A new poster for the upcoming horror movie, Obsession, has divided film fans. Minimalist by design, the poster was praised by some for its subtly creepy implications, while others claimed the design was 'lazy' and 'played'.
The best horror movie posters often feature stripped-back graphics, but it seems Obsession's divisive design might be a step too far. With the poster ticking off the usual horror design tropes, its divisive reception signals that the horror genre may need a creative switch-up.
The Obsession poster features the typical horror movie colour palette of red and black, alongside a short definition of the film's title written in a clean serif typeface. The bold sans serif title makes a striking juxtaposition against the minimal text, using the poster's abundance of empty space to create a sense of discomfort.
"Simple yet interesting," a fan on Reddit praised, while another added, "Poster design is so f**king back." Not everyone was quite so complimentary, with one user commenting, "Good f**king lord, just try blue, or yellow or anything other than red and f**king black, it has lost all impact." Another felt that the tone of the poster was misaligned, writing that the design "Feels like a Nike ad."
While I find the Obsession poster visually striking, I tend to agree (perhaps not so heatedly) that the black and red colour palette has been overplayed. You only have to look at recent releases like The Conjuring: Last Rites and Trap to see this trend in action. The use of blank space is compelling and unnerving, but the minimalism is used more as a creepy tactic, rather than a clever motif. It's safe, palatable and unmistakably of the genre.
