I'll admit it—I stared at the Magic Farm poster for a solid ten minutes before it hit me. Boom. This isn't just a pretty design. It's a puzzle, a sneaky little map to the dark comedy chaos Amalia Ulman's about to unleash at Sundance 2025.
Let's break this down. The poster for Magic Farm, a film by Amalia Ulman set to premiere at Sundance and already making waves with its Berlin International Film Festival selection, isn't your typical movie promo. Most posters scream for attention with explosions or airbrushed stars. Not this one. It's got a retro vibe—like a Polaroid from the ‘80s that got lost in a time machine—but with a twist. The colors? A dreamy blue background clashing with orange-tinted characters. It's jarring, like sipping orange juice after brushing your teeth. And that's the point.
The text screams too: “MAGIC FARM” in blocky, oversized letters, dwarfing the cast list—Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff, Guillermo Jacubowicz, and more. But look closer. There's a tiny plane flying above the “M,” a nod to the film's plot about a media crew getting lost in the wrong country. Then there's the camera, looming over the characters like a vulture. It's not just set dressing—it's a character. The poster's telling us: this film's about creation, voyeurism, and things going wrong. Very wrong.
Quotes from The Hollywood Reporter (“Wild and smart”) and Variety (“A biting satire”) are slapped on there, but they feel like a dare. You'll either love this or hate it. Here's why: Ulman's last film, El Planeta, was a quirky, lo-fi gem that divided audiences. Magic Farm looks like it's doubling down on that energy, and the poster's subtle chaos is the first clue.
Posters have always been a film's first handshake with the world. Think of Jaws—that shark, that swimmer, pure terror in one image. Or Pulp Fiction, with Uma Thurman's cigarette and that bold yellow. They set the tone. Magic Farm's poster, though, feels like it's playing a different game. It's less about selling the stars (sorry, Chloë) and more about selling the vibe. The ensemble cast is listed, sure, but the real star here is the concept. A media crew, a health crisis, a viral trend gone wrong—Ulman's cooking up a satire that feels like a spiritual cousin to The White Lotus, but with a grittier edge.
MUBI, the distributor, knows what they're doing. They've been on a roll lately—think The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's body horror hit that snagged Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2024. MUBI's betting big on Magic Farm, and this poster is their opening gambit. It's a risk. Most studios would've slapped Sevigny's face front and center, but MUBI and Ulman are playing teh long game—building intrigue, not just hype.
And let's talk about that plane again. It's small, almost missable, but it's a nod to the film's themes of displacement and chaos. In an interview with IndieWire (2025), Ulman hinted at her inspiration: “I wanted to capture what happens when plans fall apart—when you're forced to create something new out of the mess.” The poster's design mirrors that. It's clean on the surface, but the details—like the camera, the plane, the clashing colors—hint at the mess underneath.
So, what's the verdict? The Magic Farm poster isn't just art—it's a warning. This film's gonna be a wild ride, and if you're not paying attention, you'll miss the best parts. MUBI says it's “coming soon,” so keep your eyes peeled. Would you take a chance on a film that looks this unhinged? Comment below—I'm dying to know.
