Limited and Virtual Releases: Will Audiences Say “Yes” to any Limited Release this Week?
July 23, 2020
This is going to be a good weekend if you like horror, as there are three such films to choose from arriving in theaters. All of them are earning good reviews too, but the competition may result in none of them finding an audience in theaters. On the other and, Yes, God, Yes is the only drama / comedy generating any buzz, so it has its target audience to itself. Unfortunately, lighter movies have not done well during the pandemic, so it faces an uphill battle.
Amulet
Impetigore
The Rental
Yes, God, Yes (Virtual Release)
Babysplitters
Highlights
Tomaz, an ex-soldier now homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house, inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for Magda, Tomaz cannot ignore his suspicion that something insidious might also be living alongside them. We’ve seen that horror films can thrive in limited release during the pandemic; however, we’ve also seen that there’s not enough room for more than one, maybe two such films to be doing well, and this film has some competition to deal with.
After surviving a murder attempt in the city, Maya learns that she may inherit a house in her ancestral village. She returns to the village, unaware that the community has been trying to locate and kill her to remove the curse that has plagued it for years. Horror movies from other cultures are fascinating. There are certain horror tropes that tend to be universal, but others that are more unique and it is these elements that make foreign horror films worth checking out. Unfortunately, the more unique elements also mean they might not translate well here and that could weaken their effect on western audiences. This could explain why the vast majority of critics like the film, but the average score is merely good and not great.
Two couples on a lakeside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. The last of three horror films getting limited releases this week. This film, Dave Franco’s directorial debut, arguably has the most star power, at least for domestic audiences, which will most likely give it the edge in theaters.
A coming-of-age dramedy about a catholic girl, played by Natalia Dyer, who has trouble dealing with impure thoughts and looks for help at a Catholic camp. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, but not enthusiastic. They probably wouldn’t have been positive enough to thrive in the art house circuit, while getting a virtual release means its potential box office earnings are modest.
Other Releases
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
Tijuana Jackson: Purpose Over Prison (Virtual Release)
Filed under: Limited Releases, Babysplitters, Yes, God, Yes, The Rental, Amulet, Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, Tijuana Jackson: Purpose Over Prison, Dave Franco, Carla Juri, Tara Basro, Natalia Dyer, Alec Secareanu