A24’s latest film, I Saw The TV Glow, made a splash with one of the best limited openings of the year. This ’90s era trans coming-of-age horror-thriller, directed by Jane Schoenbrun, grossed $116.3k at four theaters in New York and LA, boasting an impressive per screen average of $29k. The film, which premiered at Sundance, received rave reviews and a strong reception at sold-out Q&As. Despite its success, one cannot overlook the fact that the film portrays a somewhat overdone theme of a teenager trying to navigate life in the suburbs with a supernatural twist, which might not bring much originality to the table in terms of storytelling.
Another standout from the specialty market is Oscilloscope’s Wildcat, directed and co-written by Ethan Hawke and starring Maya Hawke. The film, which premiered at Telluride, had an estimated opening of $58.1k on four screens in NY/LA. While the strong engagement from the cast and a targeted marketing campaign contributed to its success, the portrayal of the life of literary icon Flannery O’Connor might be seen as a safe choice, lacking innovation in terms of narrative exploration.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist, distributed by Sideshow/Janus Films, saw an estimated $43.3k on three screens in NY and LA. The film tells the story of a father, daughter, and rural community outside Tokyo dealing with the disruptions caused by incoming developers. While the film’s premise is intriguing, the execution might fall short in offering a fresh perspective on the themes of urban development and community displacement, which have been explored in various other films.
Lastly, GKIDS’ animated sci-fi film Mars Express had a rough debut with only $95.7k on 250 screens. The film, although falling short in terms of box office performance, might have struggled to find its audience due to the oversaturation of the animated sci-fi genre in the market. The lack of a distinct selling point or unique storytelling approach could have contributed to its underwhelming opening.
While the specialty market showed signs of life with these recent offerings, there is a need for more originality and innovative storytelling to truly captivate audiences and stand out in a crowded cinema landscape. It is essential for filmmakers and distributors to take risks and explore new narratives to keep the audience engaged and excited about the potential of independent cinema.