Black Swan trailer debut

The trailer for Darren Aronofsky‘s psychological thriller Black Swan has debuted online, and it is without question one of the most enticing teasers of the year.

Frankly, this is exactly how all trailers should be. Rather than giving away the entire plot, it focuses more on establishing the film’s tone. Considering that it can create the same gut-churning sensation of impending doom as the final sequence of Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream is fairly impressive.

That being said, here is the plot:

The dark tale with psychological twists stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a technically brilliant ballerina whose life takes some strange turns after being picked as the lead in a New York City production of Swan Lake. Pressures mount as her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey) pushes her to succeed and her manipulative dance master (Vincent Cassel) commands her to be more seductive and loose in her performance. Complicating matters is the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis), a sultry dancer who exhibits all the innate ease and sexuality that Nina lacks. Nina begins to fixate on the newcomer as the two forge an unusual relationship.

With that in mind, please enjoy the trailer for Black Swan:

I love how Aronofsky evokes both classic ballet films The Red Shoes and Suspiria (two of my all-time favourite movies) in this short two minute clip.

Black Swan debuts at the Venice International Film Festival next month – the same festival where his last film (The Wrestler) took home the top prize in 2008. An Australian release will be announced soon.

Discuss: Your favourite ballet film?