The Top 10 Movie Trailers Of 2014

2) The Gambler (Red Band teaser)

As The Departed proved, William Monahan can write delightfully profane dialogue and have those words punch up a remake. Fortunately, the initial red band trailer for The Gambler, a remake of a 1974 film, offers the dark, snappy dialogue we have come to expect from the scribe.

The slickest trailer of the year, filled with swift, rhythmic editing, cuts right into the split-second decisions of the addicted protagonist and also shows us the hits and hysteria that happen as a result of his foolish betting. The trailer hints at these fast grabs, fierce slaps and flashes of anger with intensity, the editing balanced like a metronome before escalating quickly. Meanwhile, the gleefully profane utterances of John Goodman’s loan shark put the whole thing into perspective. Why would a man be at such a position to lay down $2.5 million on a single bet? That person reaches a level of “Fuck you,” as Goodman repeats.

As the ticking clock quickens in the background audio, we see in quick bursts how high the stakes can get and how hard the protagonist can fall in a matter of seconds. With John Goodman’s gravitas and some striking edits and images, we understand the dilemmas at the core of Rupert Wyatt’s film without seeing too much of the hand revealed.