5. “Kong: Skull Island”
When the first trailer for “Kong: Skull Island” dropped, it was clear that director Jordan Vogt-Roberts wasn’t playing coy about his monster, a move that had become problematic for the likes of “Godzilla,” which delayed the ultimately underwhelming reveal of the monster until well into the film. Vogt-Roberts took essentially the opposite route, throwing Kong front and center in the film’s marketing, including in the fantastic poster. Like a lot of great posters this year, ‘Kong’ featured a heavy homage, in this case to another Vietnam-era-set descent into the jungle, “Apocalypse Now.” While ‘Kong’ is very much indebted to ‘Apocalypse,’ Little Giant Studio’s poster leaned perfectly on the tribute, capturing all the inevitable and heinous monster battles ahead, while also embodying all the strange and fantastical things about Vogt-Robert’s idiosyncratic film. On top of that, it’s just a damn nice looking poster (from the same folks who churned out some pretty good “Wonder Woman” posters). If there’s anything to complain about, it’s that it was a bold move to so heavily lean on an all-time cinema classic. Because while ‘Kong’ was way better than any of its recent brethren, it’s no “Apocalypse Now.” – GG
4. “Baby Driver”
In a world of action film posters that are Photoshop nightmares, the minimalist poster for “Baby Driver” is like a comforting hug. You’re not beaten over the head with floating heads of cast members, and there’s nary an explosion to be seen. This one-sheet is all about color, an interesting tagline, and one image that gives audiences exactly what they need to know before walking into the film. “Baby Driver” is a film that has three huge selling point. One, the incredible cast and filmmaker Edgar Wright, all given their due on the poster. Next, it’s the great action set pieces, shown by the car and gun. And last, but certainly not least, you have to let people know that music plays a crucial role in the film. Hell, for all intents and purposes, “Baby Driver” is basically a musical. The “killer track” tagline and soundwave skidmarks do this well. Overall, it’s a beautiful piece of art that throws away modern film-marketing conventions and will no doubt find its way on many film-lover’s walls. – CD
3. “Thor Ragnarok”
Abandoning the drab nature of previous “Thor” films’ poster designs and tones, “Thor: Ragnarok” embraces the psychedelic in this 80s inspired poster designed by LA. Both the film and poster were obviously influenced by Taika Waititi’s welcoming of the absurdity in the Thor films, deserting the moody familial melodrama of “Thor: The Dark World” for this neon colored inspiration that would feel right at home on the side of an arcade game. At first glance, the poster may feel overstuffed (like many contemporary superhero films), but where both the poster and the film succeed is the focus on character while never losing sight of the gleeful absurdity of the world being depicted. – Karl Schleider
2. “The Killing Of A Sacred Deer”
Yorgos Lanthimos’ twisted and uncomfortably funny “The Killing Of A Sacred Deer” is a chilling look at accountability and punishment through a merciless, omniscient and God-like point of view. The movie centers on two doctors who are faced with unspeakable choices and unthinkable sacrifices after a disturbed young man enters their life and… brings a kind of sinister force into their family home. You can’t really say more than that, but Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell are the two doctors and parents put through dreadful circumstance and brilliant standout Barry Keough, plays the troubled, but eerily even-keeled boy.People seem to love the austerity of the original poster; Farrell’s surgeon character staring a two empty hospital beds foreshadowing the horrors to come. But the late-in-the-game final poster, designed by OTMentertain, is just really representative of the unsettling movie’s sense of rising dread; two anxious and fearful parents and the unwanted son that drags them down into a living hell. “The Killing Of A Sacred Deer” will deeply disturb you and if this poster unnerves, then it’s doing its job perfectly. – RP
1. “mother!”
Have you got the heart to stomach this poster? Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Have you thought that red has a strangely deathly effect? Ever wanted a painting to shock you senseless?It’s bloody good, isn’t it! Illuminated with psychedelic colours of green and blue, this flower situated picture has stomach churning blood bated red striving at the front. The portrait of Jennifer Lawrence’s vestal expression has tinges of Disney patters (Lawrence resembles a Disney princess of yore a la Snow White or Sleeping Beauty), belied by a grody, grubby bloodied heart. Much like the film itself, it subverts the patterns expected by the average cinemagoer, tricking them into an unlikely and austere experience. It’s an excellent piece of art, a throwback to the shouty avant garde pieces of Yoko Ono, Natalia Goncharova and Lyubov Popova, a visceral entry key to one of 2017’s most unsettlingly visceral flicks. – EL
Special Mention Best/Worst: “The Snowman”
Look, we’re not exactly saying that the poster for Tomas Alfredson’s botched Scandi-noir is good, exactly. In fact, if you’re trying to sell a sinister serial killer thriller, it’s pretty much the opposite of good. But there’s no denying that this gave us more joy than almost any other bit of film artwork this year, mostly because of the thousand hilarious memes and jokes it launched. At least the movie’s going to be remembered for something, right?
Honorable Mentions: Among the others that we considered were this nifty one from indie “Donald Cried,” the intriguingly tilted one-sheet for “The Beguiled,” the dusty Harrison Ford shot for “Blade Runner 2049,” the bloody back of Vince Vaughn’s head for “Brawl In Cell Block 99,” the lovely shade of blue for “Call Me By Your Name,” this beautiful limited-edition “Coco” ad, this moody poster for “Dark Night,” and this fun tape-deck teaser for “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2”
The strong marketing for “I, Tonya” kicked off with this excellent portrait, while we loved this little-seen alternate for “John Wick 2.” “Lady Bird” had a simple but lovely image, while we liked the retro charms of the “Meyerowitz Stories” campaign, and enjoyed the cheeky appropriation of heroism for “Professor Marston And The Wonder Women” (and the iconic final one-sheet for “Wonder Woman” itself. “Psycho” doc “78/52” had good marketing all around, and we dug this Saul Bass-y alternate for “Split” (and a similar influence on “Suburbicon”)
Finally, the moody look at “Super Dark Times” fit the film perfectly, posters for “Thoroughbreds” have been as assured and striking as the movie, this “Three Billboards” poster did more or less what it said on the tin to striking effect, cult horror “The Void” had some great retro images, and we might have put this Banksy-aping Bad Ape poster from “War For The Planet Of The Apes” in our Top 20 if we were sure it had actually run anywhere. Documentary “Whose Streets?” found an iconic central image, sleeper hit “Wonder” had a charming campaign, “Wonder Wheel” captured the gorgeous Vittorio Storraro photography nicely, and we love this French poster for Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here.”
Anything else? Let us know in the comments.
