Limited and VOD Releases: Will Princess Cyd be Visited by Lady Luck?

November 3, 2017

Princess Cyd

A few films on this week’s list were earning some pre-release buzz. Sadly, LBJ and Last Flag Flying missed expectations with critics, so they could struggle at the box office. On the other hand, Lady Bird is earning 100% positive reviews, while Princess Cyd’s reviews are not that far behind, so perhaps they will succeed where the others fail.

1945 - Reviews
An Hungarian movie set just after the end of World War II. It takes place in a small village where two Jews show up. The villagers think they might be heirs of the Jews that used to live there before the Nazis arrived and they are worried they will want the property the village Jews previously owned. The film’s reviews are more than 90%, while the average is 8 out of 10. This suggests the film could thrive in theaters. On the other hand, it is a foreign-language film, so it likely won’t escape the art house circuit.

Blade of the Immortal - Reviews
The latest from Takashi Miike. That alone will be enough to get some readers excited. The movie is about a swordsman who has killed a lot of people, many of them innocent. In fact, he’s killed so many innocent people that he’s cursed with immortality until he can kill enough truly evil people to make up the balance. The film’s reviews are right on the border between merely good and good enough for limited release. The film will find an audience, but it will likely have to wait till the home market to do so.

Gilbert - Reviews
A documentary about Gilbert Gottfried, one of the most recognizable voices in stand-up, or entertainment in general. The reviews are 100% positive, but there are only seven on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a sign that it will slip between the cracks.

A Gray State - Reviews
A documentary about an Iraq war veteran turned filmmaker who crowdfunded a movie idea. It looked like he had the talent to go somewhere, but that was before he shot his wife, his daughter, and then himself. The film’s reviews are 100% positive, but the average score is only 7.2 out of 10 and there are a few Oscar-worthy films on this week’s list. It is still worth checking out, but the competition will likely hurt it at the box office.

It Happened In L.A. - Reviews
A relationship comedy set in Los Angeles. The reviews are mixed, so it is not worth driving to the theaters to see it. That said, it might be worth renting on VOD down the road.

ITTEFAQ - Reviews
This Indian film isn’t your typical Bollywood, but it is police procedural / murder mystery where a detective has two dead bodies in two unrelated murders and two suspects and two conflicting stories about what happened.

Lady Bird - Reviews
Greta Gerwig makes her directorial debut with this film. Making the leap from actor to director is often a difficult switch, but this film is arguably the best film in theaters. Its Tomatometer Score is 100% positive and the average score is 8.7 out of 10. If this film doesn’t earn some Oscar buzz, I would be shocked.

Last Flag Flying - Reviews
Three Vietnam vets reunite when one of their son’s dies in Iraq. The film has a great cast and it feels like an Awards Season contender. Unfortunately, its reviews are merely good and not great, so it will likely end up as busted Oscar bait.

LBJ - Reviews
This is the biggest film in terms of star power, while it is a typical Oscar-bait movie, so if it earned Award-worthy reviews, it could have been the biggest limited release hit of the weekend. Unfortunately, its reviews are below 50% positive, so it will likely fizzle at the box office.

The Light of the Moon - Reviews
Stephanie Beatriz stars as woman who is sexually assaulted and struggles to overcome the trauma. There are only nine reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all of them are positive, so perhaps it will find an audience on the home market.

Most Beautiful Island - Reviews
Video on Demand
Ana Asensio stars as an immigrant trying to make it in New York City. She gets a chance to make some quick money, which she accepts right away. The film’s reviews are unanimously positive, but it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are not impressive.

My Friend Dahmer - Reviews
This film is about the high school days of Jeffery Dahmer. The reviews are good, but not great, with a 78% positive Tomatometer Score, but a mere 6 out of 10 average score. That’s likely not enough to thrive in limited release.

No Dress Code Required - Reviews
This documentary is about a gay couple in Mexico who try to get married and the legal struggle that results. There are only 8 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is normally not enough to get mentioned on this list, but all eight are positive.

Princess Cyd - Reviews
Jessie Pinnick stars as the titular Cyd, a 16-year old girl whose mother passed away. Her father is struggling to be a single parent, so he gets Cyd to spend a few weeks with her aunt in Chicago. This film is earning some of the best buzz of the week and its reviews are more than 90% positive. Hopefully it will find an audience in theaters and can turn its strong reviews into Awards Season buzz.

A River Below - Reviews
A documentary about the Amazon river. So far, every review on Rotten Tomatoes is positive, but there are only eight of them. Perhaps the film will do well in limited release, but, as a documentary, its chances of expanding significantly are limited.

Spaceship - Reviews
A family, dealing with the loss of the mother / wife, suffers another tragedy when the daughter goes missing, the apparent victim of an alien abduction. The reviews are mixed, so it is unlikely that the film will find an audience in theaters.

Secondary VOD Releases:
11/8/16 - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bad Match - Reviews - Video on Demand
Frank Serpico - Reviews - Video on Demand
On Wings of Eagles - Reviews - Video on Demand
Repatriation - Reviews - Video on Demand
Singularity - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Bad Match only has five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five of them are positive, making it the best secondary VOD release of the week.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, LBJ, 1945, Most Beautiful Island, Frank Serpico, Princess Cyd, Mugen no jûnin, My Friend Dahmer, Spaceship, Last Flag Flying, On Wings of Eagles, Lady Bird, 11/8/16, Singularity, The Light of the Moon, Gilbert, Etiqueta No Rigurosa, Ittefaq, It Happened In L.A., Bad Match, A River Below, A Gray State, Repatriation, Greta Gerwig, Gilbert Gottfried, Ana Asensio, Takashi Miike, Rebecca Spence, Stephanie Beatriz, Jessie Pinnick