a look at A Wrinkle in Time and Thoroughbreds, as well as some of the new trailers that made their debut.

Opening this week:

A Wrinkle in Time

The big release this week, for better or worse, is A Wrinkle in Time. There was a time when Wrinkle would have made my top ten most anticipated of 2018 list, but after having seen it I’m pretty sure it won’t be in my top ten best of 2018 list. Ava DuVernay is still an incredibly talented director who definitely doesn’t settle for stale sci-fi, but this adaptation just can’t quite come together.

The Strangers: Prey At Night

Yet another sequel that I’m pretty sure nobody asked for, The Strangers: Prey At Night is also being released. To be fair, I never saw the first Strangers so I can’t speak to the quality of this franchise. That being said, I’m a huge horror fan and the fact that this trailer doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest means you can probably steer clear of Prey At Night.

Thoroughbreds

This one. This is the one you should spend your money on. Directed by Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds looks to be a weird dark-comedy starring Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy and the late Anton Yelchin (in one of his final performances).

Gringo

While it’s got a talented cast of Charlize Theron, David Oyelowo and Joel Edgerton, something about Gringo has felt off from the very beginning. Maybe it’s the fact that this film never looked all that funny, even if they’re really trying to lean into the comedy.

The Hurricane Heist

You’ve got to be kidding me. No, really. You’ve actually got to be kidding me with this one. The Fast and the Furious director is making a movie about people who plan bank robberies during the middle of hurricanes. What else do you need to know?

 

New Trailers:

Christopher Robbin (August 3, 2018)

The theme of this week is children’s properties that are being rebooted, even if you weren’t asking for it. The best of them, however, appears to be Christopher Robbin — a movie I didn’t even know was coming out until this trailer. It’s cute, it plays at the heart-strings and it sees Jim Cummings lend his voice to the iconic bear once again. You have our attention for now, Christopher Robbin.

The Grinch (November 9, 2018)

The Grinch falls right in the middle. Maybe this will be a fun reimagining of Dr. Seuss’ beloved tale, or maybe it’ll go the route of Minions and annoy the living hell out of us within the first ten minutes. Tough to say for now, but it’s got a shot at least.

Mary Poppins Returns (December 25, 2018)

And then we get to Mary Poppins Returns — the movie that actually nobody was asking for. While Emily Blunt certainly looks the part and Lin-Manuel Miranda is bound to add some catchy tunes to the mix, I can’t wrap my brain around why we needed another Mary Poppins movie. Does this mean we’re getting Mary Poppins spin-offs next? What about a prequel, explaining where she got the powers to fly? Before you know it we’re going to have a whole Mary Poppins cinematic universe — WHERE DOES IT END, PEOPLE?!?

Tully (April 20, 2018)

Motherhood has literally looked less fun. Tully, however, looks great. Coming from director Jason Reitman - the genius behind Up in the Air and Young Adult - Tully will likely be a very honest yet very good look at what it takes to raise a child

The House of Tomorrow (April 8, 2018)

Tough to get a read on this one. Putting Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff, too young actors who haven't totally crossed over, is a bit of a bold move but The House of Tomorrow looks to tap into a bunch of coming-of-age elements.

The Seagull (May 11, 2018)

Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Annette Benning and Corey Stall? Shouldn't we be, like, really excited about this one? Yet, we're not - or I'm not, at least. The trailer felt pretty underwhelming as the voice-over narration and title cards all seemed a bit too much.

 

Rewind Pick:

You're Next (2011)

The Strangers: Prey at Night looks to be a pretty lame home invasion thriller. You're Next, however, is a great one. From director Adam Wingard - the mind behind The Guest (which is also great) and Blair Witch (which is highly underrated), You're Next is a bloody fun time. Sure, some of the acting is so-so, but you can get a lot of enjoyment (and perhaps a great drinking game) out of getting your friends together and trying to guess who's going to be next to meet the wrong end of an axe.