Limited Releases: Going Dark
April 17, 2015
There's a lot of films that might be opening in limited release this week, but many of them have not enough reviews to have a Tomatometer Score. (I'll be skipping most of those.) Worse still, many that do are earning terrible reviews. There are some that are worth watching, like Alex of Venice, Felix and Meira, and Tangerines. On the other hand, I wouldn't bet on any of them finding success at the box office.
Alex of Venice - Reviews
Beyond The Reach - Reviews
The Dead Lands - Reviews
Felix and Meira - Reviews
Tangerines - Reviews
Monsters: Dark Continent - Reviews
Mr. X - Reviews
The Road Within - Reviews
Roar - Reviews
The Squeeze - Reviews
Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the titular Alex, a workaholic lawyer whose husband leaves her unexpectedly. The reviews are among the best of any film opening this week and the cast has more star power than most limited releases. Perhaps this will be enough to allow it to shine. On the other hand, it is playing on Video on Demand.
Michael Douglas plays a rich business man who goes on a hunting expedition in the New Mexico desert. When he accidentally kills a homeless man mistaking him for a bighorn sheep, he tries to kill his guide as well, so no one will know what happened. The film is based on a good book and some critics are praising Michael Douglas' performance, but the overall reviews are very bad. Also, like many films on this week's list, it is playing on Video on Demand.
A film from New Zealand. It was that country's official selection for this year's Oscars, but its reviews are barely over the overall positive level. It is also playing on Video on Demand, so it likely won't go anywhere at the box office.
A Canadian movie about an Orthodox Jewish woman, who is married with one child, who meets a secular man. The pair become friends and then fall in love. The reviews are good, but not great. Felix and Meira opens tonight at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema in New York City.
An Anti-war film from Estonia. It earned an Oscar nomination, but its reviews are only good and not great. Perhaps if the film came out closer to the Oscar season, it could have benefited from the buzz, but coming out this late will likely hurt its box office chances further.
A sequel to Monsters. The original earned good reviews, but not great reviews. It mostly benefited from the publicity of being a $500,000 alien invasion movie. The follow-up is earning really bad reviews and I don't think the name will help it thrive. Additionally, it is playing on Video on Demand, so its theatrical numbers will be less than impressive.
A 3-D Bollywood Sci-fi thriller about a man with the power to turn invisible. This isn't your typical Bollywood movie. On the other hand, like you typical Bollywood movie, there are no reviews.
Three people in a group home for those suffering from psychological disorders come together and become friends. The reviews are terrible and the film is also playing on Video on Demand.
This movie was made in the late 1970s early 1980s and was made in part to prove that large cats are not dangerous to humans and they should be protected. More than 70 people were injured during the making of the movie. It is more of a curiosity than a good movie, but those who are curious can watch it, either in limited release, or you can wait for the DVD release in October.
A movie about a golf prodigy who teams up with a gambler to win money, only they get in over their heads. This feels like a remake of Kingpin, only with much worse reviews. Additionally, it is opening in Video on Demand, so its box office numbers are immaterial.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Roar, Alex of Venice, The Dead Lands, The Road Within, Beyond The Reach, Felix et Meira, The Squeeze, Mandariinid, Monsters: Dark Continent, Mr. X, Michael Douglas, Mary Elizabeth Winstead