The more things change, the more they stay the same: Finding comfort in the familiar and mundane is no doubt a pillar of Netflix’s viewing and retention strategy, and just as it held on to The Office and Friends for as long as it could, it knows it has a tried and true hit on deck in Seinfeld.

The film Spencer is directed by Pablo Larraín and with an original score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood (who is no stranger to film scores at this point), although this teaser trailer’s music was likely handled by others. The teaser for Spencer—and of course, the film itself—recounts Princess Diana’s latter days, arriving right around the anniversary of her passing on August 31st 1997.

One can always count on studio A24 to deliver films of a particularly artistic bent, and this is doubly true for their latest, Lamb. Accordingly, the trailer for this Valdimar Jóhannsson-directed, Icelandic supernatural thriller presents more than a couple of twists in its musical direction.

While original Ghostbuster actor Harold Ramis (who played Egon Spengler) passed away in 2014, he nevertheless appears to play a big role in this latest instalment of the franchise. In keeping with this new turn in the plot, with kids in command, Afterlife sounds remarkably different from the get-go in this new trailer, at least appearing to diverge somewhat from its comedic roots.

Best known as an actor for her role in the remake of A Star is Born, Stefani Germanotta (a.k.a. Lady Gaga) is set to strike filmic gold again with House of Gucci. Based on the novel by Sara Gay Foden, House of Gucci recounts the dramatic story of the titular Italian fashion house. As might be expected, especially for Lady Gaga’s musical pedigree, the way Blondie’s hit single “Heart of Glass” (from the 1978 album “Parallel Lines”) is edited to the trailer is a significant factor for its success. As one YouTube commenter said, “whoever edited this trailer with the music and specific scenes… got me into watching a film about Gucci.”

The latest from J. J. Abrams is a four-part docu-series premiering on Showtime, focusing on a fairly perennial topic in American media: Our fascination with whether or not the power of government, corporations, and the military have colluded to shield evidence of extraterrestrial phenomena from the public eye. Though the trailer never directly references the X-Files, the show is one of the tangible influences underlying this preview (and probably the series UFO as well).

John David Washington (Tenet, BlacKkKlansman) stars in this new summer headed thriller headed to Netflix. With Ferdinando Cito Filomarino directing, celebrated English singer and songwriter Dev Hynes—also known as Blood Orange—is a key collaborator, and unsurprising then that his music figures heavily in this first trailer.

Move over, Tarantino—to some extent also following Concrete Cowboy (which also features Idris Elba), here is a hyper-violent take on the Western, furthering reimagining and pushing it beyond its decidedly white-washed roots. According to Netflix, it is “a righteously new school Western”—with an all-Black ensemble cast, who represent historical figures from the Old West.

Edgar Wright has always been particularly well-attenuated to the music and image dynamic. From the original music-laden Scott Pilgrim Versus the World to 2017’s Baby Driver, his unique aural sensibilities are analogous to how Wes Anderson has become synonymous with distinctive palettes of colour; one can practically tell just by the edit who one is dealing with.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua (perhaps best known for editing music videos for Toni Braxton, Prince, and others) and starring Mark Wahlberg (Ted, Transformers: Age of Extinction), Infinite’s trailer is a study in fastidious synch between sound and image, at times clearly and unabashedly splicing directly to the rhythm.

Best known as the band leader for The Roots, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson makes his filmmaking debut with this documentary and concert film celebrating Black culture, fashion, music, and history. It offers a look at artists such as Stevie Wonder and Sly & the Family Stone in never-before-seen appearances. With 98% on the Tomatometer and a prize-winning screening at the most recent Sundance Film Festival, it’s already a can’t-miss event before even watching the teaser.

After a largely pandemic-induced lull in full feature-length proceedings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the release schedule looks set to resume (for a mostly vaccinated stateside audience, at least) with Shang-Chi.

Starring Simu Liu (whom Canadians and many around the world will recognize from CBC’s Kim’s Convenience), Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead happens to be arriving in the midst of a moment of increasing awareness—and incidence—of anti-Asian hate.

Directed by Leos Carax (Holy Motors) and with the music and script written by Ron and Russell Mael of the long-running American pop dup Sparks, Annette is an intriguing new musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. Set to open the Cannes Film Festival this year, the plot is not so much to be understood—at least at this point—as felt.

Much in the same way Mortal Kombat is being brought back from its theatrical grave for another run some 26 years after its 1995 debut, Space Jam is having a revival under the guise of “A New Legacy”. In this case, LeBron James essentially follows in Michael Jordan’s footsteps.

The steady stream of musician biopics in recent years—with at least eighteen in the offing—continues with HBO’s Tina, for which we have an “official teaser trailer.” The two-part structure incorporates multiple editing touches that help lend meaning to Turner’s interview sound bites as well as additional production elements to render it into a cohesive whole, working with footage from the early 60s up to today. From black and white to 4K and from Motown to orchestral anthem, it comes with an overarching promise—appropriate to the genre—that we might come away with a more in-depth understanding of Turner as a person.

It was only about eight years ago that popular media began to really reckon with Hollywood’s whitewashing of American cowfolk. After the original 1960 version of The Magnificent Seven by John Sturges, a 2016 adaptation recast its heroes in a way that better represented historical reality. Other attempts, such as those by Tarantino (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight) grapple with such issues—without quite letting go of the narrative conventions that made the Western genre racially problematic to begin with. Concrete Cowboy, co-written and directed by Ricky Staub and featuring Idris Elba, not only stands to further correct the aforementioned fictions, but also presents a compelling story in its own right.

Premiering April 1st on HBO Max, Made for Love is an adaptation of a novel by Alissa Nutting exploring the dystopian experience of Hazel Green (Cristen Milioti: How I Met Your Mother). Her husband Bryan, a billionaire technology entrepreneur, implants a chip in her brain, thinking total surveillance of Hazel’s thoughts and feelings would somehow be an acceptable idea.