Poster Analysis: The Last Exorcism

Main Colours The majority of the poster is dull and lifeless apart from a small amount of text in dark red. It consists of black, grey and dirty, off-white. These colours all convey a lifeless but frightening sense of fear and evil which reflects the film.

Main figures The entire background is a whole image rather than a block colour with images on top but it still has a very clear focal point which is the girl in the corner of the room on the ceiling. She is quite simple but conveys a lot of emotion such as fear and wonder as her ratty, dull hair is draped down over her face and the slight glimpse of it we can see looks lifeless and evil but because it is mainly hidden it could transmit a fear of the unknown. She is wearing a simple, dirty, white nightdress, which suggests to me that she has been in this state for a long time in order to become this filthy. Her body language seems defensive but powerful, despite seeming to cower in the corner, this is contradicted by the fear she conveys to the audience and the fact she is up high and looking down on us. The title ‘The Last exorcism’ is also eye-catching due to the size and colour. It is large, bold and black on a white background. The font echoes the image of the girl as it almost a state as well, as if written in ink and smudged and blotched. The main word is ‘exorcism’ and is bigger and bolder than the rest to express the main idea of the film.

Visual/Verbal Messages The messages in the poster are mainly visual as the image, fonts and colours convey the most emotions but there is a small piece of text, or a tagline which can be understood alone but also applies strongly to the film, ‘If you believe in God you must believe in the Devil.’ This relates to the religious side of the film and the main storyline which is that the young girl is possessed by a demon.

Audience The image on the poster alone is fairly disturbing so it must be aimed at an older more mature audience of roughly 18 and above. Also for people who enjoy horrors, as this genre is clearly portrayed through the poster. It could also attract those who are religious, believe in god and/or the devil and take an interest in them.

Persuasive Techniques There are no critics quotes reviewing the film or popular actors mentioned to attract an audience. However, the writers and director are shown under the title but don’t appear to be very well known or to have won any awards, so the only real persuasive technique is how intriguing the image is.

Conventions The only horror conventions are in the colours as they are all dark, one being red. Also, the image is of a grim, dull room with a frightening character in a corner. The image also conveys a sense of abandonment as it is tatty and dirty, as is the girl.

Text The only other text on the poster is the release date for theatres and a website. This is in a similar font to the title, again in bold black to stand out but much smaller as it isn’t as much of an attraction but simply necessary information.

Effectiveness I think this poster is very effective as it conveys many aspects of the film, such as horror and religion. It reaches out to the correct audience and attracts them well, especially with the image. There could have been more persuasive techniques, such as critic’s opinions as the writers and director isn’t very well known.