7 new trailers you should watch this week

I usually don’t buy into the whole “you have to see it on the big screen” hype about certain movies, be it action blockbusters or just gorgeously shot art films. I still tend to see a lot of movies in theaters just because I want to see them, but the theater experience isn’t necessarily something I find to be superior.

But I will admit that you see things on an enormous screen that you don’t on a TV. I’ve seen Pride & Prejudice a weird number of times at home, but it wasn’t until I saw a recent screening of it at an Alamo Drafthouse that I noticed just how grainy and alive the film was.

I don’t know that it necessarily added to what is, regardless of the screen, an already gorgeous movie. But there was still something surprising about finding new details and a missed dimension during a screening where I very much expected to know what I was getting.

Check out seven trailers from this week below.

Aladdin

Will Smith as a genie isn’t as incredibly goofy as we all expected. This is the first full trailer that Disney has put out for Aladdin, and it gives us the best idea yet of what the film will be like. It’s colorful, the classic songs are here, and it’s packed with plenty of extremely Guy Ritchie-directed street chase sequences. It comes out on May 24th.

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of a decade of films, and for its final trailer, Marvel is taking a moody look back at all of the hits (and not-quite hits) that got it here. There’s not a ton of new footage, but sitting through until the end will give you a brief, vaguely spoilery tease of Captain Marvel stepping in. The film comes out April 26th.

Booksmart

Olivia Wilde makes her directorial debut with this smart-looking twist on the coming-of-age / end-of-high school / one-last-party movie. It focuses on a pair of teenage girls, and it comes at the subject from a much nerdier perspective, making for what looks like a fresh take on this type of film. It comes out on May 24th.

Ramy

Hulu has a new series coming up, co-created with A24, that’s sort of like a Muslim guy’s Girls. I realize that comparison might make some of you turn away, but I love Girls, and I just mean to say that this looks like a smart take on a lost and confused 20-something who is trying to figure out what comes next. The show debuts on April 19th.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Long Day’s Journey Into Night has a simple noir plot: there’s a man trying to find a missing woman. But it seems to stand out with a uniquely dreamy approach, culminating in an hour-long one-take sequence. Reviewers seem to be loving it, though I’m a little skeptical since the measuring contest over long takes often feels like it’s about bragging rights more than storytelling. The film comes to the US on April 12th.

Chernobyl

HBO has a five-part miniseries coming up that looks at the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath. The footage looks extremely creepy, and it’s not at all clear to me how you extend that across five episodes toward some sort of meaningful conclusion. The series starts on May 6th.