Posterized for December 2025: Resurrection, No Alternative, The Plague & More

      As 2025 draws to a close, the season for holiday movies and Oscar contenders is upon us. However, a quick look at the upcoming releases reveals an abundance of the latter but a scarcity of the former. While the remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night (December 12) might be considered a holiday film, it’s certainly not the kind of family-friendly or festive romantic comedy you’d typically expect.

      Everyone has their favorite classic films at home, so now’s the time to explore something new that you might not have intended to watch. Look for a poster that appears intriguing or unique, and see if the film lives up to its visual appeal.

      And don’t forget, there's still The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (December 25) if you're looking to entertain the kids.

      **Distorted Faces**

      The poster for Timestamp (limited, December 19) leaves me utterly perplexed, yet it’s too captivating to ignore. The film tackles the theme of education in Ukraine amid the ongoing threat of a Russian invasion, suggesting that the imagery might represent a student’s psychological struggles as they navigate learning and growing while facing their mortality.

      Without context, though, the image resembles a face ensnared in a tangle reminiscent of Where’s Waldo’s scarf, as if he were the Fourth Doctor instead of Tom Baker. I wonder if it communicates a hidden message or symbolizes an understanding known only to someone experiencing such chaos. Regardless, it conveys a sense of turmoil, capturing the disordered self as hope becomes an unattainable luxury for many. It's a poster unlike anything else you'll see at the theater this month.

      In contrast, the face depicted in Man Finds Tape (limited, December 5) seems to be drawn into a kind of spatial distortion. This raises the question of whether this visual anomaly is a real phenomenon we're witnessing or a distortion caused by our own perception. The inclusion of the word "tape" evokes thoughts of VHS tracking issues, where the image warps until you adjust the knob just right.

      This premise carries a dual meaning—its horror could stem from actual monsters (those on-screen) or paranoia-induced perceptions. Is it akin to Invasion of the Body Snatchers or They Live? The tagline does little to clarify; sight is crucial in both scenarios, making it essential to watch the film for the full experience.

      Peaches Goes Bananas (limited, December 3) takes a more straightforward approach to facial distortion, adding illustrations atop its subject’s portrait. This visually represents who Peaches (Merrill Nisker) is as an artist, showcasing her personality through her pose while reinforcing that identity with stylish visuals above. The devil-horn bananas become phallic objects—one to lick (on the left) and another to bite (on the right). An ornate eyeball etched into the frosty, glass-like wall divides her from us, while the graffiti-like title features a ghostly character that transforms into a peeled banana atop a sheet. Prepare for a thrilling experience.

      **Conflict**

      While I can't speak to the film's quality—given its sensitive subject matter handled by the often heavy-handed Angel Studios—I do appreciate the poster for I Was a Stranger (limited, December 31) crafted by LA. It is set against the backdrop of an event in Aleppo affecting five families across four continents, and the artwork captures this broad narrative by highlighting four characters in seemingly distinct settings.

      Beyond merely segregating the actors, the layout effectively uses the entire frame, positioning one character at each edge. It recalls the design of Derek Gabryszak and Hannah Christ’s one-sheet for Universal Language, though it is much more literal. Our eyes instinctively wish to trace a circle connecting these individuals, leading us through varied landscapes and professions (doctor, soldier, captain, smuggler). We are left guessing how they intertwine with the refugee boat likely involved in an inevitable tragic event.

      Shifting from real warzones to fictional ones, Akiko Stehrenberger’s latest design for Atropia (limited, December 12) transports us to a surreal training ground for Middle Eastern operations, where actors portray civilians and insurgents. With narratives encompassing romance, comedy, and sushi delivery, one could anticipate a commentary that’s both hard-edged and soft-hearted. What better symbol to illustrate this than a turtle with a military helmet for a shell?

      The typography is also remarkable, featuring a quirky sans serif font with a top-heavy structure, and the uneven kerning becomes evident as the text shrinks in size. I admire how Stehrenberger crafted the title with a painted look, opting for this hand-drawn style instead of a standard typed font like the tagline beneath. This aesthetic choice elegantly ties everything together with the turtle, suggesting that not everything that seems real is genuine upon closer inspection.

      Next, we transition from conflicts between nations to disputes among individuals with Steady’s posters for No Other Choice (limited, December