Zack Snyder‘s new film The Last Photograph premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2026, and the first wave of critical reactions has been overwhelmingly negative. The backlash has grown beyond standard film criticism, with online users now debating whether the film carries racist and misogynistic undertones. A viral social media post declaring “Streets are saying the new Zack Snyder movie is racist” has amplified the conversation, drawing both fierce criticism and passionate defense of the director.
What Critics Are Saying About The Last Photograph
Globe and Mail critic Barry Hertz posted a blunt assessment on X, writing that the film is a “lurid, turgid, and not a little bit racist tour up river”. His review went further, calling it “Snyder’s version of The Quiet American” and claiming it “represents a certain nadir for TIFF programming”.
Freelance critic Elizabeth Mulloy described the film as “aimless, contrived, misogynistic, convoluted, messy, overtly long, abysmal, repetitive, slow, shallow, and downright awful,” adding that the only positive was that it “looked pretty”.
Next Best Picture editor-in-chief Matt Neglia called it a “tedious, frustrating, and grueling experience,” stating it was “easily the worst film I’ve seen at TIFF so far”. He criticized the film for “misguided scripting choices, gratuitous violence and n*dity, wooden dialogue, and hollow performances”.
TheWrap critic Chase Hutchinson wrote that the film is “one of the worst films to ever screen at a major film festival,” describing its South American setting as “insultingly generic” and noting that female characters “lack anything approaching dimension or layers, existing as objects to be desired or put to death again and again”.
Screen Rant noted that the film “desperately wants to be profound” but its “pacing, melodrama, and self-seriousness make it unintentionally funny,” adding that there is an “almost impressive disconnect between what Snyder appears to think he is making” and the final product.
The Racism Accusation Explained
The specific claim of racism stems from multiple angles. The film is set in an unnamed South American country, with the official synopsis describing “an ex-DEA agent” who “searches South American mountains for his murdered diplomat siblings’ children”. Critics have taken issue with how the local population is portrayed. One review pointed out “the xenophobic portrayal of the area’s indigenous population” as “a whole other, uncomfortable issue”.
The comparison to Sound of Freedom has been particularly damaging. Multiple critics and social media users noted the film’s narrative — a Western operative traveling to a foreign land to rescue children from dangerous cartels — mirrors the plot structure of the 2023 QAnon-adjacent film. X user Josh Lewis wrote that Snyder “spent 25 years trying to make his war journalist mercenary take on Apocalypse Now and The Searchers and the final result was functionally indistinguishable from Sound of Freedom”.
The film also came under fire for its original script’s context. The screenplay was initially set in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and was “explicitly about Afghanistan and the Western intervention in the region.” Relocating the story to South America without that geopolitical context left the film “hollow,” according to The Playlist.
Online Users Split Over Racism Claims
Social media reactions have been sharply divided. X user Spencer wrote: “They’re saying Snyder’s new movie is racist, sexist, and similar to Sound of Freedom. Yikes, man”. Another user commented, “Hopefully this puts the nail in the Zack Snyder directing anything ever coffin,” while a third asked, “It’s almost like Zack Snyder sucks at making movies! Who knew?!?”.
Supporters of Snyder pushed back forcefully. One fan wrote, “Failed filmmakers turn into film critics are the sadists… keep crying and Zack Snyder will keep making films”. Another defender asked, “I’m sorry, but still tryna push the misogynist or racist Zack Snyder narratives in 2026???”. A third added, “You people are insane. Could you even try to write a normal review? Instead of one that is clearly full of hate”.
Production Background and Cast
The Last Photograph has been a passion project for Snyder for over two decades. The film was written by Kurt Johnstad, who previously collaborated with Snyder on 300 and both Rebel Moon films. The project originally had Christian Bale and Sean Penn attached as leads, with Niels Arden Oplev initially set to direct.
The film stars Stuart Martin as Ethan Black, a former DEA operative, and Fra Fee as Joe Wallace, a war photographer. Both actors previously worked with Snyder on the Rebel Moon franchise. Costanza Andrade plays Catherine, Ethan’s love interest. Filming took place in Bogotá, Chingaza National Park, and the Amazon in Colombia, along with locations in Iceland and Los Angeles.
Snyder served as his own cinematographer and camera operator on the project, averaging 40 setups per day during production. The film was made on a tight budget of approximately $10 million, a dramatic departure from the massive budgets of his DC and Netflix projects.
The Movie Still Has No Distributor
A major concern surrounding The Last Photograph is that it does not yet have a distributor. The film was independently produced and is being showcased at TIFF as an acquisition title, giving studios and streaming platforms the opportunity to bid for its rights. Reports indicate that several potential buyers who screened the film found its content “excessively violent” and its “production quality subpar”.
TIFF organizers notably did not arrange a press screening for the film, meaning journalists had to obtain tickets through general admission. The film screened in the John Bassett Theatre, TIFF’s new 1,000-seat venue at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
“Put Zack Snyder in directors jail permanently. THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH is dogshit. Its aimless, contrived, misogynistic, convoluted, messy, overtly long, abysmal, repetitive, slow, shallow, and downright awful. Only positive — it looked pretty.”
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Snyder Fans Push Back Against Critics
Despite the wave of negative reviews, a vocal segment of Snyder’s fanbase has defended the film. Some pointed to the director’s willingness to self-finance a personal project as evidence of artistic integrity. The film’s supporters have also accused critics of carrying a pre-existing bias against Snyder, citing the reception of his previous works like Batman v Superman and Rebel Moon.
Deadline offered a more measured take, acknowledging that while the film is “high on testosterone,” it is “no such thing” as a Sound of Freedom clone. The review compared it more favorably to Peter Weir‘s The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) and noted that Snyder’s cinematography “looks just great”. JoBlo critic Chris Bumbray also offered a partial defense, writing that “about 90 minutes of it is a brutal, unrelenting thriller” with “incredible action,” though he acknowledged “there’s another 45 supremely indulgent auteur gunk that is snicker-worthy”.
Letterboxd user ratings paint a stark picture, with 25% of ratings being half a star. The film currently has no Rotten Tomatoes score due to its lack of theatrical distribution. As of September 14, 2026, no release date has been announced and no distributor has picked up the film.
Also Read: Zack Snyder to Write and Direct ‘Escape From New York’ Remake for Theaters
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