Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases Have Something to Teach Us
October 12, 2018
It’s an odd week for limited releases and I’m not sure any of them will have a real shot at box office success. There are some, like After Everything, that are earning excellent reviews, but are playing on VOD. There are others, like Beautiful Boy, that were earning loud pre-release buzz, but failed to live up to the hype with critics. I think The Kindergarten Teacher might have a shot at box office success, but I’m also hoping Liyana beats expectations.
22 July - Reviews
After Everything - Reviews
All Square - Reviews
Beautiful Boy - Reviews
The Happy Prince - Reviews
The Kindergarten Teacher - Reviews
Liyana - Reviews
The Oath - Reviews
Sadie - Reviews
Stella’s Last Weekend - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
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Video on Demand
This is one of the best-reviewed films on this week’s list. It tells the story of the worst terrorist attack to happen in Norway, when a right-wing terrorist attacked a leadership camp for teens. The film debuted in theaters, and on Netflix, on Wednesday, so while it could find an audience, it won’t find one in theaters.
Video on Demand
Jeremy Allen White and Maika Monroe star as a new couple whose relationship changes dramatically when one of them is diagnosed with a serious illness. The film’s reviews are excellent, but its box office chances are not, because it is playing on VOD.
Video on Demand
This is a movie about a bookie who begins taking bets on Little League games. ... It’s reviews are 100% positive, which is surprising given its plot. Granted, its average score is 6.8 out of 10, so while all of the critics like the movie, few of them love it. That said, it is certainly worth a VOD rental.
Out of all of the films on this week’s list, this is the one that was earning the most pre-release buzz. Unfortunately, its reviews don’t live up to the hype. They are not bad, but they are merely good and films usually need great reviews to thrive in limited release. Hopefully it can find an audience on the home market and it won’t just be remembered as busted Oscar-bait.
The film is about Oscar Wilde, starring Rupert Everett. The reviews are merely good, but not good enough for limited release.
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a 40-year old kindergarten teacher whose life has lost its way and she no longer has a driving force. That is until she realizes one of her students could be a poetry prodigy. This is a remake of the Israeli film released in 2014. This film is actually earning better reviews and it has enough star power that it could do well in limited release.
This is a difficult film to describe, because it is both an animated fable and a documentary. The fable is about a young Swazi girl who must rescue her twin brother. It was written by five Swazi orphans and the film not only tells their fable, but also tells their real-life story. The combination of these genres makes it hard to describe, but the reviews are fantastic, so it is easy to recommend.
This is a black comedy about a near future where the citizens of the United States have to sign a loyalty pledge, not to the country, but to the president himself. This obviously causes some to balk at this requirement. This film follows one family and how they react when there’s a difference of opinion on what to do. The film’s reviews are good for a black comedy, which is a genre that tends to struggle with critics. However, even highly rated black comedies tend to do very poorly at the box office.
Sophia Mitri Schloss stars as the titular Sadie, the daughter of a soldier who is always on deployment. When her mother decides to date another man, Sadie decides to break them up, no matter what it takes. The reviews are good, maybe good enough to thrive in limited release. That said, opening in limited it is never an easy task.
Real life brothers Nat and Alex Wolff play brothers who are dealing with relationships. One of them just got dumped by his girlfriend and the other just entered what could be a serious relationship. There’s only one problem, it’s the same woman. The film’s reviews are good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. Maybe it will find an audience on the home market.
I Still See You - Reviews - Video on Demand
Look Away - Reviews - Video on Demand
One of the reviews for I Still See You calls Bella Thorne the hardest working actress in Hollywood. I don’t know if that’s strictly true, but in the last few years, she’s been averaging four movies a year, plus her TV show. On the other hand, this is not one of her better films and it is mostly skippable.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, I Still See You, After Everything, Liyana, Beautiful Boy, The Happy Prince, The Kindergarten Teacher, Sadie, All Square, The Oath, 22 July, Stella’s Last Weekend, Look Away, Rupert Everett, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Lynskey, John Gallagher, Jr., Jeremy Allen White, Nat Wolff, Maika Monroe, Alex Wolff, Bella Thorne, Paulina Singer, Sophia Mitri Schloss