15 Movie Poster Trends That Really Need To Die
6. Sunglasses For Lead Characters
It's hard to find fault in something that is inherently harmless; but if you were to list the top ten attributes that make a movie character look tough, thick aviator sunglasses would be right up there just under leather jacket but above downing an entire bottle of Jameson whiskey.
It seems nearly every character in The Matrix was contractually obliged to wear sunglasses and it showed tremendously in the promotional material. But since Oakleys were part of the aesthetic of the film, we can't find fault there. So how about The Big Lewbowski, Hanock, Natural Born Killers or even Almost Famous?
For all of these examples it's a needless decoration that doesn't change our perception of the movie. Our opinions of the film aren't made by what the lead is wearing- not entirely at least. But giving that our movie heroes are appearing more colourful and unique in appearance, giving a lead sunglasses is now redundant.
Overall, it's a boring gimmick that has become a cliche just for posters alone. It wouldn't change the narrative if our heroes flashed us their baby blues a little more instead of hiding behind dark lenses.
And don't get me started on reflecting something in the sunglasses themselves!