What did you see this weekend?
Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 9:00PM Performing significantly above expectations this weekend were the wide release Call of the Wild, and two female-driven platform titles, France's awesome Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and the latest adaptation of Emma. Box office estimates after the jump...
| Weekend Box Office February 21st-23rd (ACTUALS) 🔺 = new or expanding / ★ = recommended |
|
| WIDE RELEASE (800+ screens) |
PLATFORM TITLES |
 Call of the Wild |
 Emma |
| 1 🔺 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG $26.1 (cum. $106.4) |
1 🔺 IMPRACTICAL JOKERS $2.4 on 357 screens *new* |
| 2 🔺 CALL OF THE WILD $24.7 *new* HARRISON FORD | 2 🔺 MY BOYFRIEND'S MEDS $1.3 on 350 screens *new* |
| 3 BIRDS OF PREY $6.8 (cum. $72.3) REVIEW | 3 🔺 PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE $693k on 130 screens (cum. $1.4) TOP TEN LIST ★ |
| 4 BAD BOYS FOR LIFE $5.8 (cum. $191.1) | 4 🔺 THE LODGE $626k (cum. $923k) REVIEW |
| 5 🔺BRAHMS THE BOY II $5.8 *new* | 5 🔺 EMMA $234k on 5 screens *new* |
 The Photograph |
 Seberg |
| 6 FANTASY ISLAND $4.2 (cum. $20.2) |
6 🔺 THE ASSISTANT $216k on 167 screens (cum. $797k) REVIEW ★ |
| 7 1917 $4.2 (cum. $151.8) THE ACTING, DRY EPIC, CONTINUOUS SHOT ★ | 7 🔺 SEBERG $60k on 3 screens *new* JEAN SEBERG |
| 8 PARASITE $3.0 (cum. $48.8) ARCHITECTURE, OSCAR NITE, NATHANIEL'S TOP TEN, CLASS, BONG ★ | 8 🔺 THE TRAITOR $50k (cum. $221k) REVIEW |
| 9 JUMANJI THE NEXT LEVEL $2.8 (cum. $310.8) | 9 🔺 ORDINARY LOVE $43k on 21 screens (cum. $74k) |
| 10 THE PHOTOGRAPH $2.7 (cum. $17.6) | 10 🔺 ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON $37k on 4 screens *new* |
 Downhill |
 And Then We Danced |
| 11 DOLITTLE $1.8 (cum. $74.4) THIS ODD FRANCHISE |
11 THE LAST FULL MEASURE $36k on 83 screens (cum. $2.8) |
| 12 DOWNHILL $1.4 (cum. $7.4) REVIEW | 12 🔺 CREATED EQUAL: CLARENCE THOMAS $32k on 53 screens (cum. $243k) |
| 13 THE GENTLEMEN $1.2 (cum. $33.6) | 13 🔺 BEANPOLE $30k on 29 screens (cum. $106k) REVIEW ★ |
| 14 KNIVES OUT $1.0 (cum. $163.7) ★ | 14 2020 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS $30k on 37 screens (cum. $3.2) REVIEW, THE CHARTS ★ |
| those are the only films still in wide release | 15 🔺 AND THEN WE DANCED $29k on 18 screens (cum. $83k) REVIEW ★ |
Aside from three brightspots mentioned up top, there wasn't much happening. Fantasy Island, The Photograph, and Downhill all suffered terrible drops of 66% or more in only their 2nd weekends so interest or enthusiasm just doesn't appear to be there.
Parasite (approaching $50 million) and 1917 (which just crossed $150 million) are the only Oscar biggies still in wide release now with Little Women losing hundreds of screens. But even they are finally showing signs of age, both down 45% this week after really great holiday numbers last weekend.
Did you hit the movies? We stayed in to watch Voyage of the Damned (1976) on HBO since you selected it in the readers choice poll. We'll discuss tomorrow.
Reader Comments (22)
Saw A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood,Rhys totally owns the film with Hanks as sugar on top,loved those model village vignettes.
Call of the Wild is a family friendly adaptation of Jack London's 1903 violence heavy novel. For those seeking a faithful rendering of the classic, seek out the 1997 version featuring Rutger Hauer. This mediocre effort is surprising as the first time I recall seeing Harrison Ford cry on camera.
I went to the black and white version of Parasite. Loved the movie more the second time though the film doesn’t have any great shots that lends itself to the black and white treatment (like something like Cold War for instance). It was also playing in IMAX and the regular version too which is wild as it’s also on streaming.
- THE GENTLEMEN. Not up to the standard of LOCK STOCK etc, but a good laugh nonetheless (and way better than bloody ALADDIN).
- MILITARY WIVES Peter Cattaneo does the "gender in denial resort to activity outside their comfort zone for healing" genre well (see THE FULL MONTY). Unfortunately, this doesn't have a Simon Beaufoy script to back it up, but it's still good anyway. A three tissue movie.
- NEVER TOO LATE. An Australian old-people-escaping-retirement home movie with Jack Thompson, James Cromwell and Jacki Weaver. Not bad, although they get their geography horribly wrong (Largs Jetty is NOT at the end of the Gleneg tramline).
- HOPE GAP. Even the most devout Bening fan will find this hard to get through, as she plays the most unbearably awful character. If you can hang in there, though, it is good drama.
*Glenelg
I saw Dolemite Is My Name last night, which I really enjoyed.
Also, I recently saw the Bruce Springsteen documentary Western Stars on a flight. It's not *really* a documentary, more of a concert. If you were wanting to see a Springsteen documentary, you'll be disappointed, but if you like his last album, it's a good opportunity to see his latest songs in an intimate setting. I'm not a hardcore fan, but I like some of his material and his most recent album is wonderful and surprising.
Loved EMMA! Please, make Anya Taylor-Joy happen in the Best Actress race (GG for Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical) .... The girl is a delight to watch
Had a double feature of SONIC and PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE. Surprisingly enjoyable double feature I have to say.
A re-watch of the Classic Albums series on Primal Scream's Screamadelica album in tribute to one of its producer in Andrew Weatherall who died recently and as a first-timer, my Blind Spot assignment in I Am Cuba. What a film!
Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Gorgeously done. The feast by the fire is a staggering sequence.
Tomcat (Kater): One of Nick Davis' "honorable mentions" from his top 100 of the aughts. Fascinating and very well acted. Needed a "no animals were harmed during the making of this film"
I went and saw Parasite in the theaters for the second time. Believe it or not that was the first time I saw a a Best Picture winner in cinemas more than once.
Didn't see anything on the big screen except all the episodes of Modern Love on Prime. Love most parts of it, like the bittersweet Jane Alexander-headlined "The Race Grows Sweeter Near Its Final Lap", the Catherine Keener story in "When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist", and most of "When the Doorman Is Your Main Man". My faves would have to be "At the Hospital, an Interlude of Clarity" and "Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am".
Co-siging the beauty sublime of Portrait of a Lady on Fire -- vivid, ethereal, out of this world. Non possum fugere!
Jojo Rabbit - ugh, though I know it’s satire, I just can’t with Nazis. In any form, cuz there are real Nazis roaming our streets. Same reason I turned off Hunters midway through first episode.
NTLive’s Cyrano with James McAvoy. Another fine production with a very fine performance by McAvoy using his real accent. It’s a shame that the movie theater was mostly empty. People are missing out on an opportunity to see something they might never see in person. How many folks really have the cash to visit the West End in London? It’s not the same of course, but it’s better than nothing.
Portrait of A Lady on Fire. Wow. I’ll doubt I will see a better film this year. Going again this week.
I saw the Metropolitan Opera’s filmed production of “Akhnaten” by Philip Glass.
So cool. So strange. So mesmerizing.
The counter tenor playing the lead (Anthony Roth Costanzo) had to have a full body wax every few days. He joked that the full body wax was what made him a counter tenor.
Pam - I saw NTLive's Cyrano as well! My theater (in NYC) was pretty full. Anyways, it was amazing. Such a unique adaptation and done with such panache. McAvoy was magnificent as usual. Why McAvoy doesn't have a shelf-full of awards already I'll never know.
Just your daily (sporadic) reminder that Renée Zellweger is a two-time Academy Award winning Actress.
Midsommar: It's easily too long by about 45 minutes but ultimately congeals better than Hereditary in my opinion. Having seen both features in his filmography, I think that Ari Aster's films so far work better in concept than execution, though his short The Strange Thing About the Johnsons remains a fascinating oddity.
The Assistant was incredible. Julia Garner has really grown as an actress. That scene in the HR office was devastating and tough to watch.
Before The Assistant, I saw the fabulous trailers for Promising Young Woman and Never Really Sometimes Always. If this is what we're getting just in Spring, the 2020 film year may even top 2019.
I saw "And Then We Danced" which, albeit formulaic, was quite moving and affecting. It's setting in the world of Georgian dance is interesting, and Levan Gelbakhiani is such a magnetic presence. The scene set to Robyn's "Honey" is an early FYC for best scenes of the year.
I also rewatched "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" which is still as exquisite as the first time I saw it. There is not a wasted moment in it.
Saw Parasite again - with a friend who hadn't seen it yet - I believe it will studied by film students & scholars for decades to come. Was able to appreciate even more all those little directorial touches and metaphorical conceits. So definitely recommend rewatching!
Also finally saw The Lighthouse (rented it). Wish I'd seen it back when it was still playing. It's a weird one, and would benefit I feel from being seen in the more immersive environment of a darkened theater. Dafoe & Pattinson were great.
I saw Parasite. I was blown away. The only thing that did not work for me was the return of the original maid. Totally unbelievable the reason given.
Ryan T - Right? I’m always mesmerized by his performances. Re NTLive, I wish Broadway producers would do the same. I’ll be in NYC in a few weeks with tickets to a couple of high-profile shows, but I’m fortunate. I’m thinking of the theater kids in Tulsa or Abilene or Bangor who might never get to New York.