Movies |

And the winner of the best movie poster of 2018 is … not ‘Widows’

A movie poster’s job is both extremely difficult and ridiculously direct. Entice the customer. Capture the eye. Tickle the subconscious.

And make a promise, with image and text, the film itself cannot possibly fulfill.

It’s a proud commercial art form unto itself, even now, generations after the era of giants like Saul Bass, whose brilliantly elemental distillations can be found on countless cinephiles’ walls.

For contrast, let’s take a look at the poster for “Widows,” the excellent new crime drama opening this week.

Set and filmed in Chicago, the film is full of juicy, corrupt characters. Its nine featured players appear on the poster in an old-school “actor accordion” rendered in black and white, with Viola Davis in the middle there, somewhere.

“That poster’s confusing. And dull,” says Chicago-based graphic designer Michael Zhang, who won this year’s Chicago International Film Festival poster competition. “The faces are partially obscured in a strange way. It almost looks like one monstrous continuous face flowing across the whole poster.”

Adds editor and critic Matt Singer of screencrush.com: “It makes the movie look like an extremely austere drama. Nothing about the ‘Widows’ poster says ‘heist film’ to me.” (Twentieth Century Fox appears to be downplaying that angle and avoiding comparisons to the more lighthearted “Ocean’s 8.”) Also, Singer says, “that tagline on the poster tells you NOTHING. ‘Left with nothing. Capable of anything.’ That gives you a small sliver of a hint that there might be some criminality involved, but …”

Enough negativity. “Widows” may not be one of them, but here are five recent movies whose posters made their promises in style.

In order of 2018 release:

“Game Night” (Warner Bros.) Later posters featured Rachel McAdams (the film’s ringer), Jason Bateman and a dog. The earlier, more inventive one — board game figures, one wearing a robber’s ski mask; a wry splash of blood — suggested more of the dark comedy’s spirit.

“Ocean’s 8” (Warner Bros.) Proof that the traditional “actor accordion” graphic can be rendered wittily and well, with a bold splash of color.

“Sorry to Bother You” (Annapurna). The studio played with eye-catching variations on the image of Lakeith Stanfield as telemarketer Cassius Green. I like the the bright purple saturation and picture frame made out of critics’ quotes best. Months later, the “Bohemian Rhapsody” teaser poster scored with the same shade of purple.

“Eighth Grade” (A24). A tight close-up of Elsie Fisher in selfie mode, coupled with the title in cautionary “Little Miss Sunshine” yellow, prepped audiences for something edgier and more realistic than the usual coming-of-age seriocomedy.

“A Star is Born” (Warner Bros.) When a movie poster works, you don’t necessarily think: Wow, what a poster! The black-and-white, nose-to-nose photo of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, topped by the legendary title in solid gold lettering: This is simple, direct, plainspoken image-making, presenting a well-known showbiz fable for its latest edition and a new audience.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune