Zack Snyder's long-gestating passion project, The Last Photograph, finally made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the early reactions are nothing short of brutal. The film, which Snyder has described as a deeply personal indie venture, is being panned by critics and audiences alike, with many calling it the worst work of his career.
On Letterboxd, the film has been flooded with half-star ratings, with one user succinctly dubbing it "Apocalypse No," a cheeky nod to the pre-release buzz that compared the project to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Another viewer went further, calling the movie a "grotesque, shameless and an utter disgrace from start to finish."
The film follows an ex-DEA officer who teams up with a war photographer to find missing family members. Snyder first conceived the project about 15 years ago, with Christian Bale and Sean Penn originally attached to star. However, after his falling out with Warner Bros., the project stalled until Snyder secured private funding and decided to take a hands-on approach, serving as his own cinematographer during a small-scale shoot across South America.
Despite the hard work that went into the production, the TIFF audience was not impressed. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture wrote that the film "exposes Snyder's shortcomings as a storyteller through misguided scripting choices, gratuitous violence and nudity, wooden dialogue, and hollow performances." Another viewer described it as "a real nasty piece of business."
The negative reception is a stark contrast to the recent resurgence of Snyder's earlier work. For instance, his 2009 film Watchmen has found a new audience on HBO Max, proving that some of his films age well. But The Last Photograph seems to be a different story, with many critics questioning whether it will ever find a distributor.
As of now, the film has no domestic distribution deal, though Snyder's dedicated fanbase might be enough to entice a buyer despite the scathing reviews. The movie also reunites Snyder with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, marking their first collaboration since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Whether that's enough to save the film remains to be seen.
For now, The Last Photograph is shaping up to be a major misstep for the director, who has often been a polarizing figure in Hollywood. While his fans may still flock to see it, the early word suggests this is one journey up the river that audiences will want to skip.
