Friday One Sheet: SKINCARE

In past columns, I have spoken at length on the art of crying on movie posters, as it is a mild obsession of mine. These images are almost always female (the notable exception being Get Out), and almost always in extreme close up.

The poster for the Elizabeth Banks-starring, Austin Peters-directed crime thriller Skincare follows the design right down to the ultra-tiny and non-typical placement credit block placement (here dead centre) as per Akiko Stehrenberger's trend-setting key art for the American remake of Michael Haneke's Funny Games.

The difference with Grandson’s design here, is that there is a more controlled intent, being that the film is a mystery instead of a horror, the mood is less terror, and more, well, something else. This is mainly to do with the curve of Bank's face, and the angle the photo is taken; the diagonal 'triller angle' instead of the head on 'horror angle'. Couple that with the blotting of the cream with the red fingernail, and it appears she is putting on war paint. It is a good poster because it tweaks the very notion of this kind of key art.


Then there is that absolute marvel of a tagline: "It's just a little cover-up." If there are awards for taglines, this should win for 2024.