The movies of Zack Snyder have often proven pretty divisive with fans and critics alike, and The Last Photograph seems set to continue that trend. Whether you love or hate his work, Zack Snyder is a name known by film fans around the world. The director’s energetic and often gritty style of filmmaking has long proved divisive, with Snyder’s fantasy, sci-fi, and action movies often earning either acclaim or ire (or, occasionally, a little of both). However, The Last Photograph is Zack Snyder’s passion project that he has been trying to make for 20 years, and it initially seemed as though it might be very different. A thriller with shades of action and drama, The Last Photograph sees Snyder go independent to make a film he has been working on for more than two decades, moving away from the genres and tropes he has become best known for.
After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, early reactions to The Last Photograph are not particularly positive. As reported by Cine+ on X, not only are early reviews fairly divided on the movie, but those that didn’t like it were pretty scathing in their reactions. Described by one reviewer as “a tedious, frustrating, and exhausting experience”, and another as “the worst movie in Zack’s career”, early looks at The Last Photograph aren’t painting a very good picture of the film. While some are reacting more positively, the negative reactions are so far dominating the discussion surrounding the movie.
If one thing is certain, it’s that Zack Snyder is no stranger to critical ire. Many of his movies have been panned or otherwise dismissed by critics, but the director is consistently supported by a base of loyal fans. While it’s clear that his work doesn’t appeal to everyone, the cult success of even some of Zack Snyder’s worst-received movies is noteworthy. While this makes it seem inevitable that The Last Photograph will amass at least some supporters, there are other ways that the early reactions seem sure to negatively affect the movie’s future.
THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH – Zach Snyder's abortion of a film is one of the worst to ever play this festival. APOCALYPSE NO. Just unabashedly shit on every level, an excercise in incompetence and hubris, and an embarrassment to have been screened. #tiff26
As The Last Photograph has been made by Snyder as an independent production, it has yet to secure a distributor. Early reactions at TIFF are concerning, as that negativity is sure to make some distributors think twice about taking The Last Photograph on. While Snyder’s track record at the box office is actually pretty good, the largely negative reactions to his latest movie make it seem like something of a gamble, and major distributors aren’t known for their willingness to take risks on movies that have already proven to be poorly received.
THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH is Zack Snyder’s most intimate, grounded, and brutal, yet unintentionally funny and overly serious movie to date. Even as big Snyder fans, this one was painful.
Read our full review of Snyder’s new movie after its #TIFF world premiere: https://t.co/Kerrpo5ZqS pic.twitter.com/vc63YdOH0v
Of course, there’s every chance that The Last Photograph could end up as another underrated Zack Snyder movie, and that alone gives the movie some hope. Considering that almost every one of Snyder’s movies so far has earned itself at least some loyal fans, it seems a near certainty that The Last Photograph will secure at least some sort of wider release. After all, bad publicity is better than no publicity at all, and divided opinions only make many moviegoers want to see a film for themselves, so there’s still hope for The Last Photograph, no matter how brutal the talk coming out of TIFF may be.
