And by scary, we don’t mean the kinds of book trailers you can buy on Fiverr. The following videos will haunt your dreams.
Seriously, don’t go any further.
You’re making a HUGE mistake.
1. Friend’s List by Rob Watson
The cheery title is a damn lie. The trailer feels like the ghost of Facebook past crept out of your iPhone.
2. Alexander’s Run by Sean Phillips
Part horror, part dystopian fever dream. It looks like a coming-of-age story until it doesn’t.
3. Half Bad by Sally Green
The filmmakers built a cage for the book trailer adaptation of this YA witch nightmare.
4. Our Young Guardians by Rode Szoke
A coming-of-age turned nightmare: kids forced into an ancient war against evil, their sacrifices hauntingly preserved in a faded chronicle.
5. The Lies They Tell by Gillian French
This one sneaks up on you.
6. Trust by Kylie Scott
The tone shift in this one hits you like a chair over the head. Unsettling yes, and emotional throughout.
7. Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte
Short and not so quick, this book trailer pulses with dread and feels like drowning in slow motion.
8. An Anger at Birth by J.E. Mayer
Claustrophobic atmosphere, sound design, and that uncanny sense that something with this kid is just off.
9. The Boy Who Killed Caterpillars by Joshua Kornreich
Grimy, lo-fi, and crawling with unease. It feels like flipping through a VHS tape that should’ve stayed in the attic.
10. In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods by Matt Bell + Your House Is on Fire, Your Children All Gone by Stefan Kiesbye
Two trailers, back-to-back, both redefining “domestic horror.” One chops nightmares into your ear, the other burns the house down.
If you like this kind of thing, check out our article 21 Short Films Based on Short Stories.
