Poster for 'Rabbit Hole'

Sometimes the direct approach works. This poster skirts the line, though. The sky seen through the empty kid's tire swing symbolizes a child's death and, ascent to another (higher) plane. Clear enough. A good representation of thematic foundation.

The void in the swing, where once a child played, is filled with the words, or is it a prayer?, 'Love will get you through', which signals plainly this is a movie about emotional turmoil. The rope holding the tire leads upward into blueness suggesting, again, the lost child has climbed up into another realm.

The negative space at top reiterates the heavenly or cosmic. But, this is a heavy space, (there's almost too much of it), which dominates the poster, suggesting an overbearing or vengeful divinity which, in turn, implies the protagonist feels cheated by the loss of her child. She might feel she is being punished by God for some sin. I like this element.

On a more subtle level, Nicole Kidman is on the right side of the frame, facing the right. Creates a very off feel, tension. Nice touch. Emphasizes the poignant nature of the story rather than the fact that the movie stars Nicole Kidman. The protagonist's meditation is center stage here (no matter what actor might play the role). Possibly the best, most haunting, part of the graphic. The lack of names above the title strengthens this element.

The other elements are just this side of on-the-nose. What almost tips the scale to hokiness is the tire used for the letter O. Generally not a good idea anymore. 'Se7en' was probably the best usage of the motif and that was years ago with a movie that was squarely in a pop genre. If they're going to go this route, might be better to lose the all caps title (though, certainly, it's easier to utilize a tire for the letter O when you use all caps). All caps aren't appropriate for the subject matter. 'Rabbit Hole' just looks better than 'RABBIT HOLE'. I mean, REALLY.

The boilerplate at bottom should be lowered. This would keep it from interfering with more meaningful graphics while, at the same time, emphasizing the negative space at top. I think this is the only thing about the poster I would call a mistake. It's just wrong. Otherwise, a simpler sky with more defined clouds might be a good idea.

Still, I like the effort. A lot of thought went into this. All the elements promise an intense yet uplifting story. However, the people to whom such things would appeal might be turned off by something as simple as a tire used for the letter O.