Limited and VOD Releases: Feeling Brilliant
September 11, 2015
It's actually a really good week for limited releases, with nearly half a dozen films on this week's list earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. This includes A Brilliant Young Mind (Reviews), which has a good shot at earning at least some measure of mainstream success. There are others, like Coming Home, that have a good shot at limited success, but their chances of expanding significantly are much more limited.
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown - Reviews
The Beauty Inside - Reviews
Breathe - Reviews
A Brilliant Young Mind - Reviews
Coming Home - Reviews
Goodnight Mommy - Reviews
Hero - Reviews
Home from Home - Reviews
Listening - Reviews
Meet the Patels - Reviews
Sleeping with Other People - Reviews
Time Out of Mind - Reviews
Welcome to Leith - Reviews
Wolf Totem - Reviews
Video on Demand
An action film starring a WWE wrestler. This is the wrong genre for limited release, there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is playing on VOD. That's three strikes.
A romantic comedy about a man who, everyday, wakes up looking completely different. He needs to figure out how to get back into his original body before he can be with the woman he loves. This is a South Korean film and we've seen a few films from there do well in limited release here. Hopefully this continues that trend.
Video on Demand
Two French schoolgirls meet and become fast friends. However, when the friendship ends, one of them takes it much harder than the other. This film is certainly worth checking out for fans of French cinema or of thrillers in general. However, since it is playing on VOD, most people will watch it on the home market rather than in theaters.
A student and teacher form a special bond, one in which the teacher learns as much as the student. This is one of three films on this weeks list that wouldn't feel out of place on a list of Awards Season players. In order to get there, it will need to have a strong box office opening. After all, you can't vote for a film you haven't seen.
One of the best reviewed films on this week's list. It takes place in China during the Cultural Revolution and focuses on a married couple who are forcibly separated when he is arrested and she suffers an accident. When he returns from prison, her accident left her without any memory of who her husband is. She knows she has one and knows he should return to her, but doesn't recognize him. Coming Home opens tonight in three theaters, two in New York City and the other in Los Angles. Check out the official site for more details.
A mother of twin boys gets plastic surgery; however, when she comes back from the hospital, the two boys suspect she's not their mother. The film's reviews are very good, but horror films rarely succeed in limited release. Since it is also a foreign-language film, its prospects are even weaker.
A Bollywood romance about two people from opposite sides of the law that fall in love. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but that's common for Bollywood films. The review on Now Running is negative, so that's not a good sign.
A German film about a young man living in a small German town who dreams of leaving for South America, where he believes he will have a better life. Home from Home opens tonight at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City.
Video on Demand
A low-budget Sci-fi movie about a group of grad students that invent a machine that can read minds. That's not a bad hook, but the execution was flawed and it only has 25% positive reviews. Worse still, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are even weaker. (Note: The Amazon link may or may not work. It definitely doesn't work for me, but it might be because I'm Canadian, or it might be because Amazon is having troubles at the moment.)
This movie started as a family vacation video, but turned into a documentary about Ravi Patel meeting the woman of his dreams. Meet the Patels opens tonight in five theaters. Check out the official site for more details.
Video on Demand
The film is a romantic comedy that is earning mixed reviews. That not a good start for a limited release. Additionally, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are terrible. On the other hand, if you like the two leads and / or romantic comedies in general, then giving it a rental on VOD isn't a bad idea.
A movie about a homeless man living in New York City trying to regroup after his life fell apart. The cast is amazing, but the reviews are only good. They are good enough that if the film had opened wide, I would suspect it would find an audience. However, going limited release might prove too difficult. Time Out of Mind opened on Wednesday in select theaters.
A White Supremacist tries to take over a small town in North Dakota. It goes about as well as you would suspect. This documentary follows his progress and the reviews are stunning. Welcome to Leith opened on Wednesday at the IFC Center in New York City and expands on Friday. Check out the official site for more details.
A semi-autobiographical movie about a Beijing student who travels to Mongolia to help educate them, but learns more himself. The reviews are good, but I'm not sure they are good enough to thrive in limited release, especially since it is playing in 100 theaters. On the other hand, it is being released in 3D IMAX, so ticket prices are at a premium and that should help its per theater average a little bit.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, X+Y, Time Out of Mind, Ich seh, Ich seh, Gui lai, Sleeping with Other People, Meet the Patels, 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown, Lang Tu Teng, Respire, Listening, Welcome to Leith, Hero, The Beauty Inside, Die andere Heimat, Ravi Patel