Limited and VOD Releases: Running Down the Long Road to Limited Releases

November 9, 2018

Liz and the Blue Bird

There are not many limited releases on this week’s list, but there are some that have earned louder than average pre-release buzz. This includes The Front Runner and The Long Dumb Road, but out of all of the films on this week’s list, Liz and the Blue Bird is the one I want to see the most.

El Angel - Reviews
 A movie about Carlos Robledo Puch, a serial killer with movie star looks. Its reviews are right on the border between merely good and good enough to thrive in limited release.

Chef Flynn - Reviews
 A documentary Flynn McGarry, who has been a chef since before his was a teenager. The reviews are good enough that it could find an audience in theaters. However, there is direct competition for fans of documentaries and this one is earning weaker reviews and quieter buzz.

The Delinquent Season - Reviews
 An Irish film about two couples whose relationship come under strain after an altercation. Its reviews are good, but not great, so it will likely not find an audience in theaters.

The Front Runner - Reviews
 This film opened on Tuesday, because it was election day and the movie is about an infamous presidential campaign that imploded due to the candidate’s infidelity. It is scheduled to open wide on the 21st of this month, but frankly, I’m not sure it is going to get there. Its reviews are good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. Meanwhile, its box office performance so far hasn’t really wowed analysts. It should be in the $10,000 club over the weekend, but it will need better than that to justify a truly wide expansion.

Here and Now - Reviews
 Video on Demand
This film has more star power than most limited releases can hope for and it earned some measure of pre-release buzz. However, its reviews are weak enough to scuttle any chance it will have of success in theaters. Also, it’s playing on VOD.

In a Relationship - Reviews
 Video on Demand
Romantic comedies rarely do well in limited release. This one is earning reviews that are merely good and not great. Meanwhile, it is playing on VOD. That’s three strikes for this film’s box office chances.

Infinite Football - Reviews
 A documentary about a former football player whose career was ended by an injury. Now he is on a quest to change the rules of the sport to reduce injuries. The reviews are 100% positive and as I have said practically every week, documentaries are on a winning streak at the box office, so perhaps this film will find success in theaters.

Liz and the Blue Bird - Reviews
 An Anime movie that is a spin-off of the acclaimed TV series Sound Euphonium, which I believe has never gotten a proper English-language release here. It is a drama about two high school girls who are best friends and are worried about drifting apart after graduation. The reviews are good, but not great, because I think it is a film that critics don’t know how to react to. It is a slice-of-life / character study drama, whereas most animated films the average critic will see are big adventure movies. If you are a fan of Anime, especially the director’s other projects, then this is a must see. If you don’t watch Anime, but want to see an animated film where characters are the first, and only focus of a story, then it is also a must see.

The Long Dumb Road - Reviews
 This is one of the few films on this week’s list that had some pre-release buzz. Sadly, the reviews are only good and not great. Furthermore, it hits Video on Demand next Friday, so it doesn’t have enough time to build an audience in theaters. That said, it is certainly worth at least a VOD rental.

The New Romantic - Reviews
 A Canadian rom-com about a woman, played by Jessica Barden, who gives up on romance and instead begins dating older men for gifts. The reviews are not good enough for limited release, and it is the wrong genre for limited release, so it very likely won’t find an audience in theaters.

Outlaw King - Reviews
 Video on Demand
A Netflix title about Robert the Brave’s quest to take on the King of England. The reviews are barely above 50% positive, while it is also playing on Netflix, so its box office chances are close to zero. That said, if you already pay for Netflix, watching the first ten minutes or so is free. Maybe it’s worth more than that.

Thugs of Hindostan - Reviews
 This film only has four reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is normally not enough to be included on this list. However, it is a Bollywood film and those usually have no reviews. That said, three of the four reviews are negative, so even people who would be excited to watch a Bollywood pirate movie should skip this one.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Lez Bomb - Reviews - Video on Demand
River Runs Red - Reviews - Video On Demand
Time Freak - Reviews - Video on Demand
Both Lez Bomb and Time Freak are earning good reviews, even if they didn’t earn enough to suggest it will thrive in limited release.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Front Runner, The New Romantic, Time Freak, Lez Bomb, The Delinquent Season, El Angel, Rizu to Aoi tori, Outlaw King, The Long Dumb Road, Here and Now, Chef Flynn, Fotbal Infinit, In a Relationship, River Runs Red, Thugs of Hindostan, Jessica Barden, Naoko Yamada