‘The Little Brother’ Trailer by ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Director Causes Controversy
A trailer for “The Little Brother,” made by Matt Spicer, known best for making the unforgettable independent comedy film, “Ingrid Goes West” which became popular due to its critical acclaim, was released recently.
Thus, it is not surprising that there were very high hopes for Matt Spicer’s new film before the first teaser came out. In contrast, the release of the trailer only stirred debate among viewers about what was really seen in it.
Trailer of ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Does Not Agree with My Remembrance of Spicer’s Film
“Ingrid Goes West” was the film through which Spicer demonstrated his talent in combining satire, awkwardness, and psychological realism in a peculiarly modern manner.
The previous work by Spicer was a journey into the dark aspect of the modern digital world through the plot taking place in the social media world with actors Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen.
That is why, upon watching the preview of the thriller “Little Brother”, viewers are likely to receive some sort of surprise.
Instead of an ironic yet brief presentation, they will be able to see a very different take on the matter with the editing style being dissonant.
Change of Tones Intentionally Done or Not Done on Purpose?
Tone is a serious issue for trailers because in this particular case, viewers will be divided on what may have caused this issue whether due to misleading or abstract.
This trailer shows scenes that could be a potential for a dramatic plot development. This trailer also shows scenes that could have been taken from a dark comedy movie. Some scenes look thriller-like while others focus on the characters.
These are the kinds of tonal dissonance that generate a buzz around the film.
Audiences who liked the movie “Ingrid Goes West” expected to see something similar in tone, yet “Little Brother” doesn’t seem to have one at all.
Courtesy of Erin Nekervis (Flickr CC0)The Pressure on ‘Little Brother’
This is because “Ingrid Goes West” was not only a great indie movie but one that had acquired cult status in pop culture.
It signified a certain era in internet culture where the beauty and theme of social media platforms had been elevated to the point where they became subjects worthy of discourse.
The ability to do this kind of satire in such an emotionally true way was an accomplishment that has become the hallmark of Spicer’s filmmaking career.
The responsibility has now fallen on her future projects to live up to this kind of accomplishment.
Therefore, the reaction to the trailer for “Little Brother” is not only a reflection of the content but a comparison to Spicer’s own legacy as a filmmaker.
Online Response: More Confused Than Critical
It is widely discussed on movie forums whether the trailer was good or not.
While many viewers have found the trailer bold enough and unconventional, some aren’t sure whether it truly corresponds to the final product.
One of the most frequent comments on the trailer is how it “does not belong to the same movie” because one cannot help seeing a familiar face of Spicer in other movies he starred in.
That is not necessarily indicative of any quality of the film. Trailers for smaller-budget movies are not supposed to reveal everything for obvious reasons.
Potential Turning Point of Spicer’s Career
After all, “Little Brother” could have been conceived as a logical progression rather than a departure from the path taken.
Typically, directors who achieve success with just one kind of film will end up doing only that type of films in the future. Nonetheless, this is hardly how film careers usually go. Filmmakers typically progress, toy with the medium, and even cause disruption in order to remain creative.
This certainly appears to be true of Spicer, who, after making a satirical movie that was highly rigid, moved on to do something much more vague.
It would seem to indicate Spicer’s attempt to blend genres, something that is now quite common practice in indie film.
Why Is It So?
Another factor behind such responses is connected with changes in the way modern movie consumers watch film advertising.
The trailer becomes a marker of a certain tone in an era of people’s rapid formation of their own impressions about the piece they saw online.
Thus, more emphasis is put on the issue of whether there is any gap between expectations and reality.
Concerning the discussed case of “Little Brother,” the cause of it is in the fact that expectations about Ingrid Goes West were formed beforehand.
Indeed, it is obvious that deviation from expectations takes on even more importance when expectations are really high.
What Can We Expect to See Next?
With the approach of the film’s premiere, additional details will shed light on the actual atmosphere in which this film was shot, or if, on the contrary, this fragmented style has been used just for the sake of attracting the attention of moviegoers.
Until then, “Little Brother” will only serve as an example of one of those films which have become extremely popular simply due to the fact that viewers were unaware of the plot.
In today’s cinematic era, it appears that being ambiguous can be an even better method of advertising than anything else.
Only time will show if this film is going to follow in the same path as the rest of Matt Spicer’s films.
By David Loran Jr
A successful Editor-in-Chief, journalist for over 6 years, writing about important topics that are going on within the U.S. and beyond.
Sources:
The Hollywood Reporter: John Cena, Eric André Form Dysfunctional Family in Netflix’s ‘Little Brother’ Trailer
Dark Horizons: Trailer: Cena, Andre In “Little Brother”
World of Reel: Matt Spicer Made ‘Ingrid Goes West’ — So Why Does ‘Little Brother’ Trailer Look Like This?
Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Erin Nekervis‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
