Limited and VOD Releases: Don’t Let these Films Remain Secrets

August 30, 2019

Before You Know It

It’s an awkward time for limited releases, as it is way too late for a summer box office run, but still way too early for Awards Season buzz. That said, there are some films on this week’s list that could do well in theaters, even if they never expand significantly. These include; Before You Know It, The Load, Ne Zha, and Official Secrets.

Angel of Mine - Reviews
Video on Demand
Noomi Rapace stars as a woman dealing with the tragic death of her daughter, who becomes obsessed with her neighbor’s daughter thinking she’s her own child. The reviews are merely good, but not good enough for limited release. That said, they are good enough for a VOD rental.

Before You Know It - Reviews
Written, directed, and starring Hannah Pearl Utt. This is only the second film she’s written and directed and I’m not sure the first one, Disengaged, got a theatrical release. Given this film’s reviews, it won’t be the last film she writes and directs.

Bennett’s War - Reviews
This is the widest limited release of the week opening in just under 1,000 theaters. It also has only two reviews and both of them are negative. Moving on.

Don’t Let Go - Reviews
This film was supposed to open wide, but it is debuting in less than 1,000 theaters and with its reviews, it could open below the Mendoza Line.

Killerman - Reviews
A money launderer wakes up with a load of money and no memories. He has to figure out what’s going on while evading corrupt cops. The star power is good, but the reviews are not even close to good enough for limited release. I would be wary of even renting it when it hits the home market.

The Load - Reviews
This is the best-reviewed film of the year and it won a ton of prizes when it was released internationally in 2018. It is set during the NATO bombings in Serbia and follows a truck driver delivering a mysterious load across the war-torn country. It isn’t the happiest film in theaters right now, but it is one of the best.

Ne Zha - Reviews
One of the biggest Chinese films of all time is getting a wide release, next week. This week it is opening in limited release, but because it is already scheduled to expand wide, I’ll talk about it then.

Official Secrets - Reviews
Keira Knightley stars as a whistleblower trying to stop the British government from helping the American government from blackmailing UN members into supporting the Iraq invasion. The film’s reviews are good, but I don’t think they are good enough to do well enough in limited release to develop any Awards Season buzz, so it will soon be overshadowed by legitimate Oscar contenders.

Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins - Reviews
A documentary about political columnist Molly Ivins. It is earning fantastic reviews and I think it will find a receptive audience in limited release. It won’t expand significantly, on the other hand.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Itsy Bitsy - Reviews - Video on Demand
Santa Girl - Reviews - Video on Demand
Spider in the Web - Reviews - Video on Demand
Tabernacle 101 - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Itsy Bitsy doesn’t have a lot of reviews, but most of them are positive and it looks interesting.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Official Secrets, Teret, Spider in the Web, Killerman, Angel of Mine, Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, Before You Know It, Don’t Let Go, Bennett’s War, Ne Zha Zhi Mo Tong Jiang Shi, Itsy Bitsy, Santa Girl, Tabernacle 101, Keira Knightley, Noomi Rapace, Hannah Pearl Utt, Molly Ivins