Limited and VOD Releases: Say a Prayer for Limited Releases

January 4, 2019

Communion

It is a bad weekend to release a wide release and an even worse weekend to release a limited release. There are very few limited releases coming out this week and almost none that have a real shot at becoming hits at the box office. That’s actually being optimistic, as Communion might have the best box office potential. Rust Creek is more commercial, but it is playing on Video on Demand.

Communion - Reviews
 A documentary about a 14-year old Polish girl, who had to be the head of her family due to the absence of her mother and the inability of her father to do the job. Meanwhile, she has to help her autistic younger brother prepare for his first communion. The reviews are 100% positive and we are coming off a year that saw a lot of really successful documentaries, so hopefully this film will be a success.

Genesis 2.0 - Reviews
 A documentary about the permafrost in Siberia melting and the effects this is having on the local people and beyond. However, instead of talking about the devastating environmental effects, it talks about the ivory trade that has grown from mammoth tusks being uncovered by the melting ice and the scientific race to de-extinct one of these giant beasts. It’s an interesting topic, but the reviews are merely good and not great.

Great Great Great - Reviews
 Lauren’s relationship with Tom is fine. It’s fine. One day she realizes if nothing changes, she will be stuck in a lifetime of just fine and something has to change. She can’t decide if she should work on making her relationship better than just fine, or if she should leave and seek more elsewhere. So she decides to do both. The film’s reviews are merely good and likely not good enough to thrive in limited release. It will be worth a rental, once it hits the home market.

The Nun - Reviews
 A French film from the 1960s about a young woman who is forced to be a nun and the various hardships along the way. This film’s reviews are among the best of the week and it is worth checking out. It doesn’t appear to be on DVD or Blu-ray yet, but it is on VOD if you can’t see it in theaters.

Rust Creek - Reviews
 Video on Demand
A young woman on her way to a job interview gets lost, winds up in the Kentucky backwoods, and is then chased by outlaws. The reviews are good, but films of this genre rarely do well in limited release. Hopefully it will find a more receptive audience on Video on Demand.

State Like Sleep - Reviews - Video On Demand
This is arguably the biggest release of the week in terms of pre-release buzz. However, its reviews are only 40% positive and that’s no where near good enough for limited release. Furthermore, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero. That said, if you really like the cast, and don’t mind a slow moving thriller, then $7 on a rental isn’t a bad deal.

The Vanishing - Reviews
 Video on Demand
Three lighthouse keepers find a chest full of gold coins. There’s an unknown ship on the way and the three men have to decide what to do before that ship arrives. The reviews are good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. On the other hand, they are perfectly fine for Video on Demand.

Secondary VOD Releases:
American Hangman - Reviews - Video on Demand
Being Rose - Reviews - Video on Demand
There are only two secondary VOD releases this week, both of which only have three reviews. Two of the three reviews for American Hangman are positive, while the opposite is true for Being Rose, so for many the former is the better choice.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, State Like Sleep, The Vanishing, Great Great Great, Genesis 2.0, La religieuse, Rust Creek, American Hangman, Being Rose, Komunia, Dan Beirne, Sarah Kolasky