The return of The Matrix was always going to be a much-vaunted event, not least due to Keanu Reeves’ upward trajectory since (see: John Wick, from which Reeves retains the hair). The eighteen years since the last instalment has seen an immense increase in the amount of time with which we live our lives and depend on digital spaces. Moreover, the series and those around it has been a cultural touchstone, for better or worse: since the original trilogy, the Wachowskis have specifically said “the Matrix is a ‘trans metaphor’”; meanwhile, the term “take the red pill” has been co-opted as a dog whistle by the alt-right.

The recent surge of film adaptations of musicals—such as In the Heights or the upcoming reimagining of West Side Story—continues unabated with Dear Evan Hansen. Having premiered on stage in 2015, the coming-of-age story won six Tony Awards; the plot follows Hansen, a teenager suffering from social anxiety and seeing a therapist, who writes letters to himself as a part of healing. Original writer Steven Levenson returns for the adaptation, while Stephen Chbosky directs.

Directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick), The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a dramatization of the larger-than-life televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. The trailer has a two-part structure, mirroring to some extent Tammy Faye’s life trajectory from initial success to more complicated times.

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.