Robert Pattinson’s ‘Good Time’ and Aubrey Plaza’s ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Open Strong at Specialty Box Office

Sundance hit “Ingrid Goes West” (Neon) and Cannes breakout “Good Time” (A24) both opened well in New York/Los Angeles dates. “A Trip to Spain” (IFC), the third installment of Michael Winterbottom’s comedy franchise, also had a decent showing.

And yet another indie director returning from studio franchise to specialty fare, Marc Webb, met scathing reviews for Amazon Studios’ “The Only Living Boy in New York” (Roadside Attractions), which opened wider to modest numbers.

Opening

Ingrid Goes West (Neon) – Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Sundance, Los Angeles 2017

$141,216 in 3 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $47,072

A younger audience responded well to this specialized platform release about the risks of obsessive social media story involvement, which evoked a positive reaction when it premiered at the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Feature competition. Elizabeth Olsen and Aubrey Plaza added some name value to director Matt Spicer’s feature debut, which scored the third-best limited opening gross of the summer (after “The Big Sick” and “The Beguiled”). It also gave innovative new distributor Neon a breakout just at the right time before acquisition-rich Toronto.

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What comes next: The initial big city expansion starts this Friday.

Good Time (A24) – Metacritic: 84; Festivals include: Cannes 2017

$137,625 in 4 theaters; PTA: $34,406

The Safdie brothers (Ben and Josh) have been laboring in modest budget independent films for a number of years, and now boast their biggest opener. Collaborating with globally bankable “Twilight” veteran Robert Pattinson in this taut thriller about an attempt to get his brother out of prison after a bank robbery, the genre flick scored strong reviews and elevated support from busy A24. Appearances by the actor Friday night boosted some Manhattan shows (this also opened in Los Angeles) with the initial gross, similar to that of “Ingrid” (which played in one less theater) standing among the best of the summer.

What comes next: After an expansion next week, this will go wider on August 25.

The Only Living Boy in New York (Roadside Attractions) – Metacritic: 29

$57,619 in 15 theaters; PTA: $3,841

Marc Webb’s resume includes “(500) Days of Summer,” the two “Amazing Spider-Man” films and the successful “Gifted” in his first return to more specialized material earlier this year. Then he teamed with Amazon for another independent foray – and likely the worst reviews of his career. The romantic comedy involves a recent college graduate who when he gets involved with his dad’s mistress, is counseled through his dilemma by neighbor Jeff Bridges. Opening a bit wider than the usual New York/Los Angeles formula, the film met mixed initial results. The most encouraging element is a 31 per cent improvement Saturday from Friday. Still, it is not remotely close to “(500)” in 2009 in 27 theaters, which boasted an opening weekend per-theater gross of $31,000 and marked a breakout wider success that elevated Webb into major demand as a director.

What comes next: This will quickly expand, with up to 400 theaters by Aug. 25

The Trip to Spain (IFC) – Metacritic: 65; Festivals include: Tribeca, Seattle 2017

$45,306 in 3 theaters; PTA: $15,102

The third edition of hilarious foodie comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on the road in exotic locations opened to decent results.While below those of its 2014 Italian predecessor ($24,000 PTA in three theaters), it still is a credible result, with a rapid big city expansion ahead.

What comes next: Video on Demand also comes on board this Friday.

In This Corner of the World (FUNimation) – Metacritic: 72; Festivals include: Tokyo 2016

$(est.) 21,000 in 6 theaters; PTA: $(est.) 3,500

This Japanese animated feature (set in World War II Hiroshima) from a protege of the great Hayao Miyazaki got positive reviews and some modest interest at its initial theaters.

What comes next: This will add most major metropolitan areas this Friday.

Whose Streets? (Magnolia) – Metacritic: 81; Festivals include: Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle 2017

$(est.) 45,000 in 24 theaters; PTA: $(est.) 1,875

This Sundance competition documentary about the aftermath of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri opened in a variety of theaters in eight cities to modest results below the excellent reviews it continues to receive.

What comes next: Ten more cities open this Friday in advance of wider play in coming weeks.

Week Two

Wind River (Weinstein)

$642,067 in 45 theaters (+41); PTA: $14,268; Cumulative: $870,285

Taylor Sheridan’s Wyoming contemporary Western held strong for an excellent second weekend expansion. While similar to the Oscar-nominated writer’s “Hell or High Water” last year (strong reviews, well-known cast), this one is rolling out more slowly and earned initial interest somewhere in the same range, if not quite as strong. Expect Weinstein to make a strong push for the potential top-specialty-grosser during the coming weeks. The Saturday increase of 39 per cent shows positive older audience reaction early on.

Step (Fox Searchlight)

$278,000 in 185 theaters (+156); PTA: $1,503; Cumulative: $478,366

This inner-city school dance tournament documentary quickly expanded after good limited results last weekend. The results are more marginal, with at least a 39 per cent increase on Saturday suggesting a potential for some continued interest if not breakout response ahead.

Columbus (Superlative)  2-42

$44,460 in 7 theaters (+5); PTA: $6,351; Cumulative: $86,537

Seattle and San Francisco were added to New York and Los Angeles in the second week of this self-distributed, Sundance-supported quiet drama. Star John Cho visited the Indiana city setting where his estranged movie father is hospitalized. The 56 per cent Saturday night increase was at the high end, suggesting both adult interest and perhaps reaction to continued strong opening day reviews in new cities. Washington and Philadelphia open next in what looks to be a slow national roll out.

Ongoing/expanding (grosses over $50,000 in under 1,000 theaters)

The Big Sick (Lionsgate) Week 8

$1,525,000 in 709 theaters (-296); Cumulative: $36,469,000

Though the theater count dropped below 1,000, the year’s biggest specialized release (from Amazon) had an identical per screen average this weekend, and one (about $2,100) which is above many films playing at far fewer theaters. This has life remaining and will easily clear $40 million.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (Paramount) Week 3

$800,000 in 556 theaters (+376); Cumulative: $2,296,000

Paramount pushed the sequel to the award-winning climate documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” to a wider break this weekend. The result remains far below 2006’s film, but still ahead of most non-fiction films this year.

Menashe (A24) Week 3

$197,963 in 47 theaters (+37); Cumulative: $421,708

This New York made, Yiddish-language custody drama is showing real strength in its third weekend with a major expansion that shows wider interest and a chance for bigger results as it adds more runs.

Maudie (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 18

$172,655 in 163 theaters (-24); Cumulative: $5,424,000

This arthouse film starring Sally Hawkins as an unlikely artist in an isolated Canadian village has now done about half of its business – an impressive figure for this low-key specialized film – in the U.S. with a steady performance and appeal to older audiences.

Landline (Magnolia) Week 4

$130,000 in 135 theaters (+31); Cumulative: $731,201

Divorce in 1990s Manhattan and its impact on a family is not gaining much interest as Amazon’s Sundance acquisition adds more theaters but little business in a crowded market.

Lady Macbeth (Roadside Attractions) Week 5

$91,585 in 119 theaters (-12); Cumulative: $932,697

Continued weak results for this 19th-century erotic drama, which landed better reviews than audience reaction in the current crowded field.

The Little Hours (Gunpowder & Sky) Week 7

$62,165 in 60 theaters (no change); Cumulative: $1,443,000

Steady later in its run, this medieval nuns comedy hasn’t performed as well as initial dates suggested, but still is a credible initial release for newcomers Gunpowder and Sky.

The Brigsby Bear (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3

$55,621 in 37 theaters (+22); Cumulative: $172,627

Little traction in the early stages for this quirky tale of a young man looking for closure on a children’s TV program which he realizes was made for him as the sole audience by the couple who kidnapped him in infancy.

Also noted:

The Midwife (Music Box) – $48,500 in 40 theaters; Cumulative: $333,568

Lost in Paris (Oscilloscope) – $33,000 in theaters; Cumulative: $471,762

Beatriz at Dinner (Roadside Attractions) – $25,500 in 40 theaters; Cumulative: $6,986,000

The Hero (The Orchard) – $24,769 in 42 theaters; Cumulative: $3,968,000

City of Ghosts (IFC) – $10,230 in 11 theaters; Cumulative: $127,468