Limited Releases: Most Wanted Limited Releases
July 25, 2014
There are not a lot of great limited releases on this week's list. There are a few films that are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews; however, there are just as many films on this list that have no reviews. The best film is arguably A Most Wanted Man, but its high theater count might hurt its changes on the per theater chart. Happy Christmas is earning better than average buzz, but it is also playing on Video on Demand, so its theatrical numbers are less important. Also... Christmas in July?
Beneath - Reviews
Come Back to Me - Reviews
Happy Christmas - Reviews
Ironclad: Battle for Blood - Reviews
Kick - No Reviews
The Kill Team - Reviews
Magic in the Moonlight - Reviews
A Master Builder - Reviews
A Most Wanted Man - Reviews
My Man is a Loser - Reviews
The Privileged - No Reviews
She's Dating the Gangster - No Reviews
Very Good Girls - Reviews
The filmmakers claim this is inspired by a real story, but it takes countless mining disasters and turns it into a supernatural horror film. The reviews are mixed, which is generally fatal for a limited release, plus it is a horror movie, which is a genre that rarely thrives in limited release. Beneath opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City.
A husband and wife get into a car accident and she starts having blackouts and night terrors. She then finds out she is pregnant, but they find out her husband is sterile. It is an interesting set-up, but the reviews indicate the execution was flawed. Come Back to Me opens tonight in theaters and on Video on Demand. Given the reviews and the genre, it will very likely perform a lot better on the latter than in the former.
Anna Kendrick stars as a 20-year old who recently broke up with her boyfriend and moves in with her older brother, Jeff, till she gets back on her feet. It might take her a long time, because she's far from a responsible adult. Joe Swanberg wrote and directed the film and he also plays Jeff. He previously wrote, directed, and acted in Drinking Buddies, which also earned great reviews, but failed to find an audience in theaters. Hopefully this film will do better, but I have my doubts. Firstly, it is also playing on video on demand. Secondly, Christmas? Christmas? Happy Christmas opens tonight in four theaters, while it expands over the coming weeks. Check out the official site for more details.
A sequel to Ironclad, a film that earned mixed reviews and failed to find an audience here. This film is earning much worse reviews and will likely disappear just as fast. Ironclad: Battle for Blood might open tonight, but the official site says it opened two weeks ago.
A Bollywood film about two people who meet on a train, a psychiatrist and a police detective. They tell stories, her about a former lover and adrenaline junkie who left her, and him about an intelligent thief who keeps getting away. What they don't realize is that they are talking about the same person. Kick opens tonight in select theaters nationwide. You can read where here.
A documentary about a war crime that took place in Afghanistan that was committed by American soldiers and the American soldier who tried to bring it to light. The reviews are excellent, but most documentaries struggle at the box office. This one certainly won't leave viewers with a warm glowing feeling. That said, it will hopefully find an audience on the home market. The Kill Team opens tonight at the Film Society Lincoln Center in New York City.
Colin Firth stars as a stage magician in the 1920s who also debunks phoney psychics. His latest target is Emma Stone, who turns out to be difficult to debunk. The reviews are only mixed, but it was written and directed by Woody Allen, so it should do reasonably well in limited release. Magic in the Moonlight opens tonight in seventeen theaters nationwide.
Wallace Shawn, previously adapted the stage play from Norwegian to English and now he's adapted the play to the screen. In it, he plays an egotistical architect who wants to finally make amends for his lifetime of bullying those around him. The reviews are good, but perhaps not good enough to thrive in limited release. A Master Builder opened on Wednesday at the Film Forum in New York City.
The final film Philip Seymour Hoffman completed before his death. In it, he stars as a high-ranking member of the Germany intelligence community, who is trying to learn if there is a new terrorist threat coming, but also has to deal with competing intelligence organizations within Germany for sources. The reviews are fantastic, but it is opening in way too many theaters for a limited release. A Most Wanted Man opens tonight in 361 theaters, which might mean it will reach the top ten, but it is just as likely that it will result in a weak per theater average and a short run in theaters.
John Stamos stars as a womanizer who offers his two friends advice on how to repair their relationships with their wives. There are only two reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which suggests a fatal lack of buzz. My Man is a Loser opens tonight in theaters and on Video on Demand. It will likely perform better in the latter.
A lawyer is worried about rising within his law firm after refusing to use questionable evidence in a case that he subsequently lost. He travels with his wife to his boss's cabin to beg to keep his job. However, his boss used his money to screw over some of the locals and now the locals are looking for revenge. This is a Canadian movie that is opening at the Carlton Cinema in Toronto.
A Filipino film about two opposites who pretend to be dating but fall in love. There are no reviews and no official site for the North American release. I'm not sure there is a North American release this week.
There are a lot of very good actors in this movie and many of the performances are praised by critics, but boy did something go wrong. At the moment, the reviews are only 5% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, which would prove fatal for all but the lowest of low-expectations genres. Very Good Girls opens tonight in nine theaters nationwide and on video on demand, but it likely won't do well in either.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Very Good Girls, My Man is a Loser, Happy Christmas, A Most Wanted Man, Magic in the Moonlight, Come Back to Me, Beneath, Ironclad: Battle for Blood, Kick, The Kill Team, She’s Dating the Gangster, The Privileged, Woody Allen, Colin Firth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Kendrick, Wallace Shawn, John Stamos, Emma Stone, Joe Swanberg