Netflix’s 2022 preview trailer is a ghoulish nightmare of coerced A-listers | Stuart Heritage

The streamer's frenzied look at the year ahead breaks the fourth wall mid-scenes to turn major stars into reticent marketing tools

The worst part of anything film-related is the context-free montage. The worst part of going to the cinema is being pummelled with a context-free montage of upcoming attractions before the movie starts. The worst part of watching awards shows is being pummelled with context-free montages of all the films that were released in the previous 12 months. A context-free montage is less than a trailer. It isn't even an advert. It's a sizzle reel that reveals nothing about anything. There is no information. It's the movie equivalent of sitting in front of the washing machine as a kid.

However, Netflix prides itself on being a bold new disruptor in the movie industry, so it only makes sense that it should also boldly disrupt the context-free montage genre. Behold, Netflix's new 2022 movie preview video, where the montage talks to you.