You know that feeling when you watch a two-minute clip and suddenly you're questioning your entire stance on the afterlife? That was the collective experience when the The In Between trailer first dropped on Paramount+. It didn't just tease a movie. It basically promised a spiritual successor to Ghost, but for a generation that grew up on The Fault in Our Stars. People were skeptical. Joey King, fresh off the massive success of The Kissing Booth franchise, was taking a hard pivot into "prestige" YA grief, and the trailer had to do a lot of heavy lifting to prove this wasn't just another cheesy teen flick.
It worked.
The trailer leaned heavily into the visual contrast between the cold, blue-tinted reality of Tessa's life after the accident and the warm, sun-drenched flashbacks of her romance with Skylar, played by Kyle Allen. It’s a classic cinematic trick. But seeing it play out against the backdrop of a supernatural mystery—where a dead boyfriend is literally trying to send "pings" from the other side through digital photography and mirrors—hit a very specific nerve.
What the The In Between Trailer Got Right (And What It Hid)
Most trailers give away the whole plot. This one was different because it focused on the vibe of the "in between" itself—that liminal space where Skylar is trapped. Honestly, the marketing team was smart to focus on the photography aspect. In the film, Tessa is an aspiring photographer who prefers analog film because it captures things the human eye misses. The trailer uses this as a narrative engine. We see flickers of Skylar in the background of her prints, a shadow in a darkroom, a ghost in the machine.
It’s moody. It’s haunting.
But here’s the thing: the trailer actually downplayed how much of a procedural mystery the movie becomes. While the teaser makes it look like a straight-up romance, the actual film spends a significant amount of time on Tessa’s physical recovery and her frantic, almost obsessive need to find a medium or a way to communicate.
Critics like Courtney Howard have pointed out that while the trailer sells a "doomed romance," the movie is actually a study of trauma. Tessa isn't just sad; she's broken. She survived the car crash that killed the love of her life, and the "in between" elements serve as a metaphor for her inability to move past that split second of impact.
The Joey King Factor
Let’s be real. Joey King is the reason this trailer went viral. She has this uncanny ability to cry on cue in a way that feels uncomfortably real.
If you look at the YouTube comments on the official Paramount+ channel for the The In Between trailer, you’ll see a recurring theme: people were tired of her being "the girl from the Netflix rom-coms." They wanted to see her act. And she does. The trailer highlights her range, moving from the guarded, cynical Tessa who doesn't believe in happy endings to the vulnerable girl who is literally trying to pulse her heart rate into a specific rhythm to "see" her dead boyfriend.
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Kyle Allen, on the other hand, had to play the "perfect guy." It's a tough role. In the trailer, he comes across as almost too good to be true—the guy who speaks fluent Italian and likes indie movies. But it’s his chemistry with King that makes the supernatural elements believable. If you don't buy that they’re soulmates, the idea of him breaking through the veil of death feels silly.
Why the Supernatural Rules Matter
In any ghost story, the "how" is just as important as the "why."
The trailer introduces the concept of ADC—After Death Communication. This isn't just something the writers made up; it's a real term used by people who study paranormal phenomena and grief. By including this in the marketing, the film signaled that it was taking its supernatural logic somewhat seriously.
- Mirror reflections? Check.
- Disembodied voices through speakers? Check.
- Physical touch from an invisible hand? Check.
These are tropes, sure, but they are used here to build a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. The trailer does a fantastic job of showing how these "pings" escalate. It starts small—a song playing on a broken car radio—and ends with the possibility of a full-blown manifestation.
The Song That Defined the Trailer
Music can make or break a trailer. For The In Between, the choice of music was pivotal. It needed to be ethereal but grounded. While the movie features a variety of indie-pop tracks, the trailer used swells of cinematic orchestration to emphasize the stakes.
It reminds me of the way If I Stay or The Lovely Bones used soundscapes to create a sense of "otherness."
When Skylar’s voice breaks through the static, the music drops out entirely. That silence is a weapon. It forces the viewer to lean in. It makes the "in between" feel like a vacuum where sound struggles to travel. It's a brilliant bit of sound design that most people overlook because they're too busy wiping their eyes.
Is It Just a "Ghost" Rip-off?
That’s the big question, isn't it?
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Whenever a The In Between trailer or clip surfaces, someone in the comments inevitably mentions the 1990 classic Ghost. And yeah, the DNA is there. There’s a dead partner, a lingering spirit, and a woman trying to make contact.
But The In Between shifts the focus.
In Ghost, Sam is trying to protect Molly from a murderer. It’s a thriller. In The In Between, there is no villain. The "antagonist" is simply death and the finality of it. Skylar isn't trying to save Tessa from a bad guy; he's trying to give her closure so she can actually live her life.
It’s a more internal, psychological take on the genre. The trailer emphasizes this by focusing on Tessa’s internal monologue and her art. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
The Cinematography of the Veil
Director Arie Posin and cinematographer Rogier Stoffers did something interesting with the lighting.
If you re-watch the trailer, notice the color palette. The "present day" scenes—after Skylar’s death—are drained of warmth. They look clinical, almost sterile. Then, when we jump to the "in between" or the flashbacks, the screen is flooded with golden hour light.
This visual shorthand tells the audience exactly how Tessa feels. Without Skylar, the world is literally colorless. This kind of visual storytelling is what helped the trailer stand out in a sea of generic streaming content. It looked expensive. It looked like a theatrical release, even though it was destined for Paramount+.
Addressing the Skeptics
Not everyone was sold. Some felt the trailer was a bit manipulative, leaning too hard into the "sad girl" aesthetic. And honestly, they aren't entirely wrong. YA adaptations often fall into the trap of romanticizing tragedy.
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However, the film’s director has been vocal about wanting to explore the "science" of the afterlife. He referenced books like Hello From Heaven! by Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim, which documents thousands of accounts of people who believe they’ve been contacted by deceased loved ones.
This grounding in real-world "research" (or at least, popular paranormal theory) gives the film a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that typical teen romances lack. It’s not just a ghost story; it’s an exploration of a phenomenon that millions of people believe in.
Why This Specific Trailer Still Trends
Even years after its 2022 release, the The In Between trailer continues to pop up on social media feeds. Why?
Because grief doesn't have an expiration date.
The trailer taps into a universal fantasy: What if I could have one last conversation? It’s a powerful hook. Whether you’re a teenager or someone who’s lived through significant loss, the idea that the people we love are still "there," just out of sight, is deeply comforting. The trailer doesn't just sell a movie; it sells a hope.
Also, let's be honest—the scene where they meet in the movie theater while watching an old black-and-white film is peak "cinephile romance" bait. It’s a great scene, and putting it in the trailer was a masterstroke for capturing the Tumblr/Pinterest demographic that loves a good aesthetic.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of the film or a creator looking to understand why this specific piece of marketing worked, here are the takeaways:
- Lean into the "Liminal": The most successful parts of the trailer are the ones that feel eerie and unsettled. If you're telling a supernatural story, don't show the ghost right away. Show the effect of the ghost on the environment.
- Contrast is King: Use color grading to differentiate emotional states. The "warm vs. cold" look of the trailer is a textbook example of how to communicate mood without saying a word.
- Acknowledge Real Theories: By referencing ADC (After Death Communication), the film gains a level of "expert" credibility. It moves the conversation from "this is a fake movie" to "this is based on things people actually experience."
- Focus on Chemistry: No amount of CGI ghosts can save a movie if the leads don't click. The trailer prioritizes the intimate moments—the whispers, the shared looks—over the big supernatural "money shots."
If you haven't watched it in a while, go back and look at the The In Between trailer through a technical lens. Notice the way the sound design mimics a heartbeat. Pay attention to how the edits speed up as Tessa gets closer to "the other side." It’s a masterclass in building tension within a romantic framework.
Ultimately, the film reminds us that while the "in between" is a scary place to be stuck, it’s also a place where healing starts. It’s not just about the boy who died; it’s about the girl who lived. And that’s a story worth telling, even if it requires a few tissues.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, watch the film on a screen with high color accuracy to truly appreciate the contrast between the cold reality and the warm supernatural "pings." If you’re interested in the real-world theories behind the film, look into the work of Dr. Raymond Moody on near-death experiences, which heavily influenced the "rules" of the afterlife depicted in the story.