The Case for Best Poster Design: A New Academy Award Category
Why it’s Time to Recognize the Art of Movie Posters
There are plenty of absent Academy Award categories that filmmakers and fans have been begging to instate over the years, including stunt coordination, main title design, and casting. That last one is finally happening next year, proving that the Academy does sometimes listen. And for our money, the next new category should be Best Poster Design.
A Resurgence in Creativity
For a while back in the 2010s, it looked like poster design innovation might be stalling. Thanks to Marvel, the proliferation of the ‘floating head’ design seemed all-encompassing. But things have changed in recent years, with creativity making a comeback. Many of the films nominated for Oscars in 2025 featured truly stunning posters, with some even giving the best movie posters ever a run for their money.
Examples of Exceptional Poster Design
One such example is the poster for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, which was truly stunning. The design features dreamscapes, a classily curated color palette, and a recurring aesthetic of bizarre repeating or oversized heads. These were some of the most unforgettable posters we saw over the last twelve months.
Another standout is the poster for Alien Romulus, which plays on the nostalgia of the Alien series, reviving one of its most iconic enemies. The design feels subdued and stylish in its quietly disturbing imagery, with the red and black color palette adding an additional sense of horror and tension, giving the poster a chilling graphic feel.
Retro Revival
And then there’s the poster for La Chimera, which takes us back to Drew Struzan’s famous posters for the ’70s and ’80s. The hand-painted collage is beautifully rendered, and despite featuring a bunch of floating heads, we don’t have a bad word to say about it.
A Vibrant 80s Vibe
The poster for Challengers, last year’s hugely popular Zendaya-fronted tennis flick, has an extravagantly maximalist 80s vibe, with viewers quick to point out the resemblance to several posters from that era, such as Risky Business.
Conclusion
While it might be too much to hope for the biggest filmmaking award ceremony to start honoring graphic design, it would certainly be nice to see some of the stunning artistry that accompanies the films themselves given a nod. In the meantime, we can continue to appreciate the incredible work of movie poster designers.
FAQs
Q: Why should the Academy consider a Best Poster Design category?
A: Recognizing the art of movie poster design would acknowledge the importance of visual storytelling and the impact it has on film marketing and promotion.
Q: What are some examples of exceptional poster design?
A: The posters for Kinds of Kindness, Alien Romulus, La Chimera, and Challengers are just a few examples of the stunning work being done in movie poster design.
Q: Why is it important to recognize the creative work of movie poster designers?
A: By acknowledging the artistry and creativity that goes into designing movie posters, the Academy can encourage more innovative and engaging visual storytelling in the film industry.
