The best movie posters in the history of cinema come from many different decades, different genres and different styles, which means that any film can use art and graphic design to leave a lasting impression on audiences before they even sit down in the cinema or pick up the remote control . Movie posters have gone through iterations over the years, with some poster trends becoming tired and others opening up interesting new angles on a film and the creative direction of a project. Sometimes styles fall out of favor only to come back and shock everyone with their originality.
While the worst movie posters look like they were put together in a few hours, with little input from those who actually made the movie, The best movie posters highlight why a viewer should watch a movie. They can draw viewers in with an intriguing location, make them curious with a mysterious hint about what’s to come, or get them excited about the characters and stories hinted at in the poster. While many artists and graphic designers are recognized for their work, some have been lost to time, but their incredible movie posters certainly haven’t.
50
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Robert McCall poster
Robert McCall’s classic space art helps make audiences understand exactly what they are about to see in Stanley Kubrick’s epic and seminal film. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
2001: A Space Odyssey is one of Stanley Kubrick’s best-known films. A science fiction epic, the film tells the story of the journey of Discovery One, a spacecraft operated by a group of scientists, astronauts and a sentient computer, on a mission to Jupiter to investigate a mysterious monolith. Considered one of the best films ever made, Kubrick combines sparse dialogue with the intense use of soundtracks and ambiguous images to create something that breaks away from conventional cinema.
- Release date
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April 3, 1968
- Cast
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Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack
- Execution time
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149 minutes
- Budget
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US$12 million
49
Brazil (1985)
Bill Garland Poster
Garland’s mesmerizing and theatrical depiction of an angelic woman flying out of an infinite closet in the poster for Brazil suggests the absurd and threatening nature Brazil.
In a dystopian future, a low-level civil servant finds himself embroiled in a bureaucratic nightmare after meeting the woman of his dreams. As he navigates an oppressive system marked by inefficiency and surveillance, his search for freedom and love turns into chaos, highlighting the absurdity of totalitarian regimes and the human desire for individuality.
- Director
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Terry Gilliam
- Release date
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December 18, 1985
- Cast
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Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Kim Greist
- Execution time
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142 minutes
- Budget
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US$15 million
48
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Richard Amsel Poster
Richard Amsel’s poster for Raiders of the Lost Ark is the exact kind of yellow, old-looking art found in serialized films that Indian Jones franchise has continued.
The most popular and well-received film in the Indiana Jones franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark follows Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones in a race against Nazi forces to recover the famous Ark of the Covenant. Aided by his former lover, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy must work to stop the Nazis, led by Dr. Rene Belloq, from obtaining the Ark and thus becoming recipients of its power. The film is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest films ever made.
- Release date
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June 12, 1981
- Execution time
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115 minutes
- Budget
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US$20 million
47
Manhattan (1979)
Bert Kleeger poster
Bert Kleeger’s nostalgic depiction of a couple looking at the Manhattan Bridge in black and white in Woody Allen’s film of the same title is romantic and sad at the same time.
Manhattan, directed by Woody Allen, is a romantic comedy-drama that explores the complexities of relationships against the backdrop of New York City. Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton and Mariel Hemingway, the film investigates themes of love, infidelity and the search for happiness in urban life. Shot in black and white, it is known for its iconic images and soundtrack of Gershwin music.
- Release date
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April 25, 1979
- Cast
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Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne Hoffman, Karen Ludwig, Michael O’Donoghue
- Execution time
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96 minutes
46
Godzilla Against Biollante (1989)
Noriyoshi Ohrai Poster
The Japanese Godzilla posters are all worthy of celebrationbut Godzilla vs. Biollante takes the cake for its incredible bright colors and frightening size of Godzilla’s latest foe.
Godzilla vs. Biollante is a 1989 Japanese kaiju film directed by Kazuki Omori. The film follows Godzilla’s battle against Biollante, a pink monster genetically engineered with both human and Godzilla DNA. As the two monsters clash, humanity faces the devastating impact of their confrontation. This edition explores themes of biotechnology and environmental consequences.
- Director
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Kazuki Ômori, Koji Hashimoto, Kenjirô Ohmori
- Release date
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December 16, 1989
- Cast
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Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Kôji Takahashi, Tôru Minegishi, Megumi Odaka, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Ryûnosuke Kaneda
- Execution time
-
104 minutes
45
Cloverfield (2008)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Marketing for Cloverfield It was a brilliant campaign, and one that extends to its intriguing poster of a headless Statue of Liberty overlooking the burning city of New York, with a monster-sized hole in the middle.
Directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is a found footage disaster film that follows a group of people searching for safety during a state of emergency. When New York City is attacked by an unknown monstrous entity, chaos ensues. A group of friends document their attempts to escape the city and find refuge from a monster attack on a handheld video camera – footage that is designated as an account of the “Cloverfield” incident.
- Release date
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January 15, 2008
- Execution time
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85 minutes
- Budget
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US$25 million
44
Metropolis (1927)
Poster by Heinz Schulz-Neudamm
The 1927 poster MetropolisDesigned by German graphic designer Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, it is modern, elegant and disruptive, influencing everything from Blade runner to The Dark Knight.
Metropolis
- Director
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Fritz Lang
- Release date
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February 6, 1927
- Cast
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Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger
43
Dead Alive (1992)
Directed by Peter Jackson
One of the most terrifying Blockbuster VHS covers, Living Dead It’s nightmare inducing with the woman’s bulging eyes and the disgusting thought of a rotting skull coming out of her throat.
Dead Alive follows the story of a young man, Lionel Cosgrove, as he faces his overbearing mother, who becomes a zombie after being bitten by a rare Sumatran rat monkey. Set in a suburban neighborhood, Dead Alive offers a unique take on traditional zombie storytelling.
- Release date
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August 13, 1992
- Cast
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Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall, Stuart Devenie
- Execution time
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104 minutes
42
Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
As iconic as the Ghostface mask the film spawned, the Scream The poster is stylish, cool, and ensures there’s no doubt that Craven’s film is both a horror film and a response to horror films of the time.
Wes Craven turns the horror-slasher genre on its head with the release of Scream in 1996, the first in the long-running franchise. The residents of Woodsboro discover that a series of murders are being committed by a dangerous ghost killer who wears a mask and is obsessed with classic horror films. To survive, a group of high school students, a reporter and a city deputy will have to subvert expectations of terror and stay one step ahead of the killer.
- Release date
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December 20, 1996
- Cast
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Drew Barrymore, Kevin Patrick Walls, David Booth, Carla Hatley, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich
- Execution time
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111 minutes
- Budget
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US$14 million
41
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Robert McGinnis poster
Even as a cartoon, Audrey Hepburn is incredibly beautiful and stylish with Robert McGinnis’ poppy art style, including an extra-long cigarette holder, perfectly capturing the tone of the film.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a romantic comedy film by director Blake Edwards and is based on Truman Capote’s 1958 novel. The 1961 film stars Buddy Ebsen, Audrey Hepburn, Patricia Neal and George Peppard. The plot revolves around Holly Golightly as she falls in love and the trials and tribulations that come along with it.
- Director
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Blake Edwards
- Release date
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October 6, 1961
- Cast
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Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, José Luis de Villalonga
- Execution time
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115 minutes
40
Back to the Future (1985)
Drew Struzan Poster
Back to the future is an iconic sci-fi adventure film from the 1980s and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), looking into the DeLorean’s shiny interior, invites viewers on what will be the trip of a lifetime.
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, maverick scientist Doc Brown. In 1955, he met his parents when they were his age and must intervene to ensure they stay together before returning to 1985.
- Director
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Robert Zemeckis
- Release date
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July 3, 1985
- Cast
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Claudia Wells, Christopher Lloyd, James Tolkan, Thomas F. Wilson, Michael J. Fox, Wendie Jo Sperber, Crispin Glover, Marc McClure, Lea Thompson
- Execution time
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116 minutes
- Budget
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US$19 million
39
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Annie Atkins poster
Every frame of a Wes Anderson film could be turned into a poster, but Annie Atkins and The Grand Budapest Hotel make the most of the beautiful, inviting hotel that occupies the photo with its trademark pink dominating the grays and browns around it.
From director Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel stars Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H., the renowned concierge at the film’s titular hotel. Fiennes is joined by Tony Revolori as Zero, a newly hired porter who acts as Gustave’s partner in crime throughout the film. An older Zero, played by F. Murray Abraham, serves as the narrator of the story, which recounts the adventures of Gustave and Zero after Gustave is framed for the murder of the wealthy Madame D., his patron and lover.
- Release date
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March 28, 2014
- Execution time
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100 minutes
- Budget
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25 million
38
The Godfather (1972)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Putting Marlon Brando on the poster is a bit of a cheat in the best movie poster competition, but his helpless look and control of the puppet are ominous hints of what everyone can imagine. Godfather franchise would be about.
Francis Ford Coppola directed this 1978 classic that would become one of the most iconic crime films ever made. Starring Marlon Brando, James Caan and Al Pacino, The Godfather offers a tense and introspective look at New York City’s Corleone crime family.
- Release date
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March 24, 1972
- Execution time
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175 minutes
- Budget
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US$6 million
37
Jackass Forever After (2022)
Directed by Jeff Tremaine
Rarely do posters feature scenes from the film they are selling, but dumb forever shows Johnny Knoxville doing just that, flying into the unknown with a cannon in front of a cheery blue sky.
The fourth film in the Jackass series, Jackass Forever follows in the tradition of its predecessors with its irreverent humor and hilariously ridiculous stunts. Much of the original cast returns, along with newcomers and some special guests.
- Director
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Jeff Tremaine
- Release date
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February 4, 2022
- Cast
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Jasper, Dave England, Zach Holmes, Preston Lacy, Chris Pontius, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Danger Ehren, Steve-O, Rachel Wolfson, Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man, Eric Manaka
- Execution time
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96 minutes
36
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox
Forbidden Planet is a staple of science fiction films and its cover art is the basis for the trope of the damsel in distress in many science fiction films, and the evil robot that the hero must overcome, despite this not being the case in the film.
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox. The story follows Commander John J. Adams and his crew as they explore the distant planet Altair IV, where they encounter Dr. Morbius and his daughter. The film is notable for its early depiction of advanced technology and is often considered a landmark in the genre, featuring innovative special effects and a unique electronic soundtrack.
- Director
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Fred M. Wilcox
- Release date
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March 15, 1956
- Cast
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Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen
- Execution time
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98 minutes
35
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Directed by Judd Apatow
The beginning of the Aptovian comedy era and the introduction of Steve Carell as one of the biggest comedy stars of his time, THE 40 year old virgin poster is funny, charming, warmand a perfect encapsulation of the innovative film.
Steve Carell takes on the titular role of the 40-year-old Virgin in this Judd Apatow romantic comedy. Andy, an electronics store employee, reveals to his co-workers that he is still a virgin despite having recently turned forty years old, setting them on a mission to help him adjust his ways to find a date for him. and end your virginity. With or without the help of his friends, a series of strange and comical encounters could lead him to more than a one-night stand, but instead, the future love of his life.
- Release date
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August 19, 2005
- Execution time
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116 minutes
- Budget
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US$26 million
34
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
Drew Struzan Poster
Drew Struzan’s poster for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Perfectly captures the mystery, magic, and menacing aspects of the transformative industry’s first film Harry Potter film franchise.
The beginning of the adaptations of one of the most read fantasy novel series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was directed by Chris Columbus and follows the titular Harry Potter as he discovers he has magical powers. Living with his cruel uncles, orphan Harry lives a challenging life that changes when he meets a gentle giant named Hagrid, who takes him to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he soon discovers his destiny.
- Director
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Chris Colombo
- Release date
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November 16, 2001
- Cast
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Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith
- Execution time
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152 minutes
- Budget
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US$125 million
33
Nashville (1975)
Directed by Robert Altman
nashville a satirical musical comedy, is perfectly portrayed in this eccentric and explosive poster that doesn’t make much sense, but can’t help but grab the viewer’s attention.
32
The Shining (1980)
Saul Bass Poster
The Shining is full of new ways to shock and disturb and Saul Bass’s unnerving, screaming yellow is as cruel and harsh as the grimacing face hidden in the “T”.
Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, tells the story of the Torrance family, who move to the isolated Overlook Hotel so that father Jack Torrance can act as their winter caretaker. Trapped in the hotel due to winter storms, the malevolent supernatural forces inhabiting the building slowly begin to drive Jack insane, causing his wife and psychically gifted son to be caught in a fight for their lives as Jack is pushed over the edge.
- Release date
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June 13, 1980
- Execution time
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146 minutes
- Budget
-
US$19 million
31
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Directed by Sam Raimi
The best Spider-Man the film also has the best poster. Spider-Man 2 utilizes the generally boring orange and blue color grade to excellent effectMary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) looks appropriately disheveled, and there’s an Easter egg waiting in Spider-Man’s eyes for anyone who looks.
After defeating the Green Goblin, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man struggles with self-doubt in both his superhero career and his personal life. But when Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus threatens Peter Parker’s loved ones, the web crawler must stay true to his heroic purpose and don the mask once again in this second installment of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
- Release date
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June 30, 2004
- Execution time
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127 minutes
- Budget
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US$200 million