Limited and VOD Releases: Me and Earl and the Limited Releases
June 12, 2015
While there are a number of films on this week's list, only one of them is earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl's Tomatometer Score is 85% positive and it is playing in 15 theaters, so it is the clear choice for fans of limited releases. In fact, it might do well enough to earn some measure of mainstream success.
The 11th Hour - Reviews
Debug - Reviews
Live from New York! - Reviews
Madame Bovary - Reviews
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Reviews
Pressure - No Reviews
Set Fire to the Stars - Reviews
The Stranger - Reviews
Vendetta - No Reviews
The Wolfpack - Reviews
Video on Demand
A woman has a miscarriage and is told by her doctor that she is too old have a baby. She decides to go to extreme measures to get a child. So far, there are nine reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all of them are negative. Additionally, the film is playing on VOD, so its box office changes are negligible.
Video on Demand
A Canadian film written and directed by David Hewlett. This is not his best work and it is playing on VOD. It is low-budget and not particularly original, so maybe wait till it is on a streaming service to watch it.
A documentary on Saturday Night Live, which is one of the longest running shows of all time having just completed its 40th season. However, while that's certainly reason to celebrate, the documentary is too congratulatory for critics. There are many more interesting and controversial things that could have been discussed, but this film instead turned into a Hagiography. Live from New York! opens tonight in more than two dozen theaters. Check out the official site for more details.
Video on Demand
This is the kind of film that tends to do well in limited release, under the right circumstances. Costume dramas based on classic novels usually scream Awards Season, but this film's reviews are weak and it has been playing on VOD for a month. Those two factors will likely kill its box office chances.
A coming of age story about Greg, his best friend Earl, and Rachel, who has cancer. This film is earning some of the best reviews of the week and it was the biggest film to come out this week. It was also the darling of the Sundance Film Festival this year, earning both the Jury and the Audience awards. The theater count is a little high compared to most limited releases, but it should still do very well on the per theater chart. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl opens tonight in 15 theaters with planned expansions over the coming weeks. Check out the official site for more details.
Video on Demand
A group of men are trapped underwater after working to fix a deep sea oil drill. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and it is playing on VOD, so its box office potential is nearly zero.
Elijah Woods stars in this film. His character invites his idol, poet Dylan Thomas, for a reading. However, Dylan Thomas is a handful and he has to take him somewhere where he can't get into trouble. The reviews are just below the overall positive level and while this wouldn't be too bad for a limited release, it will likely prove fatal for its limited release run. Set Fire to the Stars opens tonight, I think. The official site lacks any release details.
Video on Demand
A Chilean film set in Canada. It is about a man who arrives in a small town looking for his missing wife, but all hell breaks loose. The reviews are weak and horror films almost never do well in limited release. On the other hand, it might find an audience on VOD.
Video on Demand
A detective intentionally gets himself sent to prison so he can get revenge on the person who killed his wife. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is playing on VOD, so it might find an audience there, an audience with low expectations.
A documentary about a group of youths living in New York who are stuck in poverty. They spend their days re-creating the movies they love, but when one of them gets out, the dynamic changes. The reviews are good, but not great. Additionally, documentaries rarely find breakout success. The Wolfpack opens tonight in three theaters, two in New York City and the other in Toronto, Canada. Check out the official site for more details.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Madame Bovary, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Stranger, The Wolfpack, Set Fire to the Stars, Vendetta, The 11th Hour, Pressure, Debug, Live from New York!, David Hewlett, Elijah Wood, Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Celyn Jones