Limited and VOD Releases: Wind Of Change

August 4, 2017

Wind River

It’s not a good week for limited releases. There are too many earning weak reviews or are playing on VOD, both of which will hurt their box office chances. Step could do well for a documentary, while Columbus and Wind River both have a shot at some mainstream success.

68 Kill - Reviews
 Video on Demand
Chip is madly in love with his girlfriend, Liza, and would be willing to do anything with her, including steal $68,000. This turns out to be a bad idea. On the other hand, the reviews are 90% positive, so it is a good idea for a movie.

Brave New Jersey - Reviews
 Video on Demand
This film takes place in 1938 in a small New Jersey town. It is set during the Orson Welles radio drama broadcast of War of the Worlds. On a side note, the mass hysteria this broadcast caused has been overstated. It’s an interesting setup and the cast is good; however, the reviews are mixed. Its Tomatometer Score was 50% positive when I started this story, but it has fallen to 42% positive since then. Another drop and it won’t even be worth renting on VOD.

Columbus - Reviews
 John Cho plays a man who is in Columbus because his father, a famous architect, became very ill. He meets Casey and the pair have an instant connection. The reviews are nearly 100% positive and the cast has more star power than most limited releases could dream of. Hopefully that means box office success, but thriving in limited release is never easy.

Fun Mom Dinner - Reviews
 Video on Demand
I think it is fair to say this film is being made as a direct result of Bad Moms box office success. Unfortunately, this one will not do well in theaters. Comedies rarely do well in so few theaters and its Tomatometer Score could double and it still wouldn’t be good enough to thrive in limited release. Even asking $6 for VOD might be asking too much.

The Ghoul - Reviews
 A police detective investigates a crime scene where it appears the victims kept moving, even after being shot in the head and the torso. The investigation takes a turn into the fantasy realm after going undercover to solve the crime. This British film is earning great reviews; however, it’s the wrong genre for limited release. It is coming out on DVD / Blu-ray in about a month, so it might be worth the wait.

It’s Not Yet Dark - Reviews
 Video on Demand
A documentary about Simon Fitzmaurice an Irish filmmaker who was diagnosed with ALS in his 30s and is now immobilized by the disease. The reviews are 100% positive, but there are a lot of documentaries in theaters, so it might struggle. It only costs $5 to rent on VOD.

Some Freaks - Reviews
 Video On Demand
A high school romance is tested when the the girl goes to college. There are only seven reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which would normally not be enough to be featured here, but all seven are positive. It is certainly worth checking out and if it is not playing near you, it is worth the $6 for a rental.

Step - Reviews
 A documentary about the girls Step team at a Baltimore high school. Each girl on the team is hoping to become the first member of their family to go to college. The reviews are great and it could do well at the box office, for a documentary.

Wind River - Reviews
 Arguably the biggest limited release on this week’s list, at least in terms of buzz. Elizabeth Olsen stars as a rookie FBI agent trying to solve the murder of a Native American woman. The reviews are nearly 90% positive, which is enough to be optimistic about its box office chances. It is a Weinstein Co. release, which is in a multi-year slump, so they need this film to be a hit.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Armed Response - Reviews - Video on Demand
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege - No Reviews - Video on Demand
There are only two secondary VOD releases this week, one with no reviews and the other with no positive reviews. It’s one of those weeks.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, 68 Kill, Wind River, Step, It’s Not Yet Dark, Columbus, Armed Response, Some Freaks, Fun Mom Dinner, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege, The Ghoul, Brave New Jersey, John Cho, Matthew Gray Gubler, Elizabeth Olsen, AnnaLynne McCord, Haley Lu Richardson, Simon Fitzmaurice