Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases Have Gone to the Dogs

March 23, 2018

Isle of Dogs

There are over two dozen limited releases coming out this week, but many of them had only a handful of, if any, reviews. There are some that should find a receptive audience, whether its on Video on Demand like Pyewacket, or whether it has massive breakout success, like most think Isle of Dogs will manage.

Back to Burgundy - Reviews
An unfortunate family reunion occurs when a father becomes ill and his three adult children have to help save their vineyard. The film’s reviews have fallen just below the overall positive level; however, if the next review is positive, that will change. That said, limited releases need to be overwhelmingly positive to thrive at the box office.

A Bag of Marbles - Reviews
Two Jewish boys try to survive in Nazi-occupied France. The film’s reviews are among the best on this week’s list and it could do well on the art house circuit.

Beauty and the Dogs - Reviews
Mariam Al Ferjani plays Mariam, a woman who is raped by the cops and tries to get justice. The reviews are good, but likely not good enough to thrive in limited release. Additionally, the subject matter is obviously difficult, thus further limiting its target audience.

Final Portrait - Reviews
Armie Hammer plays James Lord, a writer / art critic, while Geoffrey Rush plays Alberto Giacometti, an artist. Alberto asks James to be the subject of his latest portrait, a task that should take only a few days, but the task stretches out for weeks. The film’s reviews are right on the boarder between merely good and good enough to thrive in limited release.

I Kill Giants - Reviews
Video on Demand
Madison Wolfe plays a middle-school girl who brings a Norse hammer to school and claims she kills giants to protect her town. The film’s Tomatometer Score is an impressive 81% positive. However, the average score is just 6.1 out of 10, so while the vast majority of the critics like it, few loved it. Then again, that’s perfect for a VOD rental.

Isle of Dogs - Reviews
Almost everyone assumes this film will be the biggest limited release hit of the week. In fact, it might be the biggest limited release hit of the year, until Awards Season kicks into high gear. The latest film from Wes Anderson is a stop-motion animated movie about a island where dogs are being quarantined to prevent the outbreak of a canine flu. A young boy goes to the island to find his pet dog and gets help from the dogs living there. The reviews are close to award-worthy and the buzz is louder than all but one of the wide releases coming out this week. There is some blowback that Wes Anderson is less than respectful to the Japanese characters in the movie. However, “less than respectful” is just how Wes Anderson treats all of his characters.

Ismael’s Ghost - Reviews
Ismaël Vuillard stars as a filmmaker whose wife, Carlotta, disappeared many years ago. He moved on and lives with a new partner, Slyvia. Then Carlotta returns. The reviews are good, but not great, so it will likely struggle in limited release.

Madame - Reviews
Video on Demand
Toni Collette and Harvey Keitel star as a married couple holding a dinner party when they realize there will be exactly 13 guests. In order to avoid this unlucky number, they get their maid, Maria, to pretend to be a Spanish noblewoman to fit in with their sophisticated friends. However, the plan works too well and Maria runs off with one of their other guests. The reviews are terrible and it is playing on VOD, so it will likely go nowhere at the box office.

Pyewacket - Reviews
Video on Demand
A Canadian film about a teenage girl who is dealing with the death of her father. She turns to the black arts, just for fun, but when she gets into a major fight with her mother, she places a death curse on her mother. The girl then tries to undo what she did, but this only causes the demon to go after them both. The film’s reviews are good, but not great, while it is a horror film playing on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero. That said, it is worth $6 for a rental at the very least.

The Workshop - Reviews
Antoine is a young man who gets a chance to attend a writing workshop with Olivia Dejazet, a famous crime novelist. His attitudes clash with the rest of the class. It is a foreign-language film, so it likely won’t escape the art house circuit, but French films tend to do better than most in that regard.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies - Reviews - Video on Demand
Barren Trees - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Followers - No Reviews - Video On Demand
A Normal Life - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Redeemed and the Dominant: Fittest on Earth - Reviews - Video on Demand
Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies is actually earning good reviews; not great reviews, to be fair, but certainly good enough for VOD.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, I Kill Giants, Isle of Dogs, Un sac de billes, Les Fantômes d'Ismaël, Le Vin et le Vent, Final Portrait, Madame, Followers, Pyewacket, L’atelier, Aala Kaf Ifrit, The Redeemed and the Dominant: Fittest on Earth, Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies, A Normal Life, Barren Trees, Harvey Keitel, Mathieu Amalric, Wes Anderson, Toni Collette, Marion Cotillard, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Armie Hammer, Laurie Holden, Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Munoz, Marina Fois, Madison Wolfe, Rossy de Palma, Mariam Al Ferjani, Matthieu Lucci