Limited and VOD Releases: Shine a Light on Dark Releases
November 22, 2019
There are not a lot of limited releases on this week’s list, but a few are earning the buzz and reviews needed to find an audience in theaters. This includes Dark Waters, the biggest release of the week, as well as Varda by Agnès, which could become a breakout hit for a documentary.
Citizen K - Reviews
Dark Waters - Reviews
Hala - Reviews
The Painted Bird - Reviews
The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful - Reviews
Shooting the Mafia - Reviews
Varda by Agnès - Reviews
When Lambs Become Lions - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
A documentary about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who went from the richest man in Russia to enemy of the state in exile after challenging Putin and his corrupt regime. The reviews are 100% positive, but there are several other documentaries on this week’s list and this one isn’t earning the loudest buzz either. It could fall between the cracks.
This is the biggest limited release of the week in terms of pre-release buzz. It is based on a real-life story about unexplained deaths due to corporate malfeasance focusing on the man, Robert Bilott, who risked everything to expose the truth. It’s Oscar-bait. Its Tomatometer Score would suggest it could win on Oscar night, but the average score is just 6.8 out of 10, so while the vast majority of critics liked the film, few truly loved it.
A coming-of-age story about a Pakistani-American, Hala, dealing with conflicting desires and her cultural and religious heritage. The film’s buzz is louder than most other releases on this week’s list and its reviews suggest it could find an audience in theaters.
A Czech film about a Jewish boy living through the Holocaust. It is this year’s entry for the Best Foreign-Language film for the Czech Republic and that could help it at the box office this weekend. I don’t think it will make the final list of nominees, on the other hand.
A South Korean gangster film about the board game Go. ... That sounds silly, but in reality, it is a revenge story about underground gambling. If you swap out Poker for Go, it would make a lot more sense over here. There are only two reviews, but both are positive and the film looks like it is going to be a hit in its native South Korea, so it is worth keeping on eye on here.
A documentary about Letizia Battaglia, a groundbreaking photojournalist who specialized in the Mafia. The reviews are merely good, but not great, while there is a lot of direct competition for documentaries this week.
A documentary by Agnès Varda about Agnès Varda. I feel I should make a joke about how difficult it must have been to get access to her subject, but we both know it wouldn’t be a good joke. She was nominated for an Oscar for Faces, Places, so that could help this film’s box office chances.
A documentary about the elephant ivory trade, but focuses on the hunters and with unprecedented access. The reviews are good, but I’m not sure there are enough people who care about the perspective of the hunters enough to want to watch this movie.
3022 - Reviews - Video On Demand
Age Out - Reviews - Video on Demand
Angelfish - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Courier - Reviews - Video on Demand: High Definition or 4K Ultra HD
Saint Cloud Hill - Reviews - Video on Demand
Age Out and Saint Cloud Hill have no negative reviews. Angelfish and The Courier have no positive reviews. Meanwhile, 3022 has no reviews at all. What a strange week for secondary VOD releases.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Hala, Dark Waters, The Courier, Shooting the Mafia, When Lambs Become Lions, Age Out, Varda by Agnes, Nabarvené ptáče, 3022, Citizen K, Saint Cloud Hill, Shinui Han Soo: Gwisoopyeon, Angelfish, Mark Ruffalo, Agnès Varda, Geraldine Viswanathan