Limited and VOD Releases: New Releases are Getting Lost in a Maze

March 22, 2019

Maze

I missed last week. Last week there were a number of films that earned great reviews. This week, none of the films with more than a handful of reviews are doing well enough to be optimistic about their box office chances. Both Buddy and Maze are earning 100% positive reviews, so maybe one of them will beat the odds.

Buddy - Reviews
 A documentary about service dogs. There are only five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five are positive, so this could be a box office hit, at least compared to most documentaries.

Cruel Intentions - Reviews
 This film is getting a 20th anniversary re-release. Why? Is it really that popular that it deserves a re-release? We will find out once the box office numbers start rolling in.

Dragged Across Concrete - Reviews
 Video on Demand
Two cops are suspended after a video of their conduct is leaked to the police. They turn to the criminal underground when they become desperate for money. This film has almost no chance of finding an audience in limited releases, but its reviews are good enough for VOD.

Hotel Mumbai - Reviews
 This film is supposed to expand wide next week; however, it will need a fast start this weekend to manage that and I don’t think the buzz is loud enough for that to happen.

Maze - Reviews
 A movie about the real life prison break at the HMP Maze high security prison and how the situation there helped the Irish / British peace process move forward. There are only six reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which suggests there is not enough buzz for this film to find an audience. On the other hand, all six reviews are positive.

Ramen Shop - Reviews
 A young chef from Japan travels to Singapore to learn about his past. The film’s reviews are right on the edge between merely good and good enough for limited release. There are films with worse reviews on this list, so maybe it will find an audience.

Relaxer - Reviews
 The film is set in an alternate history where Y2K was an unsolvable problem and the world was very definitely going to end. The film focuses on a man who has decided to use what little time is left to beat the glitched 256th level of Pac-Man. The reviews are merely good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release.

Sunset - Reviews
 A young woman travels to the big city, Budapest, to work at the hat shop her late parents owned. However, when she gets there, the new owner turns her away. She then has to find a way to reconnect with her past. Unfortunately for this film’s box office chances, its reviews are mixed. In fact, they are exactly 50% positive as I’m writing this. That would be fine for some big action film or a horror flick, but it will prove fatal for an art house drama.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Trading Paint - Reviews - Video On Demand
Wheely - Reviews - Video on Demand
The cheap-looking rip-off of Cars is somehow not the worst secondary VOD release on this week’s list.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Cruel Intentions, Dragged Across Concrete, Trading Paint, Maze, Relaxer, Ramen Teh, Hotel Mumbai, Wheely, Napszállta, Buddy, Cars