Limited and VOD Releases: Three, Four, Five films worth Checking Out
November 10, 2017
It is not a particularly long list this week, but fortunately we do have one top-notch limited release: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. This film will likely pick up at least a few Awards Season nominations. Also worth checking out are Destination Unknown, Mayhem, Thelma, and Gold Star. Although I’m a little biased when it comes to that last one, as we helped writer / director / star Victoria Negri create her business plan to get that film produced. It is also free on Video on Demand, if you have an Amazon Prime account, so you don’t have to risk any money to watch it, if you have already signed up for Amazon Prime.
Bitch - Reviews
Conor McGregor: Notorious - Reviews
Destination Unknown - Reviews
Mayhem - Reviews
No Stone Unturned - Reviews
Shakespeare Wallah - Reviews
Thelma - Reviews
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
Video on Demand
This film stars Marianna Palka, who has to deal with spoiled kids and an unfaithful husband. One day she just snaps and starts acting like a dog. Now her husband, Jason Ritter, has to finally take care of the kids, deal with housework, all while dealing with his wife’s new condition. It’s a black comedy and like most such films, this one isn’t earning good reviews and I really doubt it will make an impact at the box office. It could be worth a $7 rental, on the other hand.
A biography of Mixed Martial Artist, Conor McGregor, that is earning mixed reviews. Fans will likely enjoy the movie, but it is too much of a hagiography to draw in anyone else.
A documentary about survivors of the Holocaust. The reviews are 100% positive, while the average score is 7.7 out of 10. This is more than enough to be worth checking out in theaters, but not quite enough to be an Awards Season contender.
Video On Demand
Steven Yeun stars as a man unfairly fired on the same day a virus spreads through his office building. The virus causes the infected to act out their most dangerous impulses. The reviews are great, but it is the wrong genre for limited release and it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are minimal. On the other hand, if you are looking for a brutal action film this weekend, then staying home and spending $6 on a rental makes sense.
A documentary about the murder of six people in a North Ireland pub in 1994. The reviews are merely good and not great and limited releases usually need great reviews to do well. This is doubly so for documentaries.
This film came out 50 years ago and is getting a re-release this week. It is about an Indian theater troupe who travel around the country performing Shakespeare. However, since India declared independence from Britain, audiences have become less interested in Shakespeare and more interested in their own culture. The reviews are good, but not great, while re-releases rarely do well at the box office.
Eili Harboe plays the titular Thelma, who grew up in a religious home before going to college. There, she falls in love with another woman, Anja, but refuses to even admit she has feelings for her. In the meantime, she suffers from seizures and learns these are the symptoms of her previously unknown supernatural powers. The film’s reviews are very good, but it is a foreign-language film, so it will likely be stuck on the art house circuit.
Frances McDormand stars as a woman whose teenage daughter was raped and murdered. When the cops don’t seem to be putting much effort into finding the killer, she rents three billboards to shame the cops. The film’s reviews are amazing. Not only is the Tomatometer Score 95% positive, but the average review is 8.9 out of 10. These are award-worthy results. Furthermore, it has a lot of pre-release buzz, so it could be the biggest limited release of the week.
Amanda & Jack Go Glamping - Reviews - Video on Demand
Gold Star - Reviews - Video on Demand
Pottersville - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Secret Life of Lance Letscher - Reviews - Video on Demand
The only secondary VOD release on this week’s list that I’m interested in seeing is Gold Star. It only has one review, but it is positive. Furthermore, it’s free to watch on Video on Demand, if you have an Amazon Prime account.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Mayhem, Destination Unknown, Thelma, Bitch, Shakespeare Wallah, Conor McGregor: Notorious, Gold Star, The Secret Life of Lance Letscher, Amanda & Jack Go Glamping, Pottersville, No Stone Unturned, Frances McDormand, Jason Ritter, Marianna Palka, Steven Yeun, Eili Harboe, Victoria Negri, Conor McGregor, Kaya Wilkins