Posterized September 2026: Barbara Forever, Hope, The History of Concrete, and More

      The fall festival season has arrived with Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF preparing for their latest showcases. Keep an eye out, as some of these titles may soon make their way to your local multiplex (for instance, TIFF premiere *Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother* will have a limited release on September 25, with wider distribution in October). The availability of that film you’ve been eagerly anticipating can happen quickly or take some time. *Charlie Harper* (September 25) has taken a full year since its TIFF premiere to finally reach our theaters.

      It's also the month to usher in the spooky season, whether through action thrills with *Onslaught* (September 4), zombie horror in *Resident Evil* (September 18), or family-friendly science fun with *Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom* (September 18). There’s something to appeal to everyone.

      Hopefully, a few of the titles listed below will catch your interest due to their posters drawing your attention away from the usual big-name Hollywood releases.

      Hand-drawn

      Among the festival films that required a year before being presented to general audiences is the lengthy-titled *You Had to Be There* (limited, September 18; expanding, September 25). This documentary about the iconic 1972 Toronto production of “Godspell” radiates “peace and love” vibes through its beautifully illustrated collage featuring cast members like Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, and Victor Garner.

      The vibrant poster incorporates a frame of white circles, emulating a theater’s illuminated poster displays, transporting us back in time as if we were waiting outside the Royal Alexandria Theatre for the doors to open. The Grateful Dead-inspired font for the title complements the hand-scribbled subtitle, which alternates between lowercase and uppercase letters along an uneven horizontal path. This design captures the DIY spirit associated with surprising the world.

      MTCO’s one-sheet for *The Incomer* (limited, September 25) replaces the cartoon style with Krishna Bala Shenoi’s realistic digital painting, presenting its own collage of characters. Instead of a multitude of faces encased in a heart, this trio appears as if posing for a portrait on a rocky island against a mountainous backdrop. Accompanying them are life-sized totems infused with folk horror symbolism, a head emerging from the water, and a seagull in flight.

      However, the artwork takes some liberties in the foreground, featuring two unidentified figures dressed as birds. This clever tease hints at the eccentricities to come without diverting our focus from the main subject. If not for the size variation, they would be the initial focal point. Now, coupled with the other elements forming a “U” around the main actors, we can find our central focus and expand our view accordingly.

      While both posters fill every inch of the space with people or objects to envelop viewers in the scene, Dylan Haley adopts a minimalist strategy with his artwork for *On a String* (limited, September 11).

      I appreciate the minimalist concept of placing a masked Isabel Hagen against a blank backdrop, then outlining her with a simple design. With just four lines that serve as a pinned frame and a fragile tightrope for her to traverse, the ends are tied to the stacked title with knots, allowing for playful manipulation of impossible physics by adding a slight bow to the line beneath her feet. She’s literally been put on a string.

      This artwork makes effective use of space and color—the top and bottom are balanced with heavy laurels and a credit block, respectively. This arrangement allows Hagen and the title to occupy the central slant of a hidden “Z,” creating a descending angle from the top right to the bottom left as we move from her head to the orange text.

      With character

      Sometimes a captivating portrait combined with a uniquely stylish font is all you need. An example is *If I Go Will They Miss Me* (limited, September 11). Crafting a composition this straightforward and emotionally resonant requires a significant amount of confidence and skill.

      The way the actors gaze back at us, Danielle Brooks resting her chin on J. Alphonse Nicholson’s shoulder, the indistinct cross on the wall, the hand-drawn airplane above the title, and the perfectly placed critic quote in white harmonizing with the window’s light are all elements that contribute to the poster's charm. The meticulously spaced title is presented in three lines with an elegantly vintage all-caps serif font. It offers a powerful emotional glimpse into characters inviting us into their world.

      Callan Advertising’s *Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!* (limited, September 25) achieves a similar effective blend of image and text, albeit in a contrasting manner. Here, the image and text are separated into a diptych in which Rinko Kikuchi’s comically shocked expression sits above a bright-red rectangle housing a playful, bold all-caps sans serif font, complete with confetti