Limited and VOD Releases: Better Watch these Limited Releases
October 6, 2017
It is a very busy week for limited releases with over 30 films coming out this week. Needless to say we’ve had to be a little callous, culling the list to a more manageable number. We are still left with a number of films that have a shot at finding a receptive audience. Some of these are like Better Watch Out, which will struggle in theaters, but very likely do well on Video on Demand. Others, like The Florida Project, could see its strong reviews turn to Awards Season success and that will be a boon to its financial success.
Bending the Arc - Reviews
Better Watch Out - Reviews
Blackbird - Reviews
Brawl in Cell Block 99 - Reviews
Chavela - Reviews
Chef - Reviews
Dina - Reviews
Faces, Places - Reviews
The Florida Project - Reviews
The Stray - Reviews
Walking Out - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
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This is a documentary about an organizations attempting to bring quality health care to the poorest of people around the world. There are only six reviews, but all six are positive, so that’s a good sign. On the other hand, documentaries rarely have break out success.
Video on Demand
Olivia DeJonge stars as a babysitter hoping for a quiet night taking care of a pair of 12-year olds. However, before the night is over, she has to deal with a home invasion. The reviews are stunning, but horror films almost never do well in limited release. Furthermore, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are terrible. On the other hand, if you are looking for a horror film, then staying home and renting this for $6 seems like a great deal.
Rooney Mara stars as Una, a young woman who was in a relationship with her much older neighbor, who went to jail for that. 15 years later, she spots him in a newspaper story and decides to confront him. The reviews for this film are good, but it has struggled to find an audience anywhere internationally. That’s not a good sign for its box office chances here.
This film is earning stunning reviews, especially for its star, Vince Vaughn. In the movie, he stars as a man whose life has spiraled out of control and he ends up in prison. There he is forced to commit acts of violence. The film isn’t quite the right genre for limited release, but its reviews could help it find an audience regardless.
A documentary about singer Chavela Vargas, whose career has spanned decades from the 1950s through to a comeback tour that lasted till her death in 2012. The reviews are great and there is a growing Hispanic market in the United States who could be drawn to this movie.
A Bollywood remake of Chef. Okay, I’m intrigued. There is only one review on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is positive and most Bollywood films open with no reviews, so this is a positive sign.
A documentary about a 48-year old widow planning her second marriage. There are many more complications than that, which is the hook to draw you into the movie. So far, the film’s reviews are 100% positive, but I think the subject matter is too personal to find a wider audience in theaters.
Agnes Varda is a famed filmmaker in her late 80s and J.R. is a photographer in his early 30s. Together, they traveled around rural France capturing what they found on film. The reviews are 100% positive and there is enough buzz to boost its box office chances. It is a documentary, so don’t expect a million dollar run, but it should do better than most films in this genre.
Out of all of the films on this week’s list, this is the one I’m most interested in seeing. It is about a group of young girls on summer vacation and their interactions with the adults in their lives, including the manager of the motel where they live, played by Willem Dafoe. The film’s reviews are amazing and it is even earning some Oscar buzz. A fast start at the box office would help its Awards Season performance.
A stray dog helps a family overcome their dysfunctional nature. This is a live action family film, which is a genre that almost never does well in theaters under the best of circumstances. Worse still, the film is opening in nearly 700 theaters and its Tomatometer Score is merely 40% positive.
An estranged father and son go on a hunting trip, but an accident means the son has to take care of the father. The reviews for this film are excellent and it has a shot at finding some measure of mainstream success in limited release. There is a lot of competition, on the other hand.
2307: Winter’s Dream - Reviews - Video on Demand
Architects of Denial - Reviews - Video on Demand
Cold Moon - Reviews - Video on Demand
Generational Sins - Reviews - Video on Demand
Overdrive - Reviews - Video On Demand
The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One - Reviews - Video On Demand
There are a few secondary VOD releases that are earning good reviews, including Cold Moon and The Osiris Child. Hopefully they will both be able to find audiences on the home market.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Overdrive, Una, Chavela, The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One, The Florida Project, Walking Out, Generational Sins, Better Watch Out, Visages villages, The Stray, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Architects of Denial, Bending the Arc, 2307: Winter’s Dream, Cold Moon, Chef, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Agnès Varda, Vince Vaughn, Olivia DeJonge, J.R.