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Armond Walker

Julie Baker

ENGL 1301

3-3-2024

Back to the Future Movie Poster Analysis

The Back to the Future movie franchise is arguably one of the greatest science fiction

franchises in cinema history. Being up there with the likes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic

Park, and many more blockbuster hits, Back to the

Future was one of those movies that people would talk

about for weeks after its original release. The directing,

acting, action, plot, and other features of the movie are

what make the film itself so legendary, but what about

the advertising efforts that made people interested in the

film? The Back to the Future movie poster is widely

regarded as one of the best movie posters of all time.

Created by Drew Struzan and published by Universal

Studios in 1985. Combining elements like fire trails

streaking across the poster, the DeLorean, the main

character himself, Marty McFly, and an interesting quote

on the side of these elements. This movie poster is very eye-catching and intrigues the ones who

see it. It does a good job of implementing multiple different elements that work together to peak

someone's interest and create an open mind for future viewers of the film. This analysis will dive
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into the many unique visual elements of the poster and will explore how each component

contributes to making the poster as good as it is.

Taking a first look at this poster, the first thing that would capture someone's attention is

two trails of fire going right under the main character and off into the distance. This is just a

small part of the poster that would make someone want to watch the film to answer the possible

questions someone might have like, “What caused the fire trails and where are they going?” A

viewer can also see that there are street lights in the distance, suggesting that these trails were

created on a road. The streaks of fire give the audience a sense of speed, thrill, and excitement,

making one eager to see the movie even more, simultaneously giving a nod to one of the most

iconic parts of the movie in the process. These elements of the poster creates a compelling

invitation for anyone laying eyes on the poster and aims to spark a desire for viewers to figure

out the reason why the streaks of fire are so prominent in this movie poster.

Moving up from the base of the fire, an interesting looking capsule that has a bright light

shining out of it can be seen. There is a gull-wing door swinging open, suggesting that the

capsule is actually a car. The car being the DMC DeLorean, also one of the most iconic parts of

the movie. Looking to the right of the car and the bright light, viewers can see the main attraction

of the poster, Marty McFly. He is positioned in the poster in such a way that it looks like he is

getting out of the car after driving it. You can see him looking at his watch with a surprised and

almost fearful look on his face. This element’s meaning is the most important part of this poster

and is what truly captivates the viewers' minds into wanting to see this film. McFly’s combined
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looks of shock, worryness, and sheer awe, does a good job of getting someone thinking about

what is so important on the watch for him to make the face he is making after seeing it.

After looking at all of these main elements of this poster, there is still one more that stands

out. The text on the left side of the poster reading out “He was never in time for his classes… He

wasn’t in time for his dinner… Then one day…he wasn’t in his time at all”. The meaning behind

this quote is very clever and informative to the viewer at the same time. This quote is giving a

little bit of background to the main character, letting the viewer know that he does not manage

his time well already, and then suddenly, he wasn’t even in his own time period in general. The

repeated use of the phrase “in time” is used to hint at the central theme of the movie which is

time travel. Also hinted by the movie title itself, this part of the quote helps the viewer make an

assumption that time is an important part of this movie and many different journeys may come

from it.

Combining all of these elements together, we get a movie poster that does a great job at

hooking viewers' minds and getting them thinking about the possible outcomes of the film. The

fire trails, DeLorean, Marty McFly, and the insightful quote all coming together as one to create

a legendary movie poster for a legendary movie. Especially for when this poster first debuted,

which was 1985, it peaked peoples interest into wanting to go see the movie due to its vast

elements making the poster a true spectacle to look at and analyze. These reasons all tie into why

the Back to the Future movie poster is regarded as one of the best movie posters of all time.
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Works Cited

Struzan, Drew. "Back to the Future." Bottleneckgallery.Com, 3 Jul. 1985,

bottleneckgallery.com/products/drew-struzan-back-to-the-future-timed-edition.

Accessed 3 Mar.