Limited and VOD Releases: Daniel Blake Leads Bleak Week
January 6, 2017
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the first weekend of January is a slow week for limited releases. It’s too late to qualify for this year’s Awards Season and the competition for late entries into the Oscar race is intense. I, Daniel Blake is the best of a limited field and is certainly worth checking out, while Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America is also worth it, if you like documentaries.
Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America - Reviews
The Ardennes - Reviews
I, Daniel Blake - Reviews
Master - Reviews
Railroad Tigers - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
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This film came out in early December for an Oscar-qualifying run. It didn’t work. The reviews are better than most films on this week’s list, but I fear it will fall between the cracks.
A crime thriller about two brothers who robbed a house, but only one of them was caught. Now that the one brother is out of jail, the two try and reconnect, but things go awry. The film’s reviews are only mixed, which will likely kill its chances at the box office. On the other hand, it isn’t so bad that it wouldn’t be worth a rental, once it is out on VOD.
The titular Daniel Blake is a man who has never sought government assistance in his life, until he is injured on the job. He then meets a single parent, Katie, and the pair of them have to deal with the government bureaucracy. This is one of the best-reviewed releases of the week, but it hasn’t managed any Awards Season success so far. Worse still, the film has a lot of Awards Season contenders as competition, so it will likely struggle at the box office.
A South Korean crime thriller about a white collar crime division going after a corrupt corporation. The film was a big hit in its native market, but it likely won’t replicate that success here. There are only three reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and action films rarely do well in limited release.
This film could make $100 million in its native China. However, its box office chances here are a lot worse. While it does star Jackie Chan, who has a lot of name recognition here, its reviews are very weak and it is the wrong genre for limited release.
Arsenal - Reviews - Video on Demand
Between Us - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Bronx Bull - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Of the secondary VOD releases, only Between Us is worth a rental. The other two either have no reviews, or worse still, no positive reviews.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Bronx Bull, Railroad Tigers, I, Daniel Blake, Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America, D’Ardennen, Arsenal, Between Us, Master, Jackie Chan, Dave Johns, Hayley Squires