Limited and VOD Releases: Sea a Limited Release This Weekend
November 11, 2015
It is not a particularly strong week for limited releases, as there are none that really jump out as potential breakout successes. Man Up is earning some of the best reviews, but it is the wrong genre for limited release, as Rom Coms rarely do well enough in limited release to expand wide. (On a side note, one of the exceptions was My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The trailer for the sequel just came out. Nearly 15 years is a long time between the original and the sequel.) James White feels a lot more like a traditional limited release, one that can do really well in the art house circuit.
By the Sea - Reviews
Entertainment - Reviews
The Hallow - Reviews
Heist - Reviews
James White - Reviews
Kilo Two Bravo - Reviews
Man Up - Reviews
Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans - Reviews
The biggest limited release of the week, if you measure that by starpower. However, the starpower likely won't be able to overcome the reviews. A Tomatometer Score of 28% would be bad for a low-expectations action film. It will likely doom this film's chances in limited release. This is a bad turn of events, as it was expected to open wide as recently as the beginning of the month.
Video on Demand
Gregg Turkington stars as a stand-up comic who is trying for a comeback, sort of. He was never a star, but his career has cratered. The reviews are excellent, but reading closely it seems like a movie that will please critics more than moviegoers. Additionally, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are poor.
Video on Demand
This is a British-Irish co-production and is about a family that moves to a rural part of Ireland. The locals warn them about the evils within the woods near their home, but they don't listen. The reviews are good, but not great. It is a horror film, which is genre that rarely does well in limited release. And finally, it is playing on VOD. Its box office chances are near zero. That said, if you are a fan of the genre, check it out on VOD this weekend.
This film has an impressive cast, but its early reviews are terrible. Since it cost $15 million to make, it either was meant to open wide, but the studio lost faith in the project. Or it was made to appeal to certain foreign markets and the studio doesn't care how much it makes here. Heist opens in nearly two dozen theaters on Friday, as well as VOD, but not on Amazon.
Christopher Abbott stars as the titular James White, a 20-something who doesn't have his life together. However, when his mother becomes seriously ill, he has to grow up and put his life together. The film has excellent reviews and it is the type of film that can do well in limited release. James White opens on Thursday at the Sunshine Cinema in New York City.
Video on Demand
This is the best-reviewed release on this week's chart and was even nominated for a BAFTA last year. On the downside, it has also playing on VOD since Tuesday, so its box office chances are very poor. Those interested in a real life war story should check it out, but for most of us, the home market is the only way to do that.
Lake Bell stars as a woman who is sick of dating, but when Simon Pegg mistakes her for a his blind date, she goes for it. The film's reviews are excellent, but romantic comedies rarely find audiences in limited release. Man Up opens this weekend in Los Angeles and New York City before expanding next weekend. Most people will likely have to wait till the home market to see it.
A documentary about Steve McQueen, specifically the behind-the-scenes as he tried to make Le Mans. The reviews are mixed with a several critics saying the film doesn't paint a very sympathetic picture of the actor. This is odd, as usually critics don't like films that praise their subject too much.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, By the Sea, Heist, Kajaki, Entertainment, James White, Man Up, Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, The Hallow, Lake Bell, Steve McQueen, Cynthia Nixon, Simon Pegg, Christopher Abbott, Gregg Turkington