Why we shoot brand films on anamorphic lenses
Oval bokeh, horizontal flares and that wide, cinematic frame. When anamorphic glass is worth it, and when it is not.
Anamorphic lenses squeeze a wide image onto the sensor, and the de-squeeze in post gives you the 2.39:1 frame audiences associate with cinema. Along the way you get stretched, oval out-of-focus highlights and the long blue streaks of light we all recognise.
When it works
Landscapes, people in big spaces, golden hour and night exteriors. Anamorphic makes an ordinary location feel like a set.
When it does not
Fast documentary work, tight interiors and anything that will mostly be watched vertically on a phone. In those cases a clean spherical lens and a careful grade do the job better.