Film Preview: Concussion (2015)

Page Revisions:

(September 13, 2015) Original
(November 15, 2015) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#2)
(December 20, 2015) New Posters (#3 & #4)

Release Date:

December 25, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Will Smith stars in a dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player.”

Poster Rating: C / D+ / C- / D

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Review: (#1) The wall of football helmets on behind Will Smith is a nice touch, but that’s all there is to this design apart from Smith’s figure, which is familiar to most and might invite audiences, but won’t inspire them beyond that.

(#2) Appealing only to Will Smith fans, this extreme close-up says very little about the film, suggesting only that Smith plays a contemplative character, but leaving it at that.

(#3) A simple, dull design that’s only slight improved over the previous. (#4) This is an even more rudimentary design and it’s easily the worst of the four.

Trailer Rating: C / B-

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Review: (#1) If this trailer doesn’t make you fall asleep, then it’s apparently not doing its job properly. Why the producers would want to create a film that is supposed to be thrilling that looks so generic is beyond me. Will Smith’s accent is interesting, but it doesn’t give us anything new to watch. The film might be good, but the trailer doesn’t do an effective job of conveying that, employing a long string of clichés to keep itself irrelevant.

(#2) We’ve seen this type of film before, so it’s imperative that the trailer presents it in a way that’s fresh or compelling. This trailer does a sufficient job of that, positioning this as a safety-driven football-oriented version of The Insider, with threats of violence and push back rampant. What it doesn’t succeed at is making it look fresh. The formula feels worn and the trailer doesn’t sufficiently counteract that.

Oscar Prospects:

With the revelation that the film has been edited at the NFL’s request, its chances with Oscar are minimized. However, Will Smith’s accent may be in competition.