Burning Questions From The 2021 Oscars

 

With viewers more unfamiliar than ever with the nominated films this year, isn't it strange they didn't open with a big montage?

Isn't this whole setup unusual, even considering?

Doesn't the old school dinner table layout look like something out of footage from 1950's Oscar telcasts?

Wasn't Regina King asked to handle a lot for someone who wasn't officially the "host?"  

Content aside, didn't she do pretty well? 

After the cool visual of her walking through Union Station with the Oscar, didn't everything just start going downhill?

Did any chance of the show providing an "escape" pretty much go out the window within the first few minutes?

Was reading those andecdotes for the nominees probably a better idea on paper than in execution?

Weren't they kind of long-winded?

Was this their big plan to make the show more exciting?

Were you worried they'd just continue this all night without showing any clips of the nominated films? 

When The Father won for screenplay, was I thinking it's too early to miss a big one like that already? 

Can anyone really argue with that winning? 

Did Laura Dern steal Bjork's Oscar dress?

Where can I get one of those Oscar lamps on everyone's tables?

When Laura Dern very sincerely started talking directly to the supporting nominees, did you wish they'd go back to reading those andecdotes? 

Did Daniel Kaluuya take full advantage of the fact there was seemingly no time limit put on the speeches or live orchestra to play him off? 

Have we lost faith that Steven Spielberg can direct something of supreme importance again?

Having your doubts West Side Story is that movie? 

They're doing Best Director NOW? 

Is Zhao's victory a spoiler warning for Best Picture?

Is shaking up the order of major awards the only noteworthy thing they've done with this show?

Did they just play "Live and Let Die" right after Zhao's emotional speech about her childhood? 

How can they show no clips of the nominated performances or films?  

Didn't it feel good not have multiple sound categories screwing up your scorecard?

Did you hear the announcer brag about the show "running on time?"

Is she counting her chickens before they hatch? 

Can we get an update on that in about an hour?

Were you thinking "Finally!" when they actually showed clips of the animated films? 

Is this the first time I've gotten both Animated and Live-Action Short?

Did it all go out the window with Documentary Short?

Didn't My Octopus Teacher director Pippa Ehrlich completely win the night with her speech?

Didn't Tenet deserve more love at the Oscars? 

Don't you immediately think "Marilyn Monroe" when talking about Maria Bakalova in Borat? 

Am I the only one who still feels bad for Amanda Seyfried? 

Didn't that woman giving the death stare to the camera look thrilled to be nominated for Tenet?

How can you not smile at The Father production designer's career inspiration starting with One Eyed Willy's ship in The Goonies? 

Shouldn't I have known that black and white usually equals a Best Cinematography win? 

Then again, isn't it ironic Mank's Eric Messerschmidt won the cinematography statue Gregg Toland didn't for Citizen Kane?  

Is 80 years the longest the Academy's ever waited to make up for an Oscar loss?

Wasn't Harrison Ford reading the Blade Runner notes a pretty good bit?

At least by this show's standards? 

Am I imagining this or didn't Tyler Perry win a similar award already a few months back? Or was it a year? The whole thing's a blur. 

Seemingly overnight, has Zendaya become the most famous, recognizable actress?

So I'm guessing we won't be getting performances of the Original Song nominees this year? 

Did anyone call "Fight For You" winning that category? 

Did Andra Day's reaction to Purple Rain's lack of a Best Song nomination sum up everyone's thoughts on the Oscars? 

What did we just see with Glenn Close?

Can we really say the censors at ABC were working overtime when both bits were entirely scripted? 

Were they zooming through the In Memoriam segment this year or what?

Um, Jessica Walter? 

You don't hear the announcer bragging about making such great time anymore, do you? 

Best Picture...NOW?!

Did this placement basically just give away what category they're closing with? 

Did Frances McDormand just howl like a wolf? 

If Netflix can't win Best Picture in a pandemic year, will they ever?

Should we be glad Zhao's holding on to the Best Picture Oscar since Frances McDormand has a penchant for misplacing them?

Did I speak too early?

Does McDormand winning (again) prove right everyone's theory that the "Academy does what the Academy does?"

Were you worried what that meant for Boseman? 

Have they ever finished an Oscar show with the winner(s) being completely absent?

No pre-recorded message or anything?

How foolish were they for putting Best Actor on last?

Didn't a really big assumption accompany that decision?

Is that a mistake they won't be making again anytime soon?

While it couldn't have been handled any worse, can anyone really say Boseman was robbed when Hopkins, one of our greatest actors, won for the best performance of his career?

At 83 years-old, can anyone blame Hopkins for not taking the trip out there for this show?

After actually watching it, will he be even more relieved he didn't go? 

Has there ever been a more shocking outcome in the two lead acting categories?

Or such a flat non-ending to the telecast?

Were you thinking that at least the whole Moonlight/La La Land fiasco was entertaining? 

Does this whole debacle make as good a case as any to give the producers a heads up on who's winning? 

Do they need to be introduced to the concept of video packages in between segments?

Maybe having hosts isn't such a terrible idea after all? 

Are Anne Hathaway and James Franco still available? 

Does the "worst Oscars ever" complaining contingent actually have a good case for once? 

Doesn't it seem like they just completely threw the towel in on this year's telecast?

While simultaneously trying entirely too hard? 

Well, at least they made good time, right?

Is there a good chance that none of the major four networks will carry the show next year?

Would that be such a bad thing?

2021 Oscar Predictions

Yes, this year's Oscar race was understandably kind of a disaster. But here we are, and while the annual chorus of industry dissenters and diehard cinephiles will cry that the Academy Awards just "don't matter anymore," they'll be watching no matter what, dissecting every minute of the inevitably overlong telecast. So rather than bemoan the fact that this show (like any current televised awards event) isn't reaching as broad an audience anymore, maybe it's time to celebrate who it is for. Viewed through that prism, there's actually a lot to look forward to when envelopes are opened Sunday night. Since no announcement was made regarding a formal host, we're led to assume there won't be one again, which might be for the best, especially given there's sure to be even more modifications due to social distancing guidelines. 

Catching up on the nominees and making informed (if not necessarily correct) predictions in regards to these outcomes was much easier with so many conveniently streaming titles. Eliminating my biggest roadblock as a fan and critic definitely helped, opening the door to not only see and review all but one of Best Picture nominees, but circle back and take in many of the other categories as well. It's still a cram session to an extent, but at least it's actually done before the telecast for a change. This also better enabled me to have some more investment in the race this year, even as it's looking like a tougher road than expected in the final stretch for my two favorites, Promising Young Woman and The Father (and to a lesser extent, Mank).

As far as the issue of diversity amongst the nominations, it's still more of an industry problem that's trickled into an Oscar one, casting doubt that forthcoming mandatory inclusion requirements for Best Picture nominees will do much to address the actual source of those difficulties. Moving forward will depend more on studio level involvement than AMPAS, who are still wildly flailing to pick up the slack, resulting in more diverse slate than usual this year.

Even as it remains impossible to read members' minds to determine how they'll vote, condensing those three sound categories into one should at least slightly improve everyone's scorecard. Last year yielded my best results since 2014, so I'm holding out hope that I'll at least successfully predict Best Picture after what's become an increasingly long, embarrassing streak of incorrectly forecasting the night's biggest prize. Below are the nominations, along with my predicted winners and analysis for the major categories. As usual, I'm retaining the right to make any alterations beforehand. But once that show starts, it's go time.

*Predicted Winners  

Animated Feature Film  

Onward    

Over the Moon

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Soul

Wolfwalkers

 

Animated Short Film

Burrow

Genius Loci

If Anything Happens I Love You

Opera

Yes-People

 

Documentary Feature

Collective

Crip Camp

The Mole Agent

My Octopus Teacher 

Time

 

Documentary Short Subject

Colette

A Concerto Is a Conversation

Do Not Split

Hunger Ward

A Love Song for Latasha

Live-Action Short Film

Feeling Through

The Letter Room

The Present

Two Distant Strangers

White Eye 

International Feature Film

Another Round (Denmark) 

Better Days (Hong Kong)

Collective (Romania) 

The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)

Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 

Film Editing

The Father (Yorgos Lamprinos)

Nomadland (Chloé Zhao)

Promising Young Woman (Frédéric Thoraval)

Sound of Metal (Mikkel E.G. Nielsen)  

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Alan Baumgarten)

Sound

Greyhound (Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman)

Mank (Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin)

News of the World (Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett)

Soul (Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker)

Sound of Metal (Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh)

Production Design

The Father (Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone)

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton)

Mank (Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale)

News of the World (David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan)

Tenet (Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas)

Costume Design

Emma (Alexandra Byrne)

Mank (Trish Summerville)

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ann Roth)

Mulan (Bina Daigeler)

Pinocchio (Massimo Cantini Parrini)

Original Score

Da 5 Bloods (Terence Blanchard) 

Mank (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross)

Minari (Emile Mosseri)

News of the World (James Newton Howard)

Soul (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste)

Original Song

“Fight for You” (Judas and the Black Messiah)

“Hear My Voice” (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

“Húsavík” (Eurovision Song Contest)

“Io Si (Seen)” (The Life Ahead)

“Speak Now,” (One Night in Miami)

Makeup and Hairstyling

Emma (Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze)

Hillbilly Elegy (Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney and Matthew Mungle)

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson)

Mank (Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams and Colleen LaBaff)

Pinocchio (Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti)

Visual Effects

Love and Monsters (Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox)

The Midnight Sky (Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins)

Mulan (Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram)

The One and Only Ivan (Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez)

Tenet (Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher)

Cinematography

Judas and the Black Messiah (Sean Bobbitt)

Mank (Erik Messerschmidt)

News of the World (Dariusz Wolski)

Nomadland (Joshua James Richards)

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Phedon Papamichael)

Adapted Screenplay

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern and Nina Pedrad)

The Father (Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller)

Nomadland (Chloé Zhao)

One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers)

The White Tiger (Ramin Bahrani)

If the Oscar were given for most credited writers on a screenplay, Borat would surely have this in the bag. It's odd considering, that of all the nominees, the one that seemed to feature the most improvisation, utilized so many hands on its script. The White Tiger was a surprise inclusion to most and just fortunate to make it in. One Night in Miami underperformed in every category, making a victory here unlikely despite its merits. That leaves us with Nomadland and The Father, with fortune appearing to favor the former if only because its expected to run the table for the night and Zhao did such a commendable job distilling Jessica Bruder's non-fiction source material.

 

Original Screenplay

Judas and the Black Messiah (Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas)

Minari (Lee Isaac Chung) 

Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell)

Sound of Metal (Darius Marder, Abraham Marder and Derek Cianfrance

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin)

The Academy really loves Sorkin, just not as a director, so if they were to honor his timely Chicago 7, it would undoubtedly be here for its screenplay. Judas and the Black Messiah and Sound of Metal have been praised more for their performances than scripts, but if the former is caught up in a groundswell of support it isn't impossible this spoils with its socially relevant biographical slant. Supporting Actress is the only race in which Minari stands a chance, so a script win is probably far-fetched. This is the category Promising Young Woman seems most primed to grab. While it would do little to soften the blow of a potential Mulligan Best Actress loss, I'll take it anyway, especially amongst this competition. Even those lukewarm on PYW would have problems denying the originality and power of its clever, twisted script. This is Fennell's to lose. Let's hope she doesn't.     

 

Supporting Actress

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) 

Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) 

Olivia Colman (The Father) 

Amanda Seyfried (Mank) 

Yuh-jung Youn (Minari)

Who can forget that look on Glenn Close's face when Olivia Colman swooped in and won what everyone assumed would be Close's long owed Best Actress statue for The Wife two years ago? It would be the cruelest of ironies if she lost to Colman again here, or maybe even crueler if Close  actually were to win for her widely reviled turn in Hillbilly Elegy. Given Oscar's history in this category, we can't put it past them. I loved former frontrunner Amanda Seyfried's performance in Mank, as did everyone. So, what happened? It did her no favors when the movie kind of died on the vine in terms of public perception, to the point that she's hardly even considered a possible spoiler, which is a shame. Borat's Maria Bakalova has been on a roll leading into this, but outside of very few instances (see Marissa Tomei) there isn't a strong precedent for the Academy rewarding work this broadly comedic, no matter how skilled. That leaves us with the underdog,Yuh-jung Youn, who just might pull this off. There's no better built-in story and we all know how the voters love that. Minari almost has to win something. This will probably be it.    

Supporting Actor

Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) 

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) 

Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami) 

Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) 

Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah) 

Another tough one. There was some concern for a little bit that Paul Raci's widely respected performance in Sound of Metal wouldn't make it in, which would have been unfathomable, though  hardly a new low for AMPAS. Well, he's there, just probably not winning. Cohen's entertaining work as Abby Hoffman in Chicago 7 is, rightly or wrongly, just not being taken seriously as a threat. I still contend Frank Langella gave the best performance in that film, even if it's possible he could have faced the same obstacle. Leslie Odom Jr. is a worthy winner for capturing the essence of Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami but he'd stand a better chance in a less crowded field. Some category confusion here, as both Kaluuya and Stanfield's performances could easily be considered for lead, especially the latter, who makes a stronger impression, if not necessarily the louder one. Kaluuya's performance is the one they'll honor.

Lead Actress

Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) 

Andra Day (The United States v. Billie Holiday) 

Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) 

Frances McDormand (Nomadland) 

Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) 

As the only nominee whose film hasn't landed in the public's conciousness at all, Pieces of a Woman's Vanessa Kirby is out, which isn't an indictment of the performance so much as a reflection of the way the wind's blowing right now. There's the feeling that McDormand's won too much already, but if anyone can overcome that, especially amidst all the Nomadland love, it's her. Viola Davis and Andra Day are running neck-and-neck for their musically inclined turns as Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday, respectively. While the latter boasts no other nominations, Day seems to have picked up momentum of late with her Globes win and the fact that her performance as the legendary crooner has just been better received than Davis' more flamboyant work. But what Davis has going for her is the opposite of McDormand in that voters will likely perceive she's long overdue for a win, despite already having a Supporting Actress statue on her mantle.

As the #MeToo avenger thwarting would be rapists and their enablers in Promising Young Woman, Carey Mulligan gave the best performance of the year in my favorite film. But she's definitely lost some momentum of late, having been embroiled in a minor controversy and coming up short in the precursors (even the Globes) while the Academy seems suddenly intent on rewarding SAG winner Davis. The thought of her triumphing alongside late co-star Chadwick Boseman is the kind of soul-affirming narrative that would have members frantically rushing to mark their ballots, even while most agree it's far from her best performance. But it's still a stain on the Academy that no black actress before or after Halle Berry has won in this category's history. If they want to fix that, there's no more deserving or widely respected a choice than Davis. Mulligan should win, but my worst Oscar instincts are telling me she won't. I'd love to be wrong. 

Lead Actor

Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) 

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) 

Anthony Hopkins (The Father) 

Gary Oldman (Mank) 

Steven Yeun (Minari)

The biggest lock of the night, as Boseman will surely join Peter Finch as the only other posthumous Oscar winner in this category What's worth noting is that the actor really never was given his due respect as a performer while alive, at least by the Oscars.What else could explain how his work in 42, Black Panther, Marshall, and most glaringly, Get On Up, received no recognition from the Academy? Now they have a chance to right that wrong, even if it's frustrating that his big breakthrough had to happen like this. It isn't often we affix the word "underrated" to someone who wins a posthumous Oscar, but here's a case where that designation definitely applies.

Boseman's only competition is BAFTA victor Hopkins, and it's here where circumstances do count since the acting legend would have assuredly won in any other year for his career best portrayal of a man in the throes of dementia. Minari's Steven Yeun is a non-starter, even if the nod will likely do a lot for his big screen prospects moving forward. After some very early momentum, Gary Oldman's chances for Mank went the way of Seyfried's for that film, while Riz Ahmed seems to have also inexplicably faded from the conversation. Brace for a highly emotional moment when Boseman's name is announced.    

Director

Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round)

David Fincher (Mank) 

Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) 

Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) 

Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)

The other lock of the night, as the inevitable Chloe Zhao victory checks a lot of the Academy's boxes. As only the second woman to take this honor, as well as the first Asian woman, the strongest argument for her is that she's completely deserving, as Nomadland's direction is arguably what made it soar. Many are still shocked Another Round's Vinterberg squeezed his way in, but good for him, as the inclusion should considerably raise his profile. Will David Fincher ever win an Oscar? Does he care? Doubtful, but it's not like many expected it to happen this year for Mank, given its somewhat mixed reception.While an undeniable achievement, Minari's unfortunately become a slot-filler at this point, with Lee Isaac Chung deserving of whatever post-Oscar boost he gets. Fennell's exciting, razor sharp direction of Promising Young Woman is that much more remarkable when you consider its challenging tone, but there's just no way voters are going there. We know this. Even if Nomadland somehow didn't take Best Picture, Zhao would still easily walk away with this one.  

Picture

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

In tackling a now more suddenly urgent event from decades prior, The Trial of the Chicago 7 may seem prescient, but it's thought of in many circles as the category's weakest entry, feeling done for after coming out of the gate so strongly for Netflix. The same can almost be said for Mank, though it never really got off the ground this season at all. Minari's nod is reward enough, while Sound of Metal lacks the scope and breadth voters often go for when determining winners in this race. Rewarding Judas and the Black Messiah would send a strong message, but certain portions of that film hit harder than others and it already feels as if Supporting Actor is the first and only order of business with it. 

The year's most overlooked dark horse is the superb The Father, but there hasn't been a big push for the film in enough circles until recently and it lacks the widespread awareness typically associated with a Best Picture. If even Hopkins can't win for the performance of his life, it's hard to believe this upset is possible. Should Promising Young Woman accomplish the unthinkable it would probably be one of the darker recent winners. It's not a complete downer in the traditional sense, but you get the idea. They're just not doing it.

The only thing standing in Nomadland's way are complaints that the film brushes over Amazon's allegedly dangerous working conditions for elderly employees. This would matter more if this were a documentary about corporate malfeasance, but for the exact purposes of Zhao's story, it carries very little weight. Plus, we know how the Academy detests controversies slipping into their life-affirming worldview, so they won't be swayed. It's essentially a human tragedy, but one that gives them no more  despair than they can handle, emerging as the ideal flagbearer by addressing socially, politically, economically relevant issues in a non-controversial way. It expertly walks that Oscar tightrope and voters won't hate themselves afterwards, or at least not for reasons related to the film. This category's been a rollercoaster ride in recent years, but there just aren't many unpredictable options on the table this time around. Look for Director and Picture to match as Nomadland takes home the gold.

2021 Oscar Nominations (Reaction and Analysis)

This morning's announcement of the 93rd annual Academy Award nominations by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas saw the culmination of what's understandably been a fairly strange Oscar season that kicked off with confusion as to if or when the ceremony would take place. But it's happening, two months later than usual on April 25th, live from both the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and L.A's Union Station. The exact form the show will take remains somewhat of a mystery, but isn't it always?  This unprecedented timetable has led to some unpredictability among voters who no longer have a marathon of industry awards and in-person events to rely on before casting their ballots. Now, with only the Golden Globes and a handful of critics awards to go on, what the voters will do is anyone's guess. 

While it remains to be seen whether the theatergoing experience will become altogether extinct or irrelevant as we enter unchartered territory for movies, the availability of on-demand and streaming titles has made catching up on new releases easier than ever. So even if the circumstances causing that couldn't be worse, I'm still in the unique position of having my best shot yet at catching nearly all the contending films before the show. Whether this is of much help come prediction time remains to be seen, but as far as the nominations go, it's almost redundant to declare there were some snubs and suprises, albeit far fewer than usual. But more than ever, the diversity issue is sure to take center stage, though you could argue it never really went away, with the Academy continuously applying band-aids to the problem for the past few years. So, here we are with the full nominations list, along with my takes below. Let's see how they did.  

-With six films earning six nominations, the field's more open than usual, but I'm still in the minority for thinking they should go back to five Best Picture nominees. It just makes those movies mean more. Every year you just know the films without a director nomination don't stand a chance and end up filling participation trophy slots. So, of course, AMPAS makes the decision to go back up to a mandated ten (!) nominees starting next year. It's easy to understand the desire to draw much needed attention to underseen films by giving them a nod, but they've watered down the category in the process.   

-This year there were 8 Best Picture nominees, which has been about the average lately. The only three omissions that could be considered "snubs" are One Night in Miami, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods but Miami's really the only one you could make a strong case for that designation applying in a big way. Bloods chances were always slim and Ma Rainey had much more support for Davis and Boseman's performances than the film itself. 

-The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah and Minari are the category underdogs, but none go as far as to be considered "surprises." Same for Sound of Metal, which was continuously picking up steam. My favorite film of the year, Promising Young Woman, gets in. Despite lacking a director nod for Sorkin, Chicago 7 still strangely feels like it has a chance, if only due to its timeliness. 

-David Fincher's Mank leads the pack with 10 nominations, including Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress and a handful of technical notices. Not bad considering there were worries this wouldn't do as well as expected. I'm glad it did, since it's been somewhat overlooked and underrated after coming out of the gate really strong a few months ago.

-Breathing a sigh of relief that Mank's Amanda Seyfried got in for Supporting Actress, as she recently lost some ground after starting the race a favorite to win. 8-time nominee Glenn Close now has a pair of Razzie and Oscar nods for the same semi-reviled performance in Hillbilly Elegy. Maria Bakalova's momentum continues for Borat while Minari's Yuh-Jung Youn seems like the outlier, as there was some doubt she'd break through. No Jodie Foster for The Mauritanian. Tenet's Elizabeth Debicki deserves to be here.

-Really wanted to see Bo Burnham get a surprise Supporting Actor nod for Promising Young Woman but knew his chances were slim to none. Chadwick Boseman would have joined James Dean in becoming the only other person to receive two posthumous acting nominations, but missed for Da 5 Bloods. Thankfully Paul Raci's in for Sound of Metal after unexpected exclusions at some industry precursors leading into this. 

-Judas and the Black Messiah takes up two supporting slots for Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield (somewhat surprising) as Leslie Odom Jr. enjoys the sole acting nomination for One Night in Miami for his portrayal of Sam Cooke. No one expected Jared Leto to get in for The Little Things and he didn't. That was a Globes thing.     

-I'm as perplexed as you that another Pinocchio film was released over the past year, much less that it was able to earn two nominations.  

-Great to see Christopher Nolan's Tenet in the Sound and Production Design categories.Well-deserved, but you just couldn't be certain given how polarizing it was. If Sound of Metal wasn't recognized for sound that would be concerning. 

-Did anyone expect Ramin Bahrani's script for The White Tiger to be competing for Best Adapted Screenplay?

-Jack Fincher is ironically shut out of a posthumous Original Screenplay nod for Mank, a movie about a screenwriter who wrote the most acclaimed movie of all-time.  

-The two major acting categories went as expected, with Andra Day's Globe win likely cementing her presence, erasing whatever doubt there was she'd make it. Her toughest competition will be Viola Davis and my favorite, Carrie Mulligan, who may not be the frontrunner she was a month ago. Pieces of a Woman's Vanessa Kirby endured starring opposite Shia LeBeouf and that association apparently did little to dimish the merits of her performance in voters' eyes. Of course, two-time winner McDormand was a given for Nomadland, securing her sixth career nod. 

-Both Mank's Gary Oldman and Sound of Metal's Riz Ahmed made it in for Best Actor, as did Anthony Hopkins for The Father (which did better than expected overall). Minari's Steven Yeun is the wildcard, displacing Da 5 Bloods' Delroy Lindo, whose chances dissipated when that movie fizzled out. Category confusion over Miami's Kingley Ben-Adir's placement probably cost him in both lead and supporting. They should have strongly pushed him in the latter. This is Boseman's to lose, and he won't.  

-Aaron Sorkin and Regina King failing to earn Best Director nods is the story of the day, but no one thinks the former's skills as a director surpass that of his writing for Chicago 7 so King's omission is the full-blown snub. Shocking development that Another Round's Thomas Vinterburg was included ahead of her. Very few could have seen that coming. Also no Spike Lee, but many thought he would get shut out. David Fincher thankfully gets in for Mank, making it a career third for him.

-Recognition for Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell and Nomadland's Chloe Zhao mark the first time two women are competing in the Best Director category. But more intriguingly, both films collected all the important "check mark" nods for acting, editing, writing and directing that have historically signaled a Best Picture win.

 

                         

Promising Young Woman

Director: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Chris Lowell, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson, Alfred Molina, Molly Shannon
Running Time: 113 min.
Rating: R 

★★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

To say that Emerald Fennell's revenge thriller Promising Young Woman is about someone who does bad things for the right reasons would feel like engaging in the same double talk excuse-making that plagues the "nice guy" would-be rapists its title character terrorizes. A more accurate assessment of one the year's absolute best and most thought-provoking films would describe it as being about accountability. It scares us to death into being better, holding its mirror up to a society assuming they've done enough and can't be bothered by the fact that they really haven't done anything at all. 

Squashing any preconceived notions about an issue we thought we've examined every facet of over the past two years, it throws those prejudices back in our faces with nihilistic, venomous glee. A surface-level reading the film's antagonistic protagonist would have some mistaking her for kind of a female Dexter, replacing retribution for serial killers with rapists. And yet this tramples over that buzzy oversimplification to deliver a story that cuts much deeper, complete with a pitch black satirical slant. 

While damaged, this isn't a character who murders or maims, with all questions concerning her potentially fragile mental state circling back to a single trauma from the past that feeds an obsessive motivation. Despite a plot built around such an explosive character, the film's greatest trick is that this isn't necessarily a study in her behavior, but rather those she targets. It's all about them, and ultimately us. Or really anyone who, if maybe not directly the perpetrator, could have found themselves in a situation where laughing things off or ignoring them altogether proved to be an escape hatch from its actual ramifications. 

If complicity comes in many different forms, the scariest realization is that we may never truly know anyone. That's not news, but how writer, actress and first-time feature director Fennell's script meticulously builds her case twist-by-twist before knocking the wind out of you in its closing minutes is. Like the mesmerizing lead performance carrying it, the film's fearless in refusing to pull any punches before arriving at a complex destination that's far from inevitable considering what came before. Stylish and beautifully constructed, it doesn't only give you something to think about following the credits, but provokes genuine discomfort and even outrage at having such thoughts. Whatever they may be.

Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas (Carey Mulligan) is 30-year-old woman living with her parents (Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge) in Ohio after having dropped out of medical school years earlier due to an incident involving her best friend Nina. Now working at a coffee shop, she spends her nights at clubs pretending to be drunk to bait guys into taking her home, where they inevitably try to take advantage of the situation before she reveals her sobriety. 

As the reasoning behind Cassie's dangerous game starts to come into focus, her insulated world is temporarily turned upside down after a chance encounter with former classmate and pediatric surgeon Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), whom she eventually starts dating. Cassie's emerging feelings for him seem to conflict with news that a hated ex-classmate, Alexander "Al" Monroe (Chris Lowell) is recently engaged to be married. 

The mere mention of Al's name is an immediate trigger for Cassie, prompting her to embark on an intricate revenge plan involving multiple people entwined in a morally corrupt, misogynistic system that failed Nina and sent both fleeing from med school. As Cassie exacts revenge on those who wronged them, the idea of having actually met a good guy in Ryan could present the possibility of a future she gave up on having years ago. To embrace that, she'll need to let go of these revenge fantasies and an anger that's consumed her since the incident. But given the full nature of what happened and its lingering long-term impact, that could prove impossible. 

The film announces what it is right away, as a seemingly drunk Cassie lures her first victim in, if only he were actually a "victim" or even "lured." The young, outwardly affable businessman (played by Adam Brody) could be better categorized as the victimizer, or worse. He's just one of the unsuspecting marks Fennell brilliantly manipulates us into hanging our hats on by reconceptualizing the "nice guy" facade they've adopted to define themselves. Lulling us into considering they wouldn't dare take advantage of a barely conscious young woman without a ride home, how surprised or disappointed viewers are with the results goes a long way in confirming a certain level of pre-existing cynicism and awareness. Already an old pro at this, Cassie's ten steps ahead, complete with a personal scorecard that consistently yields a similar, if not identical, outcome each time. 

Never doubting that these guys have any other intention but to rape her, she's often alarmingly right, with one creep (played by Superbad's Christopher Mintz Plasse) going so far as to premptively victim-shame her before he can even get started. What they all have in common is the terrified looks on their faces when she reveals the con and exposes them for who they really are. Once confronted with her sobriety, they back off immediately, cowering in fear, suggesting she's really in this for that moment, knowing her actions could have just prevented it from happening again. Some want to run, others throw out excuses, but the upper hand is now hers in a power dynamic that's jarringly shifted.  

The script doesn't glide over Cassie's obvious issues, but the deeper understanding we get of the event that drove her here makes it easier for us to wrap our heads around the behavior. But it's still wrecklessly dangerous as she continuously places herself in harm's way to avenge a crime that can never be adjudicated or erased, having already caused irrecovable trauma. The arrival of Ryan into her orbit is when the material effortlessly alternates between some darker elements and a courtship that's enormously entertaining enough to stand on its own as a romantic comedy.

Fennell is so good at handling everything involving this relationship, as Cassie's walls gradually and believably start to crumble to the point that we think she may finally be able to turn the page on the grief that's emotionally paralyzed her. And we're rooting hard for it, while nervously dreading that a few potentially devastating scenarios could play out to derail it. Among them is the possibility Ryan ucovers her nightime hobby, isn't the true "nice guy" he seems or she's secretly targeting him next, playing some kind of long con in the hopes of exposing something.

While all of this adds an undercurrent of tension to every interaction, the chemistry between Mulligan and Burnham is such that we actually don't want any of these unsettling scenarios to come to fruition. The latter, better known as a comedian and director of 2018's critically acclaimed Eighth Grade, is especially good, conveying a geeky, self-depricating sense of humor that chips away at Cassie's defenses.

The idea that those who harm in the past rarely go away and are frequently incapable of significant change makes Cassie's work easier than it should be. Al's the ultimate end game in terms of her vengeance, but as she moves down the list, the enablers come off just as badly. Alison Brie as a stuck-up former classmate and Connie Britton as the University Dean are such realistically written and performed characters in terms of their normalized obliviousness. Exhibiting familar, if hypocritical behavior, they haven't a care in the world unless they're pushed, and something's on the line. For them, of course. 

Cassie exposes all their malfeasances and self-deception in a manner mirroring what she does with the aspiring rapists, refusing to draw the line between the actual act and those who stand by facilitating it. Given the stakes, even those wrestling with the morality of her methods would likely agree it's a message that badly needed to be delivered. Her encounter with a damaged lawyer (played by Alfred Molina) plays far differently, Cassie's reaction suggest she's playing with a fuller deck than initially suspected and there are certain lines that won't be be crosssed.

Despite the silly controversy that's arisen involving Carey Mulligan's looks as it relates to her qualifications for the role, the fact she's playing so agressively against her perceived screen persona only works to the material's favor. Usually more associated with period dramas, she enters the story as underestimated as her wild character, frequently framed in and surrounded by bright rainbow colors by cinematographer Benjamin Kračun as to contrast sharply with the story's inherent darkness. There are a lot of creative landmines for Mulligan to navigate to in terms of tone and intent, but she responds with her strongest ever work, reflecting in Cassie someone that's borne from tragedy, but cemented in a sadness and anger overlooked by those to whom she's closest, which are few. Alternating between observant girl-next-door and extroverted vixen, she carries the character's messy history on her shoulders, and as a result, the entire film.

When it's time to enter the lion's den and come face-to-face with the toxic jock bro she's been waiting years to destroy, Cassie comes prepared. Everything that happens in this movie's polarizing last act is shocking, but with an accompanying method to its madness. While the numbers game puts her in as serious danger, it's gone too far for her to turn back now, not that she'd even consider that. What actually goes down at the cabin bachelor party is jaw-dropping, but it's the fallout that gives Fennell's film its poisonous aftertaste, connecting all its dots in the most sensational of ways. All of it culminates in a revelatory closing sequence where you can almost literally hear the sound of a book closing or the last knot being tightly tied as the camera pans out.

All the praise heaped upon these final few minutes should extend past the editing and performances to also include the soundtrack. Often, the mark of truly great uses of popular songs in movies can be defined by a feeling that you've just heard it for the first time regardless of how frequently it's previously been played elsewhere. We get such a needle drop here, with a throwback tune that perfectly and ironically caps the moment, further enhancing the action it's juxtaposed against. It's such an ideal fit you'd figure it was written exactly for this scene, and unlikely to be heard the same way again. There's another more recent mainstream pop selection that makes a memorable karaoke cameo earlier on, but the closer is in a class by itself, marking one of many elements Fennell seamlessly harnesses to establish this nasty, confrontational experience as so much more than the mere sum of its parts.   

This would make for a great double feature with 2020's other provocative #MeToo drama, The Assistant, which could have easily been mistaken for a documentary given how raw and emotionlessly it depicted a similarly abusive environment. Tone-wise, they definitely don't match, but categorizing both under the same hashtag might be selling each short, reducing them to a very specific movement. It's never explicitly stated when the events here take place, and while the technology heavily implies present day, there's a timelessness to the proceedings and surroundings that force you to do a double take, speculating how a similar concept could have played out in the 80's or 90's. Or more pertinently, what the reaction would have been. Too full of jagged edges and black humor to be preaching anything, Promising Young Woman lets its scenario, and all the despicably flawed figures involved, speak for itself. And in doing that it becomes an outlier amongst socially concious thrillers by transcending the era for which it's made to become a stinging indictment on humanity as a whole.     

The Best (and Worst) Movie Posters of 2020

After begrudgingly accepting that far fewer films would be released in 2020 than anticipated, accompanying it was the bitter reality that there also wouldn't be as many movie posters to admire, or even dislike. With the state of movies on shaky ground all year, the industry was basically forced to adjust its business model on the fly, pushing releases out a year or longer regardless of the advertising. With no concrete idea as to how much it affected the studios' marketing strategies for these titles, we do know it made an impact, causing more films to fall through the cracks than ever before. On the flip side, many were able to reach an untapped audience, giving them attention they may not have otherwise gotten.

This wild year actually made my 15th edition of The Best (and Worst) Movie Posters list one of the more interesting to compile, even while it wasn't the easiest, fraught with more hunting and pecking than usual to make sure nothing was missed. Of course, the big story, already building for years but breaking through in a big way in 2020, was the rise of home viewing, with a Netflix release nabbing top poster honors for the first time. Otherwise, the rules haven't changed all that much.

Complicated or busy just aren't hallmarks of an effective movie poster design. Layouts like that might get a lot of attention, but they're hardly ever capable of holding it. And when you don't see a poster here that was universally praised everywhere for its ingenuity, there's a good chance that's the reason.With only the occasional exception, a poster's main purpose is to cleanly, crisply convey in a single image the idea of the film, giving up just enough, but not too much about what we're in for. 

I'll always contend there's a direct, symbiotic relationship between a movie's marketing and quality. There have been too many posters for great pictures cracking the top 10 each year to think otherwise. And an intriguing enough one-sheet on its own can always make a difference in eventually getting me in front of the screen to watch the film, no matter how little known it may be (case in point--2019's winner, Starfish). While 2020's champ isn't a title in need of such attention, that doesn't make its original, eye-catching poster any less impressive. 

In a distinction suddenly more important than usual this go around, a poster would need to be released during the 2020 calendar year to qualify, regardless of whether the film was. So while any official design that dropped between January 1st and December 31st is eligible, it did lead to one unusual situation where two entirely different posters for the same movie appeared on both last year's and this year's lists. As usual, only "official" movie posters are eligible, as shaky as that definition has become. The runners-up, along with the always popular compilation of the worst, are alphabetically listed below. All images via Impawards.com. Just click to enlarge.

The Best...

10. She Dies Tomorrow

Maybe not the most upbeat title for a horror film, but you don't exactly go into a psychological horror thriller about a woman sure she will perish the next day looking for laughs and giggles. By these standards, Legion Creative Group's design for Amy Seimetz's She Dies Tomorrow is terrifyingly effective and not entirely unfamilar to the genre, as either melting or distorted faces in a state of distress have gotten very popular of late. This unquestionably stands out from the pack, not only because actress Kate Lyn Sheil's haunted face (s) is perfect for this kind of presentation, but those colors. The reds, blues, purples and pinks are literally exploding all over the page in a swirling, mesmerizing pattern that seems to be taking us down the rabbit hole. The red blood effect around her mouth really take it to another level, as does the bright, perfectly centered title. "Your Deepest Fear Is Spreading" is too good a tag line to keep that hidden though, making reference to the parasitic, contagious nature of her condition. Well done.

 

9. Funny Face

Now this is unique. And no, it's not a poster for that other Funny Face movie, but Tim Sutton's low-budget revenge crime drama about a young man (played by Cosmo Jarvis) who adopts a masked persona after his grandparents' home is destroyed. As you can probably tell, this mask is certifiably creepy, only made more jarring by the manner it's inserted into this one-sheet, presenting a darkly violent social allegory (it's supposedly not a horror film) as a spiritual and religious experience. Consider us disturbed. Great use of the fire engine red against the black background, and the title and credit placement on the top left is a disorienting attention grabber, freeing up all that negative space. Up close, it looks even better, with a weathered, distressed quality that only adds to its appeal. It's surprising this poster hasn't been talked about more, flying so far under the radar I couldn't even uncover the designer.

 

8. Moving in 2008

Talk about negative space. Taking a cue from that legendary Downhill Racer one-sheet, there's something special about the audacity of this Sister Hyde design, especially considering how the film's subject matter deals with a 2008 recession, "catalyzed by unemployment, personal crisis, and illness." So yeah, not timely at all. Even if brown isn't the most pleasing color, you could argue that's exactly the point considering this isn't an image intended to convey comfort or tranquility. Love the bold title treatment here, both in look and placement, with that "everything just happened so fast" tagline and its microscopic size contrasting nicely with the vast sandy background. Barely keeping her head above ground, those uncertain, sorrowful eyes trail that moving van as it makes it way across the page, delivering a great visual metaphor for an entire life being packed up and driven away.

 

7. Minor Premise (Both Versions)

More melting and distorted faces, this time in two entirely different one-sheets for Minor Premise, which may not be living up to its title since the plot seems to be anything but. According to imdb, "a reclusive neuroscientist attempting to surpass his father's legacy becomes entangled in his own experiment, pitting ten fragments of his consciousness against each other" in co-writer/director Eric Schultz's sci-fi thriller. It's great when you can read a logline and then literally see the visual manifestation of it in poster form. That top one, designed by Jump Cut and Brandon Schaefer, has the fractured fragments portion of this pretty well covered with that blurry, overlapping imagery conveying a genuine sense of unease and dread. But the face-melting design could be also considered another close relative of last year's aforementioned Daniel Isn't Real design, right down to the color scheme. And you have to love it when a movie's consistently branded across the board, in this case with that slanted "M" in the title treatment.     

 

6. The Atlantic City Story

What a throwback this is. The watercolor-style design looks like it came straight out the 1970's, causing anyone to do a double take on The Atlantic City Story's release date. But yes, it did come out in 2020 and is about an unhappily married woman who runs away to the title city where she meets a young gambler. There's just something so aesthetically pleasing about this one-sheet that harkens back to a simpler time in movie advertising when photoshopped heads of actors weren't used to sell smaller adult-skewing romantic dramas. Supposedly, this is more of a muted character study, which only makes this off kilter idea work that much better, with great faded use of pinks and purples, a magnificent illustration and some more excellent use of negative space. But it's that retro title font that seals the deal, perfectly complimenting the tone and style of the poster. Haven't seen the film, but will now knowing there's at least a small chance it could live up to the high bar set here.     

 

5. Promising Young Woman

Yes, yes, and yes. This is how you make an impact with a single, striking image.Writer/director Emerald Fennell's polarizing #MeToo revenge thriller Promising Young Woman dives head first into the controversy surrounding it with a teaser poster that's basically the movie incarnate There's another one-sheet for this below in the runners-up section that's visually clever, but this feels more wholly original and literally dripping with with the toxic venom "promised" from the film's protagonist /antagonist played by Carey Mulligan, who has unusually long arms if this image is to believed. Proportions notwithstanding, it doesn't get much better than her sprawled across hot pink dripping lips, with a wicked tagline ("Take Her Home And Take Your Chances.") and an 80's inspired title font.  Memorable and provocative, it's everything a poster for this kind of movie should be, with an image that already feels iconic.  

  

4. Color Out Of Space

Just when you thought we couldn't get a crazier Nic Cage poster for director Richard Stanley's 2019 sci-fi adaptation of Color Out of Space, Tom Hodge arrives with a one-sheet that breaks that aforementioned rule that all great one-sheets must be clean, simple and uncomplicated. If ever an exception is to be made, you'd figure it would be for a Cage movie since those adjectives would be among the last to describe the actor's career. While I still prefer last year's trippier, psychedelic design, this one that dropped at the very start of 2020 is a worthy companion that's very Mondo-like in its style, further cementing that company's influence on more mainstream releases, if this could be considered that. Despite seeing chaotically illustrated posters more than ever, this does feel a level above, and definitely in line with Hodge's other work. It's also giving off some major Stranger Things vibes, trading out that series' red color scheme for a very memorable purple.       

3. The Nest

Coming soon to NBC: A Sunday Night Special Feature Presentation of Sean Durkin's The Nest, which is sure to be the top ratings grabber of 1987. Brought to you with limited commercial interruption by   Chevrolet ("The Heartbeat of America") and Pepsi ("The Choice of a New Generation") American entrepreneur Rory O' Hara (Jude Law) and his wife Alison's (Carrie Coon) seemingly happy lives take a sinister turn after relocating their family to an English country manor in this heart-stopping thriller. Okay, it's one thing to pay homage with a retro poster design, but it's legitimately scary how P+A's design exactly resembles a poster or advertisement that would appear in TV Guide in the 1980's, the decade during which the film's events take place. 

This nails everything, from the layout to the title treatment to the washed out color, as well as the lost art of correctly lining up the actors with their names. Even the cracked mirror visual (often overused and poorly presented in other poster designs) works incredibly well, done just subtly enough to throw you off balance while conveying the film's theme of shattered identity. Who cares if Law's reflection looks more like a young Bryan Cranston's or that Coon is completely unrecognizable with longer hair? Staring at this poster out of context I'd believe it's from thirty years go, deserving of prime gallery space right next to this classic,VHS-inspired design for Frost/Nixon. Now there's a double feature.           
 

2. Stardust (U.K. and U.S. Versions)

  

Ground control to Major Tom. It may not have generated a lot of buzz, but a David Bowie biopic came out in 2020 called Stardust, starring Johnny Flynn as the young singer making his first visit to the U.S. in 1971, inspiring the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona. That hook alone should solidify the film as a must-see, but these teaser posters, which couldn't be further apart conceptually, are equally effective at conveying the spirit of the artist as he approached his peak. As a fan of stark simplicity and logos, that U.K.teaser is the embodiment of Bowie with the instantly recognizable lightning bolt design seen on his Aladdin Sane album cover. 

In a uniquely advantageous position to use music iconography to sell their movie, it's hard to imagine anything that would have looked or felt as right. Taking a totally different route, P+A strikes again with that wild design directly above, highlighting the outer space theme to maximum effect. The bright pinkish red against the beige and black background really compliments the bold title treatment and teal credits, but the real focal point is that astronaut floating into the abyss. Perfect.

1. Mank

That the winning one-sheet for David Fincher's Mank doesn't even look like anything resembling a traditional movie poster is one of its greatest assets. Much like the film, it's outside the box and requires some effort to absorb all the wonderfully hidden details. Depicting what's arguably the best scene in the entire picture when a drunk Herman J. Mankiewicz crashes a costume party at Hearst's mansion and pitches his Citizen Kane idea right to the publishing kingpin's face. Obviously, the black and white sketch-style illustration is completely unique, superbly capturing the look and atmosphere of this memorable sequence while still managing to go even a few steps further. 

Not only playing with depth in the same way Kane does with some of its most famous shots, it absoutely nails the looks of horror and concern on the faces of these guests, most of whom are artistically rendered as almost exaggerated caricatures of themselves, like something out of The Twilight Zone. That's especially true for our title character, who's never appeared as maniacal or frightening in the film as he does raising his glass like a court jester on this one-sheet, showcasing the enormity of his montrous outburst. Of everyone, he looks the least like the actor playing him, baring virtually no resemblance to Gary Oldman, which had to be intentional. Larger than life and cartoonized, this may as well serve as a dark teaser for Citizen Kane: The Animated Series. And it works. 

With her unmistakably unique look, Amanda Seyfried has rarely been properly captured in illustrative form until now, clad in Marion Davies' unforgettable circus costume from that party. The title typography serves as another neat Kane homage and I like how the credits are arranged almost like a menu or drink list. That makes sense not only considering the protagonist's demons, but because the poster looks like it could be hanging in a pub or tavern in the 1940's. Just imagine this thing on the wall lit up. After waiting fifteen years for my favorite director to have a movie that's poster is the best of the year, this definitely didn't disappoint. 

Runners-Up...

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

...And The Worst

There are a lot of different poster ideas going on in this single one-sheet for Blindfire and all of them are equally ill-conceived. For all we know, this low-budget cop thriller could actually be of decent quality (Geraghty and Lenz are good actors who deserve a hit), but its 3.9 IMDB score strongly suggests otherwise, as does this visual monstrosity, a mish mash of 90's action cliches gone bad. It's hard not to despise the positioning of its generic title, the tagline and the black and white color scheme, which might go further than being a poor design choice, veering into tastlessness once you read the description of its racially-charged plot. 

These had to be included as a pair since, let's face it, they're the same exact poster with a different title and actors. And judging from the poor photoshopping, they may even be the same actors. Boss Level's title treatment utilizes a font so ugly the marketing department should be forced to write a formal letter of apology to all 80's video game packaging designers. And those pixels and explosions. What a mess. In a rare event, the U.S. version of this poster, while entirely similar and awful, does clean things up a little. Can understand Gibson doing this, but Watts? The one-sheet for Clover (with a shamrock target for the "O"--ugh) doesn't even bother crediting the actors at all. They're all probably grateful. Get ready for a lot of people pointing guns and some big explosions. Let's hope the effects look nothing like whatever that is going on behind Ron Perlman. 

Much like Nic Cage did at one point, Tom Hanks is emerging as a fixture on this list. But it's not because the movies are bad or cheaply made that we so frequently see his visage plastered on some of the worst posters of the year. It's studio laziness. "We've got Hanks. That's it. Just airbrush and photoshop the hell out of it and we're good. Oh, and make his head as big as possible." If forced to pick, version 2 is worse if only because of that horribly rendered ship, but the long and wordy tagline remains equally unreadable on both. By all means, Hanks should be the centerpiece of the movie's promotional efforts. Just not this clumsily. And it's been a noticeable problem for a while now.

Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza and Alison Brie are all in a movie together and THIS is the poster for it. Making this approach even more inexcusable, it's actually a really enjoyable film. Outside of a potential sequel, there are no second chances for Hulu as they blew it here, its poor promotional material luckily saved by the actual movie. This poster somehow makes them all interchangeable with a generic Christmas snapshot gimmick that buries everyone's star power. It's quite an accomplishment considering each of them have enough rabid fans to fully populate a new country. They should have instead gone with the illustrated retro greeting card design from the film's opening credits. A far safer route was taken, likely rationalized by the argument that the cast sells itself.  

 

The chief offense of Netflix's teaser for Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy isn't how drab and uninteresting it makes the film look by simply showing an overhead shot of trees and a car, but the needless amount of text overwhelming it. It's almost as if the marketing department knew they didn't have anything so opted to stretch out the credits to hide the lack of any compelling image or message. Kind of like that time in school when you wrote as big as possible on really small paper so the book report would look longer.
 

You just know Fred Goldman and Denise Brown are on the phone with their lawyers right now. And they should be, based on this deplorable one-sheet that finally answers the question of what really happened to...Nick Stahl and Mena Suvari's careers. Aesthetically, the poster isn't any worse than your average VOD stinker, but boy is that tag line scraping the bottom of the barrel, even for a brazenly exploitative thriller "inspired" by true events. Of course, those events seems to involve some cross country serial killer (with the "bloody glove?!") who looks to have either framed or helped O.J., a likely co-producer of this project. The one-sheet's just trashy enough to make The Haunting of Sharon Tate seem like a touching tribute, causing more speculation about the film's legality than its advertising. Assuming there's even a line anymore, it's just been crossed.

Next.

Isn't he holding the phone backwards? Wait, is someone else holding the phone? Whose hand is that? And wasn't this supposed to be a selfie?  I hope they all don't think they're actually in the shot because that's just not possible. So confusing. From a strictly technical standpoint, let's at least hope the film fares better than this.

If anyone still feels brave enough to go for a dip in this water after seeing the look on Luke Wilson's face, let me know.