Limited and VOD Releases: Plan to see a Limited Release

May 20, 2016

Maggie's Plan

It's a slow week for limited releases with the total films on this week's list in the single-digits. Of these, only Maggie's Plan is likely going to be a hit in theaters. There are a few others that could do well on the home market.

Almost Holy - Reviews
This film is set in Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union. It focuses on a priest who deals with the problem of homeless teenagers by kidnapping them. The reviews are nearly perfect, but it is a foreign-language film, so it will most likely be relegated to the art house circuit. On a side note, you can pre-order the film on VOD, but it doesn't come out till August.

Holy Hell - Reviews
A documentary about the spiritual group The Buddhafield, filmed over 22 years by one of its members. However, this isn't a hagiography, as the filmmaker, Will Allen left the group. The reviews are good, but not great, with most critics praising the depth of the material, but wishing it were better edited. If you are interested in the subject matter, it is worth checking out, but perhaps wait for the home market.

Ma Ma - Reviews
Penelope Cruz stars as an unemployed teacher who is diagnosed with breast cancer. Most critics are complimenting her performance, but are calling the film a melodrama.

Maggie's Plan - Reviews
Greta Gerwig stars in this film as the titular Maggie, a woman who falls in love with John. His character is married to Georgette, but Maggie doesn't feel guilty, because their marriage is falling apart, because Georgette is a monster. After the divorce, Maggie and John get together, but she quickly realizes he was the real reason his marriage fell apart. Now she has to figure a way of dumping him without feeling guilty. Her plan, get John and Georgette back together, with Georgette's help. This is the biggest limited release on this week's list, in terms of buzz, while its reviews are right on the border of 80% positive, so it could do relatively well in limited release. Maggie's Plan opens tonight in New York City and Los Angeles.

Manhattan Night - Reviews
Video on Demand
Adrien Brody plays a tabloid writer who gets mixed up in an unsolved murder. The film is earning mixed reviews, which wouldn't be terrible for a wide release, but it will likely prove fatal for this film's box office chances. On the other hand, it is playing on VOD, so spending $6 on a rental makes sense.

Sarbjit - Reviews
A Bollywood drama about a poor farmer living in India near the border of Pakistan, who accidentally wanders over the border and is arrested and charged as a terrorist. His sister then spends 20 years trying to get him released. This is a dramatic story, but the reviews are not good with critics calling it melodramatic.

Weiner - Reviews
A documentary about the political meltdown of Anthony Weiner, who had a fantastic career, until one affair ended his congressional career and a second affair ended his ambitions to become mayor of New York City. The film is earning some of the best reviews of the week and fans of political documentaries should certainly check it out.

Welcome to Happiness - Reviews
A movie about a man whose apartment contains a door that you can walk through to correct one mistake in the past. However, he's not allowed to use the door and instead helps strangers. There are seven reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, none of them are positive.

Moving onto the secondary Video-on-Demand titles, i.e. the ones that are not earning enough buzz to be worth an individual entry.

Video-on-Demand releases:
Hard Sell - Reviews - Video on Demand

The only secondary VOD release is a Risky Business-like movie earning mixed reviews. There are worse options out there.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Crocodile Gennadiy, Maggie’s Plan, Ma Ma, Manhattan Night, Weiner, Holy Hell, Welcome to Happiness, Hard Sell, Sarbjit, Ethan Hawke, Adrien Brody, Penélope Cruz, Greta Gerwig, Julianne Moore, Will Allen, Anthony Weiner