2022 Oscar Predictions

The good news first. If you're a fan and familiar with this year's nominees, there are some really tight races and compelling scenarios to weigh heading into Sunday's 94th Oscars. And it's basically a done deal that for the first time in the Academy's long and illustrious history that the coveted Best Picture prize will be won by a streaming service. The only question is which one, as that category has suddenly shaped into an extremely close two-horse race featuring a pair of films that couldn't be more diametrically opposed in approach, style and content. Add on top of that some eclectic acting nominations and it's sure to be an exciting predictions night for critics and prognosticators who religiously follow this. 

Now the bad news. The AMPAS still hasn't found a way to capture the zeitgeist or lure mainstream audiences to the show, whatever that means anymore. With theaters now exclusively reserved for the special attraction blockbusters and everything else going straight to streaming, we have another year of underseen nominees the general public couldn't care less about. And trying to shoehorn more popular titles onto the show for ratings by instituting a people's choice vote just puts a band-aid on what's become a far larger problem.

With ABC still recovering from the lingering hangover from last year's disaster, we've had a clumsy, last minute rollout of multiple hosts (after a three year streak of none) and a highly controversial decision to pre-tape 8 categories (including biggies like editing and costume design) as an intended time saver. Of course, whatever segments replace that are likely tell the tale of how bearable the show will be. Here's an idea: Don't proudly announce bad ideas anymore, work on having a good, tight telecast with one outside-of-the-box host and go back to five Best Picture nominees. I know, easier said than done. 

On the bright side, The Power of the Dog vs. CODA Best Picture showdown is a nail biter and having seen the majority of nominees before the show my prediction post this year has more of a "will win, should win" vibe to it. My predictions are listed below, along with a more in-depth analysis of the major categories. As usual, I'm reserving the right to make possible changes or adjustments before the telecast. But once show time comes around, that's it.  

*Predicted Winners  

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Encanto (Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie)
Luca (Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht)
Raya and the Last Dragon (Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer
and Peter Del Vecho)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Affairs of the Art (Joanna Quinn and Les Mills)
Bestia (Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz)
Boxballet (Anton Dyakov)
Robin Robin (Dan Ojari and Mikey Please)
The Windshield Wiper (Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Ascension (Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell)
Attica (Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sorensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie)
Summer of Soul (Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein)
Writing With Fire (Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Audible (Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean)
Lead Me Home (Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk)
The Queen of Basketball (Ben Proudfoot)
Three Songs for Benazir (Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei)
When We Were Bullies (Jay Rosenblatt)

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Ala Kachuu — Take and Run (Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger)
The Dress (Tadeusz Lysiak and Maciej Ślesicki)
The Long Goodbye (Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed)
On My Mind (Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson)
Please Hold (K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Drive My Car (Japan)
Flee (Denmark)
The Hand of God (Italy)
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan)
The Worst Person in the World (Norway)

BEST FILM EDITING
Don’t Look Up (Hank Corwin)
Dune (Joe Walker)
King Richard (Pamela Martin)
The Power of the Dog (Peter Sciberras)
Tick, Tick … Boom! (Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum)

BEST SOUND
Belfast (Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri)
Dune (Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett)
No Time to Die (Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor)
The Power of the Dog (Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb)
West Side Story (Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Dune (production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos)
Nightmare Alley (production design: Tamara Deverell; set decoration: Shane Vieau)
The Power of the Dog (production design: Grant Major; set decoration: Amber Richards)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (production design: Stefan Dechant; set decoration: Nancy Haigh)
West Side Story (production design: Adam Stockhausen; set decoration: Rena DeAngelo)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Cruella (Jenny Beavan)
Cyrano (Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran)
Dune (Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan)
Nightmare Alley (Luis Sequeira)
West Side Story (Paul Tazewell)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Don’t Look Up (Nicholas Britell)
Dune (Hans Zimmer)
Encanto (Germaine Franco)
Parallel Mothers (Alberto Iglesias)
The Power of the Dog (Jonny Greenwood)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Be Alive” — music and lyrics by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (King Richard)
“Dos Oruguitas” — music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto)
“Down to Joy” — music and lyrics by Van Morrison (Belfast)
“No Time to Die” — music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (No Time to Die)
“Somehow You Do” — music and lyrics by Diane Warren (Four Good Days)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Coming 2 America (Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer)
Cruella (Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon)
Dune (Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh)
House of Gucci (Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune (Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer)
Free Guy (Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and
Dan Sudick)
No Time to Die (Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dune (Greig Fraser)
Nightmare Alley (Dan Laustsen)
The Power of the Dog (Ari Wegner)
The Tragedy of Macbeth (Bruno Delbonnel)
West Side Story (Janusz Kaminski)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
CODA (screenplay by Siân Heder)
Drive My Car (screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe)
Dune (screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth)
The Lost Daughter (written by Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The Power of the Dog (written by Jane Campion)

A surprisingly competitive category and one of the toughest to predict, mainly because it'll provide a major clue as to how Best Picture shakes out. CODA, fresh off a WGA win and riding a tidal wave of momentum, looks to take out The Power of the Dog here first and just might. As the only adapted screenplay without a corresponding BP nod, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Lost Daughter has an uphill battle, as does Dune, which should be busy cleaning up in the technical categories. Drive My Car overperformed nomination-wise, so while still lacks in really broad appeal, a shocking upset isn't impossible. But it comes back to the big two, with the edge going to CODA, if only because the emotional consensus is starting to look unstoppable. Still, what Campion did with Thomas Savage's novel can't be discounted, nor can The Power of the Dog's precursor haul and sheer number of nominations. It's taken some hits lately but there's still a lot of respect left for it.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Belfast (written by Kenneth Branagh)
Don’t Look Up (screenplay by Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay & David Sirota)
King Richard (written by Zach Baylin)
Licorice Pizza (written by Paul Thomas Anderson)
The Worst Person in the World (written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier)

Another close race. Don't Look Up and The Worst Person in the World are filling out the category, but have no real shot. King Richard is definitely in a far better position to win than either, but Baylin's solid screenplay just hasn't been honored enough in other places to make me feel comfortable predicting that upset. It almost seems like years ago that Belfast was actually considered the Best Picture frontrunner, as it's been losing steam by the second heading into the final stretch. Can it still win here? Probably. Everyone seems to like Branagh and his charmer of a movie well enough that they'd want to reward it somewhere. PTA's Licorice Pizza script is coming on strong and has a surprising amount of support that could translate into votes, despite that nagging voice telling us "it's just not the Academy's thing." But despite it falling off the radar, I just can't see them sending Belfast home empty-handed.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Judi Dench (Belfast)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Ariana DeBose has this in the bag. Voters love symmetry and there would be no better recent example than DeBose winning for the same role her West Side Story co-star Rita Moreno did in the 1961, marking an Oscar first. Ellis, Dench and Buckley all did commendable work in their films but they've basically become stepping stones on DeBose's path to the podium and a gold statue. But as impressive as she was in the film, it's not the best performance in this category, or even in West Side Story, as Rachel Zegler and Mike Faist could both lay claim to that.  

Whatever you may think of The Power of the Dog, Kirsten Dunst's transformative work in it isn't easy to shake and ranks among the best things she's done in her entire career. Of everyone, she's the strongest threat to DeBose and deserves the win, but this race was decided months ago. It's a lock, not to mention a way to reward a movie that financially underperformed, but definitely has its superfans within the Academy. Everyone who likes it, loves it, and she's a big reason why, locking up nearly every major accolade leading into the show, making her win a mere formality. While Supporting Actress is long known for upsets, there won't be one this year.  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)
J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

An intriguing field of contenders, but another foregone conclusion, as CODA's Troy Kotsur not only gave a great, film-stealing performance as Frank Rossi, but is just the kind of hard working journeyman the Academy loves rewarding, with an inspirational story to boot. That he'll be the second deaf actor (and first since co-star Marlee Matlin) to win an Academy Award has only become more apparent with each passing week as CODA continues to surge. As for the rest, Belfast's Ciarán Hinds feels like an outlier in a "thanks for coming" kind of way, which isn't a slight on his performance so much as a testament to how stiff the competition is. 

Former winner J.K. Simmons impresses as William Frawley in Being the Ricardos, but the role itself just doesn't seem like enough, especially next to The Power of the Dog's Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit McPhee's. Unfortunately for Plemons, his character disappears entirely in the last half of that picture whereas the latter has more of an arc and carries the film's most crucial portion as the shy, eccentric Peter Gordon. As the center of the biggest twist and darkness on which the entire story rests, McPhee takes us on a journey, albeit one that might prove too uncomfortable for voters. And in Oscar's universe, subtle complexity never reign supreme. It's Kotsur's to lose, but he won't, making for what should be one of the night's biggest moments.               

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

The Academy's penchant for biopics and actresses portraying famous figures is on prominent display this year, with only Penelope Cruz and Olivia Colman playing fictitious characters in Parallel Mothers and The Lost Daughter, respectively. Cruz has a legitimate shot as a popular dark horse who many believe is the strongest contender on merit. It seems like Colman just won for The Favourite, but that's never stopped the Academy before (see Frances McDormand). An early frontrunner, Kidman lost ground when people actually saw her performance as Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos and had wildly mixed reactions. 

Kristen Stewart is so, so good in Spencer and should probably be the hands down winner. What she did as Diana was endlessly intriguing and entirely unexpected, but the movie's just too off-putting for them, ranking as maybe the most un-commercial release of 2021. While I still wouldn't completely count Stewart out, Jessica Chastain's emerged as the clear favorite, reminding us that when voters assess performances as real life people, the biggest and flashiest often win the day. They want the most noticeable physical and emotional transformation and Chastain (as well as the film's makeup team) definitely provided it. Plus, she's overdue and beloved within the industry, all of which should have us wondering how we didn't foresee this outcome sooner. She checks every possible box, but it's still wide open. 

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!)
Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Will Smith is the lock of the night. Most have forgotten Denzel's even in this category, Bardem's role is more skillfully charming than award-winning, Garfield willed himself to a well-deserved nod in the so-so Tick, Tick...Boom! In giving what's arguably the category's best performance as sociopathic cowboy Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog, Cumberbatch seemed like a viable pick months or even weeks ago until Smith started winning literally everything in sight. Dog's stock has dropped so much recently, it's now become a question whether it can cash-in on even one of its staggering 11 nominations anymore. 

Smith's performance as Richard Williams contains the hallmarks of what voters trip all over themselves to reward. Not to mention he's really good in it, navigating some tricky territory in playing the complicated (to say the least), but aspirational father and coach to daughters and future tennis superstars Venus and Serena. There's a reason Smith was earmarked from the jump to win for King Richard and his actual performance only reinforced that, exceeding the hype. We also have another long overdue actor who's universally liked, only making this that much easier a decision for them.          

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) 

So maybe it's not Sam Elliott's favorite film of the year, but a lot of people still really like (respectfully appreciate?) what Jane Campion did with The Power of the Dog. If that's the case, this category will be the ultimate test of how much goodwill it's retained over the past two months. If Campion somehow loses, Netflix can pack its bags, and even if she wins, there could still be a split with Director and Picture anyway. This field's a little more open than you'd think since Spielberg's visual contributions to West Side Story can't be undersold, Hamaguchi could still shock and Branagh is Branagh, which never hurts, even if Belfast peaked way too early. 

The only contender I can't envision them rewarding here is PTA, which is probably a compliment considering that (along with David Fincher) he's one of the greatest living filmmakers without a directing Oscar. He'll eventually win, just not for Licorice Pizza. Campion's still got this, even if it's  way closer than anyone previously thought. Of The Power of the Dog's 12 nods, this is the one you can feel safest predicting will fall in its favor, with career acknowledgment coming for an overdue Campion. It's good news for her that CODA directed itself or we might be having an entirely different conversation right now. 

BEST PICTURE
Belfast (Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, Producers)
CODA (Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers)
Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers)
Drive My Car (Teruhisa Yamamoto, Producer)
Dune (Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, Producers)
King Richard (Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, Producers)
Licorice Pizza (Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers)
Nightmare Alley (Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, Producers)
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile
Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, Producers)
West Side Story (Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers)

Statistically impossible. That's what we've been hearing about the chances of CODA winning Best Picture with only 3 total nominations, no DGA, no editing or directing nods and no below-the-line recognition in other categories. But what a difference just a month makes, as that perception changed considerably with its SAG Ensemble victory and shocking WGA and PGA wins, the latter of which remains one of the more reliable Best Picture predictors. Still, this is the longest of long shots, putting it in the company of another PGA winner without a directing nod, the now reviled Driving Miss Daisy. But it can happen, mainly because CODA's sure to show up at number 1 or 2 on nearly all these ballots. They love this movie and what it represents so that's enough for an Academy that's always voted with their hearts before all else. Critical complaints that Apple+'s little indie that could isn't "cinematic enough" to win or "plays like a TV movie" won't matter. They only care about how it makes them feel, which is why it's emerged as such a threat. 

Whether CODA actually deserves this is a separate issue, especially since even its most ardent supporters admit it probably can't hold up to the long-term scrutiny that accompanies the often dreaded Best Picture label. The Power of the Dog is the kind of film that can withstand it, in little danger of being forgotten the next day or outright mocked like previous nominees Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, to which CODA has somewhat unfairly been compared. But winning might be the worst possible thing for it, a punchline in the making with a backlash that could eventually rival Crash. And that's coming from someone who really likes it a lot. 

As for everything else, there really isn't room for a surprise spoiler. My favorite, Don't Look Up, is too polarizing, Belfast's chances already died on the vine, Drive My Car's surprise nomination was reward enough, Dune could sweep all the tech categories, Licorice Pizza doesn't have enough broad support and Nightmare Alley's an afterthought at this point. If voters really wanted to compromise, the rags to riches story of King Richard is a viable solution, but it seems that ship has sailed, as has West Side Story's. Had that been a box office success, it would be far better positioned heading into the show. While I could later regret it or change my mind five or more times, the smart money's on CODA, as unlikely as that once seemed.  

2022 Oscar Nominations (Reaction and Analysis)

It's that time again. Possibly as a response to last year's disaster of a telecast (the least watched Oscars ever) it was announced that there will be a host for the belated 94th Annual Academy Awards emanating from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 27th. Who that person will be is still a giant question mark, but we do now at least have nominations, as read this morning by actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan. There weren't too many surprises or snubs, which could in large part be due to a thin, condensed field without a lot of alternatives. 

The question wasn't so much what or who would show up, but where and how prominently. And in that respect, the big winner was unquestionably Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, which leads the pack with 12 nominations and now has to be considered the frontrunner to take home Best Picture. While questions of whether it would be too dark and morose for the Academy's tastes were quelled considerably this morning by its nomination haul, it still has to win, and with AMPAS desperately going back to ten Best Picture nominees, that's dicier than ever. 

Looking at the nomination list (which can be found here), it's mostly satisfying, with many films and actors thought to be on the bubble, or in jeopardy of being snubbed, managing to get in. Still, the Oscars have a perception problem and another year's batch of underseen contenders doesn't look like it'll fix that. This is okay since the Academy Awards are what they are and it would be far worse to nominate high-grossing movies just to pop a rating or attract a hypothetical audiences who probably won't watch the show anyway. And after last year, it's hard to blame them, circumstances notwithstanding. So, that's where we stand, with this morning's announcement serving to only reinforce a long standing belief that voters do what they want, independent of critical praise or box office receipts. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't, but this was one of their better mornings. Let's look at the major talking points.

- The Power of the Dog cleaned up in a big way. Picture, Director (Campion), Adapted Screenplay (Campion again), Editing (Peter Sciberras), Cinematography (Ari Wegner), Supporting Actor (Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit McPhee) and Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst). Examining other winners of the Big Prize from year's past, most of their nomination scorecards aren't this this stacked.

-Spider-Man: No Way Home was never getting nominated for Best Picture. And then we definitely knew for sure from its lack of technical notices and an editing nod. We've all figured out how the Academy works by now. This wasn't happening.

-Somewhat of a second wind for West Side Story, a critically beloved box office flop in serious danger of being shut out of Best Picture, even with ten slots. It didn't. The average age of voters (some of whom remember the original's 1961 victory) and the Spielberg factor likely helped. And Ariana DeBose not only gets in for Supporting Actress, but has a good shot at winning. A great day for this film, racking up a whopping 7 nods. Far better than anticipated. 

- Spencer's Kristen Stewart makes it. For a while, this was doubtful, to the point many were already declaring it the "big snub" before nominations were even announced. She'll be joining Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (Lost Daughter), Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers) and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos). Other than maybe Cruz getting in, no real shocks except snubs for Licorice Pizza's Alana Haim (far from a given), West Side Story's Rachel Zegler (somewhat of a surprise) and House of Gucci's Lady Gaga (a bigger surprise). And while it wasn't going to happen, I would have jumped out of my seat if Jennifer Lawrence sneaked in for Don't Look Up. As of now, the smart money's on Kidman. 

-At this point, Will Smith's pretty much a lock for Best Actor for King Richard, with Cumberbatch his only possible threat. With his 10th career nomination for The Tragedy of Macbeth, Denzel Washington becomes the most nominated black actor of all-time. Bardem (Being the Ricardos) and Andrew Garfield (Tick, tick...Boom!) round out a field that lacks Peter Dinklage (Cyrano), Bradley Cooper (Nightmare Alley), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), and most regrettably, Don't Look Up's Leonardo DiCaprio.

-Even fewer surprises in the supporting races, with maybe Judi Dench a slight one for Belfast, at least as far as anyone can be surprised when she's nominated, grabbing a slot some thought could go to Passing's Ruth Negga, or possibly Tessa Thompson. And some point, the conversation seemed to shift from King Richard's Saniyya Sidney to Aunjanue Ellis, now a first-time nominee. Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley) was left out in the cold while Lost Daughter's Jessie Buckley got in. It's looking more and more like DeBose and Dunst will be battling this out.   

-Bradley Cooper doing double duty in Nightmare Alley and Licorice Pizza may not have helped him, going 0 for 2 with both lead and supporting nods. Nothing for Jared Leto for his love it or hate it House of Gucci turn. Whether Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-Phee cancel each other out for The Power of the Dog will be something to watch for in a strangely thin Supporting Actor category. McPhee is the safest bet here, but Troy Kotsur could actually win for CODA, assuming J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos) or Ciaran Hinds (Belfast) don't manage a miraculous eleventh hour push.

- Dune predictably had a strong showing in nearly all the technical categories while maybe being the biggest beneficiary of an expanded Best Picture category. Let's face it: there's no way this gets in without more than five nominees. But it's also exactly the kind of big budget spectacle these extra slots were intended to provide an opportunity to. Whether it's entirely deserving is another issue, but I'd  rather see this there than a more flawed effort like Tick, tick...Boom! 

- You know it's a slow day when the biggest surprises are Ryusuke Hamaguchi's directing nomination for Drive My Car and an Original Screenplay nod for Joachim Trier's Worst Person in the World. But they're surprises nonetheless. Paul Thomas Anderson's inclusion (in both writing AND directing) would seem to improve Licorice Pizza's Best Picture fortunes, if not for the lack of an editing nod. 

-Campion, Branagh and Spielberg round out the group for Director, while Guillermo del Toro misses for Nightmare Alley. His popularity was at least enough to get it in for Best Picture despite some wildly mixed reactions. Dune's less polarizing, but its technical achievements still weren't enough to propel director Denis Villeneuve to a directing nomination. Unfortunately, Don't Look Up's Adam McKay wasn't really expected to get in here, settling instead for a well deserved Original Screenplay nod.

-With a Best Picture field this large, you do run the risk of filling slots for the sake of it, potentially watering down the nominees. And that's kind of what's happened. While it's fair to say Drive My Car and Nightmare Alley were the least expected inclusions (displacing Being the Ricardos and Tick, tick...Boom!), neither are exactly shocks. House of Gucci was just a loser all-around, missing everything and then some. CODA, King Richard and Dune fit into the "thanks for coming" category, a designation far fewer will now be assigning to West Side Story after this morning. Nothing PTA does can be dismissed outright, with Licorice Pizza being no exception. And the timeliness of Don't Look Up ensures its presence amongst voters who believe a Best Picture winner should say something about the current world in which we live. But Oscar night will likely come down to The Power of the Dog vs. Belfast, a showdown proving that as hard as the Academy may try to change, the more they stay the same.     

Don't Look Up

Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis
Running Time: 138 min.  
Rating: R 

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

The loudest conversations surrounding Adam McKay's sci-fi satire, Don't Look Up, might center on the likelihood of an event as cataclysmic as what's threatened in the film actually occurring. But that depends on what you consider the real tragedy. A comet potentially wiping out the planet or the hilariously awful ineptitude in which that information's handled by the supposedly smartest, most capable in our society, entrusted to make decisions for humanity's well-being. Could any of this happen? The quickest answer is that it just did, only not with a comet, and this is what gives McKay's film so much power, lifting it from social commentary into something far more scathing and relevant. But that's only half the story, as it takes aim some of the biggest, timeliest targets imaginable, rarely missing.

Having already directed the polarizing The Big Short and Vice, McKay's no stranger to walking a tightrope that sometimes frustrates as many viewers as it delights, but this is operating on a much higher plane. What's most surprising about is how he manages to repeatedly hit these impossible marks, bringing the laughs for almost two and a half hours straight. You sit there expecting it to completely run out of steam because it's just so broad and of the moment, but the truth just keeps funneling through, exposing self-interested government and society that have no idea how pathetically clueless they are. Not that they'd care anyway.  

Whatever divisive reactions exist to the the film itself, it's much harder to claim Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence or even Meryl Streep have ever tackled the kinds of parts they're given here. It feels like a real first, witnessing performers of their caliber strongly playing against preconceptions to juggle some really difficult material they likely jumped at the chance of challenging themselves with. Uncomfortably hilarious, it holds a harsh, revealing mirror up to a society many will recognize as pitifully identical to the one we've been living in for the past couple of years, if not far longer.

When Michigan State University astronomy doctoral candidate Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) discovers a previously unseen comet hurling toward Earth, her mentor and professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) comes to the frightening calculation that it'll hit in six months, resulting in an "extinction level event." Joined by NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination head, Dr. Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan), they're summoned to the White House to present this information to disinterested President Janie Orlean (Streep) and her obnoxious son and Chief of Staff, Jason (Jonah Hill). With midterm elections on the horizon and a scandal involving a Supreme Court Justice nominee breaking, Orlean selfishly advises them to just sit on it to avoid more bad press.

Shaken by the President's apathy, Kate and Randall leak the news to the media at Oglethorpe's urging,  soon discovering that the public may also not be as receptive to this information as they thought. But with Orlean's popularity dipping amidst further scandal, she realizes her team may be able to use this impending catastrophe and the scientists to her political advantage. With the help of billionaire tech CEO and key donor Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance), Orlean's plan for handing the comet crisis is put into motion, dividing the nation and sowing unneeded doubt about its very real danger. It'll be up to Kate and Randall to convince the public what's really happening, but it might be too late, as the rapidly approaching comet remains on course to take out human civilization. 

From the very start, there's an anti-science sentiment Kate and Randall have to battle that quickly chips away at everything they knew about themselves and how the government, media and public view their work and competency. Or more accurately, people just don't like bad news and will come up with any excuse not to receive it. Undermined and humiliated from the moment of discovery, they're  now in over their heads, sucked into a machine intended to dismantle and destroy them for stating facts. While it appears one of them is more capable of handing this, even that doesn't end up being true, with the situation understandably rattling them both to their core in very different ways. 

The astronomers have unknowingly entered an arena where Earth's impending demise is laughed off and mocked by fluff morning TV hosts Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry), whose phony banter, goofy jokes and insistence on "keeping things light" result in some of the film's funniest, but most depressingly realistic moments. Blanchett and Perry are so good in these scenes, perfectly capturing the kind of annoying, celebrity and social media obsessed camera hogs flooding the air on every major "news" outlet. With hosts far more interested in music star Riley Bina's (Ariana Grande) recent breakup with DJ Chello (Scott Mescudi) than a comet wiping out Earth, the scientists start realizing the level of stupidity they're up against, which extends far beyond just the political spectrum.     

The journey DiCaprio takes Randall on is really something, as this seemingly nerdy, Xanax popping, numbers-obsessed scientist has to find his media sea legs after being thrust into the spotlight. A simple man enjoying a comfortable, if pleasantly mundane life back home with his devoted wife June (Melanie Lynskey) and grown kids, he's suddenly a huge celebrity pressured into telling everyone what they want to hear. And as those drawbacks and rewards push back against his principles, he'll have to make some tough moral choices. As a weakened Randall teeters on the verge of implosion, DiCaprio has what might be his best scene out of many, completely snapping as he channels Peter Finch's Howard Beale in Network with a breakdown that feels like the culmination of everything this guy and the country's been put through.

As Randall adjusts to becoming a media sensation, it's Kate taking the brunt of the backlash, framed as a fear-mongering psycho despite being more well-adjusted and sensible than most. Publicly demeaned by everyone from her journalist boyfriend (Himesh Patel) to the President herself, she's the character who earns the most amount of empathy, as even the naming of the "Dibiasky Comet" feels like an intentional slap in the face, putting an even bigger target of unjustifiable blame on her back. 

With an seemingly permanent look on her face conveying utter disbelief at this insanity, Lawrence's "comeback" performance after a three year break ranks as one of her most nuanced and fascinating, reminding us all what we've missed. Between the President's cruel categorization of her as a poster girl for "disaffected youth and mental illness" and her son's sarcastic cheap shots at Kate's looks and intelligence, Lawrence conveys her character's boiling impatience and frustration with often just a single, piercing glance that speaks volumes. Beaten down through much of the film, she never makes Kate a doormat, imbuing her with the strength and resourcefulness to curb this corrupt hypocrisy, regardless of the consequences.

McKay also incorporates all these smaller details into the script that make for a surreal viewing experience, like the fact this narcissistic, power-hungry President has her own incompetent son serving as Chief of Staff, adding nepotism and cronyism to the list of malfeasance. And if it's going to still be a long running complaint that Streep's nominated for anything, why isn't she even being discussed for this? It's one of the rare recent examples of her taking a huge unexpected leap with this blistering portrayal of a delusional Commander in Chief that may contain some Hillary Clinton mannerisms, but by the actress's own admission, is entirely based on Trump. What's most impressive is the nonchalant arrogance with which Streep plays Orlean, who never once considers the option that anyone will hesitate in doing exactly what she says while happily kissing her ass at the same time. And sadly, she's completely right.

Mark Rylance is weirdly brilliant as BASH cellular CEO Peter Isherwell, a nightmare hybrid of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson or any other eccentric, self-absorbed tech billionaire promising to better everyone's lives. There's an expected way to play someone like this, but McKay has Rylance throw that rule book out the window, instead giving him these delightfully strange quirks that add so much to the persona. From Isherwell's odd accent to the creepy calmness, he's either mumbling unintelligibly, leaving out words or staring into space while talking, often making no sense whatsoever. It would have been so easy and predictable to play him as this kind of evil overlord, but McKay's smarter than that, knowing it's the disingenuous benevolence that makes this character resonate. Rylance goes all in, providing his own bizarre take on how these very recognizable personality types behave. 

There have been complaints about film's length, but in this particular case it feels strangely warranted, and that's coming from someone who cringes at any comedy or drama going beyond the two-hour mark. As with any picture, you could probably find areas to trim and tighten, but there's nothing egregiously obvious here. If pressed, even the two weakest sub-plots involving Ariana Grande's pop star character and Kate's relationship with a skateboarding shoplifter named Yule (Timothée Chalamet) don't unnecessarily extend the proceedings. The former is given brief, proportional screen time while you could argue Lawrence and Chalamet's performances help land that latter storyline land in a much better, more meaningful place heading into the third act. As for supposed issues with tone, given the material needs to alternate wildly between laugh-out-loud satire and dramatic events that suddenly seem a lot less fictional now, McKay remains remarkably consistent.               

Just when you think this has run out of people and ideas to skewer or went as far over-the-top as possible, its ending moves the goalpost. But none of it would work if there wasn't something real there with characters who are invested with a depth that make them work as both parodies and people. Comparisons have inevitably been made to Dr. Strangelove, but a more accurate reference point might be the similarly misunderstood, even less easily digestible Southland Tales, in which an eclectic, all-star cast of actors are placed inside an ambitiously imagined universe on the brink of socio-political collapse. Don't Look Up allows us to laugh at all the absurdity, relieved that someone finally had the guts to just say it, and this entertainingly well. With an evergreen quality likely to hold up over repeated viewings, it's the ultimate time capsule, providing a crazy snapshot of a world where the truth's become convenient to dismiss, but even easier to ignore.        

The Best (and Worst) Movie Posters of 2021

For many, 2021 will be considered yet another highly abnormal, underwhelming year for movies. And it could go on for a while longer, further muddying the waters of not only what we watch, but how. While we've been moving away from traditional movie posters hanging in theater lobbies to signal an impending release for a while now, the shift's been accelerated over the past 18 months. It doesn't mean there still aren't great ones, just that you'll have to do little more searching. So for every design that seems engineered for a quick click when scrolling through your queue, I'd argue there are just as many out there ready-made for framing. Despite the circumstances, the year was still jam packed with great work, even as designers had to find new, creative ways around incorporating an increasing amount of text, streaming service logos, and multi-platform release dates onto their posters.

The IMP Awards site still serves as the most valuable resource for gathering most of the year's most notable posters, it's become impossible to ignore the fact that even they don't have everything, as the hunt for the one-sheet image of a little seen, well-reviewed indie can be just as challenging as locating the movie itself. In an obsessive effort to ensure none of those are missed I'm often last out of the gate with my list, often pushing this thing right up against the wire every December. So it wouldn't be fair of me to even post this without highlighting the lists came before since they're not only great compilations, but shine a light on the year's lesser known, overlooked picks. So before even looking at mine, please check these out: Mubi.com, Posteritati, SeekandSpeak,The Playlist

As usual, to be eligible, a poster must have been released between January 1st and December 31st, 2021, regardless of the actual film's drop date. But now the big change. After well over a decade of only deeming official release posters worthy of consideration, I've reluctantly decided to open the floodgates and include alternative/unofficial designs. It won't be without careful deliberation. but there's little reason to continue excluding valid designs from legitimate, professional artists and firms just because the studio didn't commission them for the job. And since everything is found or viewed on the web anyway, the line separating what's "official" from not has never seemed thinner, further reinforcing this as a dated rule. By now leaving the only question down to worthiness, I'd argue the adjustment improved this year's selections, opening up the field for riskier, less commercial-looking choices. So here's the top ten, followed by an alphabetical listing of runners-up and, of course, the highly anticipated year's worst.  

The Best...

10. King Richard 

At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything incredibly special about GrandSon's official poster for King Richard, but maybe that's exactly the idea. It has one job: depict the uphill journey Richard Williams (Will Smith) took in training his daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) to become the best tennis players in the world, against seemingly impossible odds. Whatever you may think of the real person or even how well or honestly the film interprets these events, this image nails that concept. Literally "pushing" them in a shopping cart full of tennis balls, it earns major points for not looking like a photoshopped image they just pasted on.

In rare attention to detail, they actually show their shadows, which you'd never guess makes that much of a difference until seeing it here. Great colors and use of negative space that puts the focus exactly where it belongs, with a border containing the tag line, which is different. The layout and placement of the credits on top are perfect, along with that awesome bright red King Richard title treatment. It actually compliments rather than distracts from Smith's top billing, making everything come together in a clean, crisp design that highlights the movie's primary intention in the best way possible.   

 

9. Red Rocket

Another GrandSon design, this one for Sean Baker's film about former "adult entertainer," Mikey, (Simon Rex) who returns to his Texas hometown after 17 years, attempting to reconnect with his ex-wife and find work. It was never going to be the easiest sell, but this one-sheet illustrated by the great Steve Chorney more than overcomes that. Not only is the artwork top notch, the entire layout is excellent, with more great use of negative space along with those cursive critical blurbs hovering above the image of an obviously aghast Mikey covering himself with a bright pink donut. 

It's yet another example of how off-white/cream can be a strong background color, as the bright red, really well stylized Red Rocket title treatment nearly jumps off the page against it. There's no better combination that could have been used, resulting in a simple but memorable design capable of possibly  swaying any doubters on the fence about checking this out. While I previously had very little interest in seeing the movie, the artistry behind this poster makes me wonder if it doesn't contain a lot more depth than its description suggests. So for that, mission accomplished. 

 

8. Last Night in Soho

When the first wave of posters came out for Edgar Wright's 60's horror nostalgia head trip, Last Night in Soho, I couldn't believe how underwhelming they were given the film's premise and setting, both of which would seem to organically provide plenty of visual inspiration. For a while it looked hopeless until this painting from British artist James Paterson dropped, encapsulating on a one-sheet everything that those heavily anticipating Wright's movie hoped it could be.

Paterson avoids the pitfalls of the other inferior, more mainstream designs that struggled in depicting the duality of the two main characters. Their solutions were predictably a half-face, floating heads approach whereas Paterson is clearly reaching for something richer. With the bleeding pinks and blues, there's a watercolor vibe to it enhanced by a pretty magnificent rendering of Sandie (Anya Taylor Joy) staring a hole right through us, as wide-eyed, terrified Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) hovers in the background. And you have to appreciate that old school title treatment, as well as that three-dimensional effect going on with the blue street.  

 

 7. The Batman

Those who saw the trailer for The Batman already have strong opinions on the decision to reimagine Riddler as a serial killer in the vein of the Zodiac. Being someone completely on board with this idea, when these series of posters dropped touting its eventual 2022 release, my interest was only further piqued for that approach. Works ADV came up with a few that all followed the same instantly recognizable red and black color scheme, but this is the one that truly stands out. In concept, it eerily recalls that memorable Heath Ledger Joker teaser from 2008, though a case could be made that this might be even more visually striking, if not scarier. 

The blurry, out of focus image of Paul Dano's Riddler against that black abyss of a background is as creepy and unsettling as it gets. And aside from the Zodiac-inspired question mark on his coat, the one thing we can make out ( that creepy, knife-carved, almost childlike "To The Batman" etching) gets the villain's message across loud and clear. And they couldn't have found a better, more unobtrusive spot than that top left corner for the scribbled Bat logo and March 4th date (assuming that holds). The verdict may still be out on the film, but this poster is the stuff of nightmares.

 

6. Prisoners of the Ghostland

"The Wildest Movie I've Ever Made" - Nicolas Cage. Well, that's saying something. It doesn't get much better than an endorsement from the man himself. I took me a while to even notice this amazing quote  because there's just so much else to look at and appreciate in this Prisoners of the Ghostland one-sheet from Stockholm Design. Whether it's really the wildest movie Cage has made (a high bar to clear there), this one-sheet does a very convincing job proving that case. It's almost impossible to believe this is an officially commissioned theatrical poster rather than an alternative design created by an independent artist, but it is. 

Definitely enough crazy to match its star, the incandescent glow of those reds and pinks almost give the illustration a blacklight effect. And just look at the scrap pile of skulls, corpses, clocks, samurai warriors and who knows what else inside that transfixing, glow-eyed statue. While a risk, that flowery background works against that color scheme, as does the bright yellow title. Obscuring Cage by having his back turned and hovering over the fray is brilliant since we know exactly who he is by silhouette alone. A long running joke that most of his films' posters have landed on worst lists for years has resulted in the thrill of seeing the actor's recent choices improve substantially, while as remaining weird as ever. This definitely captures that feeling in all its glory. And then some. 

 

5. West Side Story (Dolby and IMAX versions)

 

Steven Spielberg's long gestating remake of West Side Story had kind of a rough year. That is if you can drum up enough sympathy in your heart for a critically hailed musical sure to be nominated for a truckload of Oscars. The problem is that no one went, and while many theories were bandied about as to why, it's still a stretch to claim an ad campaign centering around uninventive, retread-style posters played a major role in its box office failure. But you could argue it was systemic of a far larger issue and couldn't have helped its chances.

If Gravillis' fantastic Dolby and IMAX official one-sheets above were the only posters released for the film, it still wouldn't have made a difference, but they sure are much nicer to look at. Especially the Dolby one on top, where the characters nearly jump off the page with an energy and vigor that at least advertises an experience that audiences of all ages would be breaking down doors to have. While I'm still not sure they properly capture Rita Moreno's likeness in either, the artwork is otherwise outstanding and seems appropriate to the film's intended tone. There's a lot happening in both these prints (favorite images: Ariana DeBose's Anita dancing through the credits and Mike Faist's Riff holding the bat), but everything's laid out well enough that it doesn't seem overstuffed. More importantly, they make practical sense for the movie this is, a detail otherwise missing from the rest of the film's marketing

4. Don't Look Up

Snollygoster Productions' alternative design for Adam McKay's extremely divisive climate change satire, Don't Look Up, is the best kind of homage. Drawing obvious inspiration from Tomi Ungerer's iconic Dr. Strangelove poster (and maybe some Saul Bass), this incorporates everything that worked with that classic one-sheet and ingeniously applies it to a current release with which it shares some thematic similarities. Purists may bristle at the concept of a parody since it's been attempted so many times before with other films and lesser ideas, but this is different. Satirizing something that was already a parody in itself lends this one-sheet a weird meta quality that only enhances the very effect they're going for.

Far from merely a "copy," you can actually tell a lot of thought went into repurposing elements of Ungerer's original to fit in a new, inspired way, like the comet in place of planes, The White House standing in for the globe and those charmingly simple, sketch style depictions of DiCaprio and Lawrence's astronomers, complete with her pointing upward through the title (which looks great). Retaining the retro quality of the Strangelove piece, this still goes in different directions with the off-white background, use of a black border and its utilization of negative space for the lengthy all-star cast, positioning the credits on the bottom like the original. In many respects this is the ideal companion piece to what it's honoring, while still showing great flashes of originality.  I'll soon discover whether the film even deserves comparisons to Strangelove, but this design would sell anyone on the notion that it's at least worth finding out. (Note: see also the Network-inspired poster for this film by graphic designer Scott Saslow on the runners-up list below. Another brilliant parody.) 

 

3. Spencer

As far as visual metaphors go, it doesn't get more literal than this teaser for Pablo Larraín's Spencer, recalling a thematically similar one-sheet for 2013's Diana, starring Naomi Watts, which covered the last two years of the Princess of Wales' life. The concept, of course, is isolation, an idea that's never been much of a stretch when analyzing her turbulent, emotional time in the public lens. What's most impressive about this is how Empire Design could have very easily slammed us over the head with that, so even as their intent is plainly obvious, it's presented in such an inviting, restrained style that you can't help but be sucked in.

Kristen Stewart is a huge, huge star and the draw of this entire film, but in a gutsy move, they're choosing not to show her face in order to make a stronger, more relevant point. As Diana, her entire identity is engulfed by the unimaginable pressure and scrutiny that came from both inside and outside the Royal Family. This shows her completely erased by fame and drowned out by that enormous white gown, making for an almost unbearably depressing contrast against that black background. And the matching gold title and credits are so meticulously placed that they invisibly bleed into the giant gown, proving to be the most clever kind of design decision. One that impresses without overtly drawing attention to itself.       

 

2. Licorice Pizza (All Versions)

 

 

It was always a matter of "where" rather than "if" this already iconic poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's coming-of-age dramedy, Licorice Pizza, would be showing up on the list. And most probably assumed this would be landing in the top spot, which it nearly did. It's not to hard to understand why, as the muted reaction accompanying the film's first, still somewhat oddly compelling one-sheet was transformed into pure elation upon seeing this. Beautifully illustrated by local Hawaiian artist Kat Reeder, (who has quite a story) it's everything a poster for a film like this should be, taking us back to not only the film's San Fernando Valley setting in 1973, but a time and place where illustrated pieces like this were commonplace. Far from just a retro aesthetic, it's the real deal.

This authentically looks and feels as if it's been transported from that era, from its stars in those bubbles, to the backdrop, and of course, the central image of Alana (Alana Haim) literally holding the pensive-looking Gary (Cooper Hoffman) in her hand above the credits, as if presenting him to us on a silver platter. And just imagine being Alana Haim starring in your first feature film and realizing this is how the world will see you on its poster  Kind of resembling her, yet sort of not, it's the best kind of illustration, wonderfully straddling that grey area between fantasy and reality. That there are actually more than a few different versions of the poster makes little difference. White blackground, black background, credits, no credits. Does it even matter? The end result's the same since it's the unusual style in which this is done that sets it apart. So much so that people have actually gone as far as to steal these from subways, train stations, park benches and theaters to keep or sell because they've been that scarce. Let me know if you find one.

 

1. The Amusement Park

When George A. Romero's shelved 1975 educational film on elder abuse, The Amusement Park, was finally unearthed and restored for a premiere on the Shudder streaming service earlier in the year, horror fans wondered how such an important cinematic curiosity could be brushed under the rug for so long. Then they saw it. With ambition reaching far beyond what the Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania must have expected after hiring Romero for the project, it's a sad, brilliantly disturbing portrait of impending, unavoidable doom. And now accompanying its release 46 years later is this official poster designed by Polish artist Aleksander Wasilewski that captures the picture's uncomfortable spell with one horrifying illustration. 

Very much in the style of the classic Polish movie posters of decades past, this image tells the uninitiated everything they need to know about what's to come. And for those who watched it, this takes you right back, conjuring up those nightmarish feelings all over again. The artwork is captivating, with the unnamed elderly man's (Lincoln Maazel) face literally cut in half by the carousel as blood trickles down his head and cheeks, recalling one of the film's most infamous scenes. Accurately depicted with his white suit, mustache and gray hair, it's hard not to avoid those Colonel Sanders comparisons.

The placement of the title is clean and crisp, set against a cheery sky blue background that jarringly contrasts with that mind blowing image. And if we're talking about trying to jam studio names, streaming services and production companies onto a page, this is a case study on how it's done correctly, with everything neatly centered and condensed on the bottom under his chin. Then there's that unforgettably chilling tag line,"See You In The Park, Someday." A promise and a threat the film fully delivers on.           
 

Runners-Up...

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 ...And The Worst

To be fair, there are probably plenty of posters from the past year that could have landed in its place. It's just that none of them have the silly title, American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (not be confused with Typhoid Mary) to draw attention to them. Nor do they contain the heavily photoshopped presence of a certain legendary actor who happens to be sporting a a mustache and has never looked as bored or depressed to be in a bad movie as he does here. And that's saying something. 
 

How bad does Amazon's Prime Video logo looks on nearly every poster for a movie they've released? And they they also added "Amazon Original Movie" across the top and "Amazon Studios" on the bottom right just to hammer it home. Maybe it seems more visually offensive here because the design is so hideous to begin with. The bright blue title treatment and old school font work well but the rest of it seems as if airbrush and photoshop ran rampant. Forget about these two resembling Lucy and Desi. They don't even look like Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. 

Clint Eastwood's never been known for either directing or appearing in movies with promotional material that looks as lazily cobbled together as this. There's a fan-made quality about it, though I'd like to believe anyone claiming to be a "fan" of the 91 year-old legend would have at least tried to design something more flattering than this. The title treatment is particularly embarrassing and the whole thing looks like it could pass as a believable bootleg DVD cover, back when those existed. And nowhere on here does it explicitly state that Eastwood directed this, which you'd think is a justifiable source of pride for him at this point.

We knew at least one of these kitchen sink, superhero-style designs would have to make it since there are always so many to choose from. You know the ones where they just superimpose every single character onto the poster in a nonsensical way with explosions and tons of action in the background. Sure, we're all pretty much numb to them by now and Free Guy's plot does supposedly resemble such a mess, but it can't get a pass because we still have to look. And it's unpleasant. I mean, he's even holding a fishbowl.    

 

Remember how excited everyone was when David Chase's Sopranos prequel came out in September? Me neither. It's hard to tell exactly when that enthusiasm completely waned (perhaps when it was seen), but I'd like to think it happened around the time these by-the-numbers character posters dropped, which firmly established a highly anticipated event as just another October release. Giant photoshopped heads, too much poorly placed text, Ray Liotta playing a guy named "Hollywood Dick." No thanks.

Intentional or not, this Bradley Cooper-centric Nightmare Alley one-sheet definitely shares more than a few passing visual similarities with a certain There Will Be Blood poster from '07 featuring Daniel-Day Lewis. Except it's far worse. We can barely see him and that very small sliver of light is mitigated by how drab and dull the whole color scheme is. The weak tagline is lost and unreadable, complete with a poorly placed cast rundown that looks as if someone copied a call sheet from the day's shoot. They tried again with a more sophisticated version, but it's still bad, looking more like missing promotional material from The Artist. 

So strange. Did you know there was also an American Boogeywoman movie released in 2021? That poster's terrible too, but at least it fails a relatively normal, inoffensive way. This actually went for something, and while risks should usually be applauded, look at this. A floating heads nightmare featuring four (!) faces of Ted Bundy (Chad Michael Murray), split by some kind of ugly jagged chainsaw effect that makes no sense upon realizing Bundy never used a saw of any kind on his victims. But don't look too far into it, as that could be a waste of energy, giving this film and poster more attention than it probably deserves.  

Something about the layout and flame overkill (reds and oranges all over the place) makes this one-sheet for the poorly received Angelina Jolie action vehicle, Those Who Wish Me Dead, really difficult to stare at for an extended period of time. Like over 5 seconds. If you didn't know any better you'd think this was a sequel to Backdraft, even if I'm willing to bet this poster would have Ron Howard frantically scrambling to call the local fire department. It looks like it needs to be hosed down rather than displayed in theater lobbies.  

Chris Pratt in an Amazon Original Movie released by Amazon Studios coming soon on Prime Video. Anyone claiming the days of big name stars being able to open movies are over should probably have a conversation with committee who designed this. They seem very sure Pratt is the exception and that his mere presence (emphasized by a very heroic pose) will override whatever problems exist within the film. The title couldn't possibly be any larger and that ugly Prime Video still manages to distract from it, somehow further cheapening this. No small feat.

The creatively troubled Amy Adams-starring The Woman in the Window was unceremoniously dumped on Netflix with little fanfare and these uninspired poster designs definitely reflect it. So hard to pick just one, as the black and white version looks most like it was churned out by some kind of Netflix algorithm, ready-made as a thumbnail to create clicks while conveying the film's theme in the laziest, most basic way. If that doesn't work for you, they also have a hideous looking rain effect version complete with an odd, multi-colored title treatment that too closely resembles Netflix's typeface. While the rain is dialed down some in the third attempt above and they've changed up the layout, it has an ugly yellow tint and Adams was gifted a mustache. As for the hand on the window, they're smearing something, but it doesn't look like blood.