In recent decades, the movie poster has shifted from an expressive design artifact to a standardized marketing asset. Once a site for visual interpretation and authorship, it is now largely shaped by commercial expectations, genre formulas, and data-driven decisions.
Streaming platforms have reinforced this decline. With posters reduced to thumbnails, most are designed for digital clarity—centered on faces, neutral color palettes, and minimal type. This shift prioritizes recognizability over originality, flattening the visual language of film marketing.
Studios often commission posters late in the process, leaving little room for conceptual development. Designers operate under tight constraints, making expressive storytelling rare. What was once a cultural touchpoint is now often an afterthought—prompting many to ask whether the movie poster, as a meaningful design form, is already dead.