
Matt
Richmond
Taglines are the poetry of capitalism. I analyzed 10,000 movie posters to measure the emotional temperature of Hollywood marketing.
"Family" & "Animation"
"The feel-good movie of the summer!"
"Horror" & "Thriller"
"In space no one can hear you scream."
"One"
"One man. One mission. One choice."
Horror movies possess the most distinct linguistic fingerprint. Their taglines are effectively threats: short, punchy, and overwhelmingly negative. Conversely, Family flims rely on "superlative inflation"—words like Best, Greatest, and Magic appear at 3x the normal rate.
Action movies sit surprisingly close to neutral. Their taglines focus on *verbs* (Run, Fight, Survive) rather than adjectives. They describe process, not emotion. The most successful taglines (like Alien) act as micro-stories, setting a scene rather than selling a feeling.