Poster for Jessica Biel's 'The Tall Man'

This just works. Arresting. Very sharp graphics. Biel looks just so. Perfect composition.

Tag: "Fear takes a new shape," works nicely, too.

The pitch:

• When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.

Well, the poster may be nice but apparently this isn't expected to do well in theatrical release. From JoBlo:

• Pascal Laugier's THE TALL MAN will be getting a theatrical release on AUGUST 31st, but based on today's information, it's a sure-thing that it will be in a limited and short-lived capacity. High-Def Digest is reporting that the supernatural thriller will be making its home video debut a mere few weeks later, on SEPTEMBER 25th.

'The Tall Man' (love that title) played SXSW this year. Some clips from reviews:

Film School Rejects:

• SXSW Midnighter pick The Tall Man falls into the category of the most aggravating kind of disposable movies. It’s not bad, there’s a certain level of competency, and a few of its ideas, if translated right, would make for an interesting film. Unfortunately those ideas aren’t handled right, and the final result is a tedious, bland, and unsubtle thriller.

FearNet:

• Pascal Laugier's The Tall Man is either one certifiably insane horror story / missing kids thriller, or it's one of the clearest examples of why one should always approach a new movie with as few "expectations" as possible.

TwitchFilm:

• Pascal Laugier's first film since Martyrs is seriously underwhelming. Laugier, the director, can still deliver cool, efficient thrills, as evidenced in an early, extended sequence in which Jessica Biel gives ferocious chase to a mysterious stranger who has kidnapped her child. 

• But Laugier, the writer, again has "something to say," and that could be a good thing. It's unfortunate, however, that the message, when delivered, is nowhere near as provocative or multi-dimensional (or pretentious or divisive) as Martyrs. Even leaving Laugier's previous effort out of the equation, however, The Tall Man adds up to an ambitious thriller -- with a very good performance by Biel -- that falls short of its goals.

Okay, got it, but I still like that poster...




















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