Around this time I like to look back on the year that’s just passed, and pull out some of my favourite posters. As always, this is hard because narrowing it down to just ten doesn’t seem fair – but it does fit neatly into a single article so that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
So without further ado…
Back to Black
I just love how simple and classy this one is. Very understated and meditative, with lovely typography to boot. Considering all the more lurid and in your face ways Amy Winehouse’s story could be portrayed, this presents a more reflective angle.

Poster by Olly Gibbs
Civil War
This one blew me out of the water, and is 100% the kind of idea you look at and think ‘damn, I wish I’d thought of that!’. Just such a clever concept, that is perfect for the world of the film and summing up everything it’s about. No notes.

Poster by Nuno Sarnadas
The Brutalist
It’s all about the bold, brutal (appropriate!) typography on this one, and the dynamic angles creating a slightly unsettling but very stylish effect. The inverted statue of liberty does a lot of storytelling here too, suggesting the idea of the American dream turned on its head.

Between Goodbyes
The storytelling in this poster is incredible – the documentary focuses on the difficulties facing an adoptee reuniting with her original family, which this perfectly captures.

Poster by Célie Cadieux
The First Omen
This series of posters are just amazing, twisting the familiar images portrayed in stained glass to show something sinister and demonic instead, and with just the most beautiful execution. I love these!

Poster by The Refinery/Max Finkel
Furiosa
This one has very much the feel of a religious painting, with Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa in a messianic pose, what with the the worshipful figures at her feet and the halo made from harpoons. The striking gold palette only adds to that feel, like you’re looking at an elaborate sculpture in some post-apocalyptic church.

Poster by B O N D/billelis
Joker: Folie à Deux
Fantastic composition on this one, with the ‘spotlight’ on the two leads actually a shaft of light coming down from a barred window, perfectly encompassing the characters distorted relationship with reality.

Poster by Legion Creative
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
One of the things I love most about this poster is that, if you look at it quickly, you might just think the character of Noa is riding his horse through a forested wilderness, but on closer inspection you can see the remains of a city buried under the greenery.

Poster design by B O N D
Nosferatu
There’s been a lot of incredible work produced for this film, but these character posters have to be my favourites. Hiding the characters in shadow with only a small glint in their eyes just lends everything a subtle sense of menace and wrongness which is just perfect.

Poster by P+A
Trap
This poster is so simple but conveys the idea of the story and the promise of the title so effectively. The way the title and the colour palette draws focus to Josh Hartnett’s manic looking eye, to the way he’s framed in red with the suggestion of an ‘x’ target behind him, to the choice of the hunted looking pose, it all sells the idea of someone who’s ‘trapped’.

Poster by GRAVILLIS
What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Are there any I’ve missed? I’d love to hear what you think!
For poster and graphic design services for your latest TV or film project, drop me a line at adam@strelka.co.uk.