Limited and VOD Releases: Will Parasite Burrow Its Way into Audiences?

October 11, 2019

Parasite

It is a shallow week for limited releases with more secondary VOD titles than ones that made it onto the main list. Of these, Dolemite is My Name has the best shot at a fast opening; however, it doesn’t have long before it comes out on VOD itself. This means Parasite could have the best long-term health in theaters.

The Dead Center - Reviews
 This film is earning 100% positive reviews, but it doesn’t have as loud a buzz as the other two critically acclaimed films on this week’s list. It is also the wrong genre for limited release, as it is a supernatural thriller, so I’m not bullish about its box office chances. I do hope I’m proven wrong.

Dolemite is My Name - Reviews
 This is one of just two films earning any real pre-release buzz. Unfortunately, while its reviews are absolutely stunning, the other film, Parasite, is earning even better reviews. This film’s reviews are more than strong enough to earn some success in limited release, even if it didn’t have massive star power and a lot of buzz behind it. It has the best shot of any new release to top the theater average chart over the weekend. It does have only two weeks before it hits Netflix, but it should do well in that time.

Gift - Reviews
 A Canadian documentary that looks at a quartet of artists and their creative process. There are only four reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all four reviews are positive, so if you want to watch a documentary, this is your best bet.

In My Room - Reviews
 A German movie about a man who hasn’t found purpose in life. He wakes up one day and realizes there’s no one else around and being alone might finally give him the impulse to find his purpose. The film’s reviews are good, but I fear they are not good enough to thrive in limited release.

Parasite - Reviews
 This film is earning Award-worthy reviews. In fact, just calling the reviews “Award-worthy” seems like an understatement, as the average review score is better than 9 out of 10. This isn’t merely Award-worthy. Additionally, it has some of the loudest buzz of any limited release this year. On the other hand, it is a foreign-language film and that could hurt its box office chances. I think it still has a chance to lead the way on the theater average chart, but expanding truly wide is asking too much.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Along Came the Devil II - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Beloved Beast - Reviews - Video on Demand
Fronteras - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Lucky Day - Reviews - Video on Demand
Mary - Reviews - Video on Demand
Polaroid - Reviews - Video on Demand
The six secondary VOD releases on this week’s list have a combined one positive review out of 20. Yikes. It’s so bad that the two films with no reviews are arguably safer choices than the rest.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Polaroid, Mary, Dolemite is My Name, Parasite (기생충), Lucky Day, In My Room, Beloved Beast, Gift, The Dead Center, Along Came the Devil II, Fronteras