Iconic Movie Posters Ever – 18 Best Movie Posters of All Time

I firmly believe that art will continue to exist as long as human beings survive on this planet. One medium of art that will be influential to future generations as a time capsule is movies. The film industry continues to be a gigantic, successful, money-making business to this day, but it also caters to people’s entertainment, emotions, and education. As the film industry booms every day, with media giants like Netflix, Prime, and Disney+ making films available to people in every part of the world, we can continue to see its growth in the coming years. Now, everybody is hooked on world cinema; everyone is interested in watching a movie, whether in a theater or in the comfort of their home.

Recently, the Cannes Film Festival opened its doors to international movies and art films, and people were really fascinated to learn about some unknown gems of movies. That’s when I thought: How can a movie become familiar to a person? Like book covers, we decide to watch a film based on their posters, and some posters are so detailed and intricate that people try to hide Easter eggs in them.

In this article, we will be discussing

Iconic movie posters of all time
What makes an iconic poster?

I’ve felt that graphic designers and the marketing team of a movie play a big role in making the movie poster the best it can be. Iconic movie posters are becoming part of pop culture, and I am not kidding. People will instantly recognize movies like “Avatar” with its Papyrus font and the yellowish eyes of the blue-colored beings.

So, if you wonder what the top 18 movie posters here are to evoke your nostalgia, you’re at the right place. Let’s dig in to see movie posters that will stand the test of time.

How do We Categorize Iconic Movie Posters?

To a normal human eye, film posters can seem like a collage of the characters from the film or a simple movie scene with a big, flattering title over the top. Well, they’re wrong. Crafting a movie poster is no easy job. It requires years of graphic design expertise and film knowledge while also understanding the theme, mood, and overall story of the movie. That means it is a collaborative effort of a team to bring together the cover of a film.

These days, teasers and trailers of movies trend on YouTube as a preview of the movie, and people tend to get excited and get a sneak peek of what the movie is going to be about. Well, years before these trailers and teasers were released, audiences used to get a sneak peek of the film through posters. Movie posters were the visual teaser for the film, and they reflected the overall motif, concept, and characters of the movie on a single 2D plane.

Now, how do we know if a movie poster is going to be iconic?

Here are a few pointers that make or break a poster; that means the following elements should be part of the movie

The main actors appearing in the movie
Title of the movie
Details about the director and producers
Visuals that represent the film, a major scene
Teaser or tagline

To attract audiences to the movies, the 90s were a period when designers started experimenting with movie posters. They tried to incorporate the movie’s theme consistently in the posters, using different angles to hide the main concept and create curiosity in the minds of the viewers.

So, what makes an iconic poster today? The poster should be a piece of art and should reflect the movie like a mirror snapshot of what the movie stands for. With multiple new fonts available on the market today, graphic designers are experimenting with different themes and ideas to create wonders with posters. We have witnessed many iconic movie posters over the past decades and may wonder which ones they are.

via GIPHY

I have made a list of the top 18 greatest movie posters that people will always admire and that future generations of artists will be inspired by. If I am not wrong, we should definitely hang these pieces in museums because of their cultural impact and the mesmerizing balance and principles of design in these posters.

1. The Godfather

The movie has set a standard and has a cultural impact no other film has had so far. The puppet strings logo of Francis Ford Coppola’s trilogy, coupled with its quintessential font, will always top the list of any iconic posters category. “The Godfather” (1972) became the symbol of the Italian mafia in pop culture. The film series, an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel, features the criminal underworld of Little Italy and chiaroscuro lighting and is a movie classic. You can also see these posters as an example of how a film franchise has beautifully incorporated and utilized its brand identity guide.

2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

“May the force be with you.” Who could forget this iconic dialogue from the Star Wars franchise? Well, as a Star Wars fan or a “Warsie,” they are also not going to forget this poster at all—maybe they all have this one on their bedroom wall. The overall color combination, including neon pink and orange, uplifted this iconic Star Wars poster.

3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Everybody loves a classic movie, and this is the right example of that. Audrey Hepburn is portrayed in a black dress paired with a dashing tiara, a pearl necklace, and a cigarette holder in her hands adorned with long black gloves is iconic. Talk about this most notable fashion statement, which is still adored by the new generation. This is the right example of how to make posters with elegance while being splattered with colors.

4. The Matrix

One of the best cyberpunk sci-fi movies of all time, “The Matrix” also has one of the most intriguing movie posters of all time. Anyone can instantly recognize the famous character Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, in this 1999 movie. The poster also features other actors in sporting futuristic attire, and the font used for the lettering can be seen as a sort of glitch in the matrix. Puns aside, the fonts reflect the theme of the movie, where life is structured around a computer program.

5. Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino is regarded as one of the best directors of all time. “Pulp Fiction” is a gem in his filmography and is a 1994 crime film that’s popular in its own way, which swept the Oscars. The movie’s poster depicts the idea of 90’s postmodernism. The poster resembles a 90’s magazine cover printed on cheap wood pulp, and the interesting fact is that even though the film has a star-studded lineup, they used Uma Thurman’s character, Mia Wallace, as the magazine cover. If you’re a movie lover, you should definitely have this poster as a tapestry in your room.

6. Little Miss Sunshine

The idea of the poster for this film eludes from the title itself. This can be seen in the use of the color yellow to depict the “Little Miss Sunshine” poster, which is the 2006 independent movie by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. This is a minimalistic poster, but they used their tactics of bold orange and yellow in marketing in an eccentric way.

7. Metropolis

How can a 90-year-old movie poster still be iconic? Well, due to its well-designed elements featured on the poster. “Metropolis” is a 1927 film directed by Fritz Lang. It’s a German expressionist silent film that showcases the urban dystopian themes of a futuristic world throughout the movie. The aesthetics, color scheme, font usage, and iconic imagery in their posters were way ahead of their time.

8. A Clockwork Orange

“A Clockwork Orange” is a 1971 dystopian crime movie by Stanley Kubrick. This film offers a unique experience to its audience, but the poster is well-designed to tease the film’s disturbing motif. It is about the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape and Beethoven. It has hidden details and weird imagery as a pyramid design to keep the audience and viewers intrigued. It stays true to the overall theme, and the font also screams postmodernist ideas.

9. The Social Network

This Oscar-winning Hollywood film is going to be an iconic film for future generations as it portrays the life of Mark Zuckerberg, who has changed the world’s views in the last decade. Two things make this poster. One is because of the modern minimalistic fonts of the big letters in Futura and the eyes of the actor Jesse Eisenberg, which depict the fact that we are all being watched by apps. Is privacy even private anymore, makes this the film of the last decade?

10. The Exorcist

The film poster’s silhouette design is still one of the most inspiring horror movie posters designed by the prolific poster designer Bill Gold. “The Exorcist,” an iconic thriller directed by William Friedkin, is a creepy but worthy film, and the poster rightfully showcases the themes of German expressionism in its mood setting and lighting. This poster screams the gothic horror genre without including any overt horror elements in its design.

11. American Beauty

The film’s name doesn’t give away much compared to the seductive poster, which also intrigues curiosity about the premise of the movie. This 1999 movie poster deliberately encapsulates the disturbing concept of Kevin Spacey’s character, Lester Burnham, having a fantasy about a schoolgirl named Angela. This image is iconic even with its minimalistic representation of a youthful abdomen and a hand holding a red rose stem. People still consider this one of the top posters of all time.

12. Mean Streets

The imagery of the poster for Martin Scorsese’s popular crime flick “Mean Streets” is absolutely phenomenal. The idea of a hidden smoking gun held by a hand amid the city buildings showcases the intriguing idea that while we usually don’t witness crimes in a busy city, they exist nonetheless due to the urban setting. There’s also small, detailed imagery that speaks volumes about the movie. This is also the iconic movie that skyrocketed Robert De Niro and his stardom.

13. Vertigo

Once again, a poster that doesn’t focus on showcasing the characters or actors’ faces but relies on deep imagery or motif of the movie. The idea of the vertigo effect, zooming out and dollying, owes its origin to this motion picture. Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece is a cinematic gem, but the poster designed by Saul Bass is the most popular. The color combination of red, white, and black makes the perfect brand retro theme for the overall movie. Some might say this poster is more memorable than the silly film itself.

14. Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” is a semi-autobiographical film about Jerry Maguire. The image shows an extreme close-up shot of Kate Hudson’s face wearing sunglasses that reflect a concert. The idea of using the film name as part of the sunglasses is a popular marketing trick used by brands even today. You can also see new movies like “The Challengers” have similar poster. The whole poster exudes curiosity, and the color balance makes it an iconic 90s look.

15. 21 Grams

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2003 crime drama “21 Grams” has an unforgettable poster. The quote that talks about the significance of 21 grams and the big block numerals in red against a black background make the poster striking. This poster doesn’t rely on its famous cast to catch the audience’s attention; instead, it uses letters presented in an unconventional way to grab eyeballs and increase curiosity.

16. The Halloween

The Halloween movie and movie title screams creepy, scary vibes. Well, it’s the same case for the poster for the film as well. It looks like a pumpkin monster holding a big knife to end your life, and also, the pumpkin looks like the fingers of a witch. It showcases the unthinkable terror from beyond and is one of the finest mystery movies. Now, this can be added to the great list of horror to the next level movie posters, as seeing this can create a nightmare.

17. Amelie

The movie poster has a tagline, “She’ll change your life,” but the curiosity it creates is when the “she” is a dominating creepy girl staring back at you. Would you want your life to be changed by this girl? The Jean-Pierre Jeunet-directed movie has a bold poster with striking emerald green and her red lipstick and dress. It all looks so creepy that any person who is interested in such gory themes would want to check it out.

18. The Silence of the Lambs

This film, set in 1991, is considered a neo-noir psychological horror film, but the poster creates more curiosity than the title itself. You can see that the print features the protagonist Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, with a deadpan stare as if someone is forcing her not to talk, and instead of her mouth, we see a moth. The deep imagery and special effects, where a skull is present in the imagery of a moth and her red-colored eyes, scream psychological themes, making it one of the best posters of all time.

Conclusion

Creating intriguing movie posters is a creative way to enhance the curiosity of the audience. Posters have the ability to visually communicate the theme, motif, and story of the movie. Some posters are made to showcase the popular cast to attract the audience, while others are made as a form of art. Graphic designers who are well-experienced are people who can tell stories through images and fonts. So when it comes to brand storytelling, making sure you create the right posters that tell your story but make it an art can overall increase your brand value.

I hope this list of iconic poster designs has inspired you to create brand posters or general infographics that can grab the attention of others easily. You can choose an iconic poster, but without copying its full style, try to imitate it in your own way to make a cultural impact on the minds of your target customers or clients. This way, incorporating pop culture into brand marketing can help your brand stay longer and grow to new heights.

FAQs

1. What is the most popular poster of all time?

There are several popular posters that hold a pop culture significance. Posters of blockbuster movies like Gone with the Wind, Jaw, James Bond, Blade Runner, Jurassic Park, and Back to the Future, Lord Of War have great artistic posters. These posters tend to withstand the time, and will be living forever in their pop culture world.

2. What is the most sought after movie poster?

The courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Murder” is renowned as a significant film, but its poster, designed by Saul Bass, is equally coveted. Despite not featuring any actors, the poster’s imagery contributes significantly to its appeal, making it a great movie in history.