Sci-Fi Thriller Poster Analysis

 Stranger Things Poster Analysis – Sci-Fi Thriller

This poster is set in the woods at nighttime, immediately stimulating an unsettling atmosphere, with a mysterious building with a large grey satellite in the far background at the top, feeding into the sci-fi genre, creating an air of mystery and intrigue within audiences. The night sky consists of a dark gradient that fades from a deep black to a foggy blue/grey colour, implying that this series isn’t as dark/frightening as other thrillers, particularly as its audience includes young teenagers. We can see stars in the sky, relating to hope and curiosity, meaning we can assume that there is some lightness/humour in the show. The trees are blurred against a fog, with the branches bare from leaves, implying that it is autumn/winter, and there are some dangerous secrets to be uncovered. The main image is of three young boys on bicycles, directing their attention to an abandoned bike, suggesting that their friend has disappeared; this is a frightening concept to picture, as they are only children, so it creates a sense of worry and sympathy for the missing child. As the three pictured are boys, we can assume that their friend is also male, which subverts the stereotypes of a typical sci-fi thriller, where it is usually a vulnerable girl who is in danger. The bikes have motivated, ambient, warm lights pointing towards the floored bike (although not shining on it), creating a comforting contrast to the dark and dull tones in the rest of the image. These lights direct our attention to bike, creating a low angle perspective, where we are looking up at the boys, suggesting they have some sort of power over the plot of the series as they are the main characters. There are no adults pictured, portraying the children as brave, but vulnerable, creating an extra sense of danger and fear, as we are hopeful that the other boys will be safe from whatever happened to their friend. The front boy is given the most light, implying he is the most important of the three, or perhaps closest to the lost friend, and he has an anxious expression on his face, facing towards the camera, whilst the other two look at each other, or their surroundings. This suggests that there are some important, emotional relationships in the series which are crucial factors of a thriller which will further develop the engagement and emotional investment of the audience. The main boy, to the right of the centre third, is wearing a yellow shirt, implying he has a bright, happy soul, which makes the loss of his friend and innocence even more painful; he has a large coat on which seems too big for him, suggesting that it is an item of protection, which also makes him look more vulnerable. The title of the poster is situated in the middle of the top third, in a bright red led/neon sign-like font, appealing to the sci-fi genre. This colour matches the colour of the abandoned bike and Netflix logo, relating to the colour of blood and danger, but designed creatively to ensure it meets the ASA requirements. The Netflix logo is situated at the top of the top third, near the title to clearly highlight the streaming platform without taking away from the image. The phrase ‘A Netflix Original Series’ is written in a small white font inbetween the logo and title to highlight that the series is exclusive to, and made by Netflix, which at this time was attempting to market itself as an integrated company. The release date of ‘all episodes’ is positioned in the far bottom right of the poster, in two bold white fonts with the Netflix red line banner next to it to draw the audiences’ attention to its release. The primary target audience is teenagers (14-25) who are sci-fi fans and enjoy a mystery, of all races/classes. The secondary target audience would be middle aged (30-65) adults who were perhaps raised in the 80s and are interested in the shows’ connection to its set time period.