Limited and VOD Releases: Getting Short Changed
January 31, 2020
The 2020 Oscar Shorts lead the way on the limited release report this week; however, it is far from the only release worth checking out. The Assistant, Beanpole, The Wonderland, and others are all intriguing. I don’t think any of them will find an audience, but I think most people who do get a chance to see them will be impressed.
2020 Oscar Shorts
The Assistant - Reviews
Beanpole - Reviews
Incitement - Reviews
José - Reviews
Ne Zha Zhi Mo Tong Jiang Shi - Reviews
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana - Reviews
The Traitor - Reviews
The Wonderland - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
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Animated - Reviews
Live-Action - Reviews
Documentary - Reviews
Every short film nominated for an Oscar this year gets a release as part of one of three mini-film festivals. Two of the three releases are earning 100% positive reviews, with the live-action group lagging well behind. I would be shocked if these films didn’t earn the highest box office numbers out of all of the films on this week’s list.
This film deals with abuse in Hollywood. It stars Julia Garner, who is earning a lot of praise and this is an important topic, so the film has that going for it. On the other hand, even though the film is not exploitative, it still does deal with a difficult subject matter, so it likely won’t appeal to a mainstream audience. Maybe if the film had opened during Awards Season it could have earned a major nomination or two and boosted its box office chances that way. As it is, I think it will struggle.
The film follows two women living through the aftermath of the Siege of Stalingrad. The film’s reviews are overwhelmingly positive and I really hope if finds an audience. However, a lot of the critics who have praised the film still admit it is rather bleak and this, along with the weak release date, could hurt its box office chances.
A drama about the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin from the perspective of the assassin, who was just a radicalized individual. So far, the film’s reviews are unanimously positive and the subject matter is sadly relevant, so perhaps it will find an audience in theaters.
A LGBT coming of age story set in a poor, and very conservative neighborhood in Guatemala City. The reviews are strong, so even though the release date is weak, I have some hopes for its box office chances.
This is a new dub of the Chinese animated film. The film did very well in its previous release, but I’m not sure it will be able to replicate that success this time around, as it isn’t the only animated film on this week’s list.
Video on Demand
A behind-the-scenes documentary about Taylor Swift, who was one of the biggest musical stars of the 2010s, but whose popularity has been off her peak recently. The film’s reviews suggest it is worth checking out, but I don’t have high hopes over its box office chances, as it is also playing on Netflix and most people will watch it there.
An Italian film about Tommaso Buscetta, a man in the Cosa Nostra, who turned on the Mafia when a Mafia war started killing his sons and brothers and he was next. The reviews are good, but I’m not sure they are good enough for the film to thrive in limited release.
This film has almost no chance of thriving in limited release for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is an animated movie and almost no animated films do well in limited release. Secondly, there are only four reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which strongly suggests there is not enough buzz to get audiences interested. On the other hand, all four reviews are positive, so that’s something in its favor.
Coda - Reviews - Video on Demand
The only secondary VOD release of the week has just one review, but that one review is positive, so maybe it is worth a (nearly) blind rental.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Il Traditore, Dylda, Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世), Bâsudê wandârando, The Assistant, Incitement, José, 2020 Oscar Shorts, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, Coda, Taylor Swift, Julia Garner