As film fans we are no strangers to the end-of-the-world genre. It’s good, solid, edge-of-your-seat action and adventure drama. But if you thought you’d had your fill of apocalyptic pandemic films, then think again, as the next few years are set to bring us a whole new epidemic of disease based films off the back of covid.
Screenwriters are already getting their take on germophobic horror green lit and ready to spew out as soon as filming can start again. So get ready for psychopathic gangs of Mad-Max style proportions, zombie plagues, and viral infection movies to dominating the future cinematic landscape for a few years to come.
Over the years Bobo have created our fair share of end-of-the-world film artwork, recently creating the original key art for zombie virus horror Infection for Jinga Films. With such a rich vein of horrific joy on the horizon, we thought it’d be a good time to look back at our favourite virus based film posters of all time that have helped inspire us creatively.
1 – Cargo
There are lots of film posters that follow the lone wolf, single hero saving the day design theme. From Iron man to Gladiator, and Tron to The Shawshank Redemption these posters feature the films protagonist front and centre with a dramatic background, and the apocalyptic versions of these posters are no different.
One of our favourites here at Bobo in recent years has been the poster for Cargo. With its sparse emptiness, zombie threat, and great hero shot, this is everything a desolate man vs the (zombie ) world key art poster should be!
Special note for this films marketing team who created an alternate key art poster that uses the same hero shot but replaces the zombie landscape behind him with the long zombie hand striking up through the soil. It’s a nice, simple genre touch with a nod back to many classic zombie films.
2 – 28 days Later
Do we even need to explain how this film captured our attention 17 years ago! With its fast moving zombies and deserted London opening, this Danny Boyle approach to the apocalypse after a virus used stark red and black for the film’s marketing, making for some awesome virus film posters that have stood the test of time.
By using an imposing title style over the biohazard symbol and having a shot of a solitary man on the streets of London from the films opening – this marketing artwork really hits all the right spots.
The red and black theme has several other iconic movie poster examples, from Vampire horror 30 Days of Night, to the virus pandemic epic 12 Monkeys. The latter of which bravely shunned using either of its A list stars (Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt) on the artwork.
3 – Daybreak
Comedy has always been a rich source of poster designer’s delight when it comes to the end of the world.
This Netflix comedy’s artwork takes a light-hearted, effortless-chic approach on a world killing virus pandemic. Reminiscent of the great Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (whose star also features in this show), the laid back smiling main character reclines on top of a bus surrounded by a zombie horde. Simple and effective.
While the yellow school bus makes for an exceptional movie art graphics surround, what we really loved about this show’s artwork was their range of character posters. Using the ever-reliable combination of black, white, and red, they manage to portray a ‘kids are running the show’ feel that perfectly captured the feel of the show.
4 – Blindness
In the last few years we’ve noticed a lot of movies deviating from the zombie infection route, which is then reflected in some really creative and original key art poster designs.
A recent theme has been the loss of sight from infection, and our absolute favourite blind infection film poster is for Blindness. As you can (hopefully) see below, the use of an eye chart to spell out the name of their film over a blurry background layer with its creepy hand is really impactful.
5 – It Comes at Night
Isolation, darkness, clean lines and a feeling of fear of the unknown – these are all sported well in virus movie posters, and It Comes at Night Is no exception. A dog on the lead, the sense of waiting or searching for something in the dark, the minimalist approach… this film poster works well because it reflects the mistrust of others that the film itself portrays. Love it!
Virus Film Poster Near Misses
Just missing out on our top 5 virus pandemic film posters, but nevertheless worth a mention, are the striking and poignant posters for Japanese film The Flu, along with the 2016 poster for Viral. Loving the worm-tongue!
And Finally…Don’t forget to like and share, you can also contact us if you want to create some inspirational film posters of your own. Stay safe out there. You never know when you might find yourself in an apocalypse.