GALLERY: Not your average movie poster

Movie posters these days are getting smarter.

They aren't just of pretty faces at pretty places. Some actually have the plot woven into them.

A few movies take it to the next level with propaganda-infused posters or public service announcement-type posters that may even be against the actual message of the movie.

What do we mean?

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Here are posters of pretty faces.

Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

Production budget: US$28 million

Box office takings: US$61 million

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Production budget: US$5 million

Box office takings: US$55 million

Yes, we're supposed to watch the movie based on A) what we already know of these characters from the first Kick-Ass; or B) Matthew McConaughey's handsome face.

P.S. Having not-so-smart movie posters does not equal bad movie.

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Here are posters of pretty faces at pretty places.

Oblivion (2013)

Production budget: US$120 million

Box office takings: US$286 million

Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

Production budget: US$215 million

Box office takings: US$493 million

We're supposed to be enticed to watch this based on a handsome face (Tom Cruise/James Franco) and a mysterious background (future doom and gloom/magical universe).

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Here are "smarter" posters that use propaganda-type/PSA-type messages.

District 9 (2009)

Production budget: US$30 million

Box office takings: US$211 million

This current trend of "smarter" movie posters started with District 9. 

What's interesting in this case is that it had nothing else to sell besides the premise. There were no big names involved and it was director Neill Blomkamp's first movie.

The Purge (2013)

Production budget: US$3 million

Box office takings: US$89 million

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Production budget: US$200 million

Box office takings: US$361 million (so far)

This movie is in theaters now, and it is awesome.

The poster shows what the plot is about, but goes against the actual message of the movie. Brilliant.

You don't have to know that the mutant-hunting Sentinels are actually a much-hated invention in the X-men world to understand the nuance.

Anything that sees mutants as bad is basically the bad guy because Wolverine is the ultimate bad-ass good guy.

It's also a nod to fans of the comics.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Production budget: NA

Box office takings: NA

Again, even if you don't know anything about Transformers, you would know they're the good guys. So this is another counter-intuitive poster that reveals the psyche of the humans in the movie. 

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Source: Buzzfeed