Netflixhas changed the game when it comes to streaming movies and giving original ideas a platform, but that means a lot of great films end up not getting a proper theatrical release. Some of thebest shows on Netflixare their original series, and while the same can be said about their movies, Netflix originals rarely get wide theatrical releases.
A theatrical run would not only have allowed viewers to see these certain films on the big screen but also for the movie itself to reach a wider audience. While movies likeThe IrishmanandGlass Onion: A Knives Out Storyshowed that Netflix is willing to give certain films a theatrical release, a lot of greatNetflix original movieswould have benefitted from a proper theatrical release and deserved to be seen on the big screen worldwide.
On the outside,It’s What’s Insidestarts out as what seems to be the perfect fit for a film to be released on a streaming platform as opposed to having a theatrical release.Character-driven to the core, this horror mystery starts with a group of friends that is slowly torn apart by a mysterious machinethat allows them to swap bodies. However, when friends begin to turn up dead, the group must quickly decide how to handle the switch back.
It’s What’s Insidewas purchased by Netflix after it premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Although the film itself is rather insular, like many films, it would have been improved by being watched on the big screen. This would have allowed viewers to really engage with the larger-than-life emotions of the characters, shown on a massive scale equal to the quality of the actors' performances. The tension would have only been heightened, making an exciting and creative movie that much better.
Starring a variety of great actors, including Dan Stevens ofDownton Abbeyand Michael Sheen ofGood Omens,Apostleis another grizzlyNetflix horror movie. After his sister was kidnapped and brought to an island off the coast of Wales, a man named Thomas makes it his mission to save her life. Life on the island is more hellish than he could have ever imagined, as he quickly discovers an active God-fearing cult on the island.
There are plenty of horrifying moments throughout the film, and seeing them on the big screen would have made them even more gruesome.Apostleis a film focused on spectacle, slowly building to the horror and leaning into some of the gruesome deaths that can be found throughout its runtime. A theatrical run would also have allowed it the perfect setting to fully integrate the viewer into the movie’s terrifying cult setting.
With an all-star cast,Triple Frontieris an action thriller about a group of ex-military men. While working to suppress drug cartels in Columbia, a military man named Santiago Garcia develops an idea to steal money from one of the local crime lords. To do this,Santiago recruits a group of ex-military officers, then goes on to plan a heist and thinly-veiled military missionthat is partOcean’s Elevenand partSicario.
Triple Frontierwas very popular on release, with over 52 million different people watching the movie within the first month.
Military-based films likeTriple Frontieroften draw a wide audience, something that would have allowed the film to benefit in a variety of ways. Aside from the picture improving and the setting allowing viewers to become more engrossed in the film, a movie with such a cast could have had a decent box office performance if released theatrically.
Based on Shakespeare’sHenriadwords,The Kingfollows the life of Henry V as he becomes the King of England, taking over a world that is full of conflict. Henry V must figure out how to navigate this conflict without looking like a weak leader, which inevitably leads to war. Despite this depiction of events,The Kingis more of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work than an actual depiction of what happened during Henry V’s reign.
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Though the film did receive a very limited theatrical release outside the United States, it was still a streaming movie.The Kingwould have profited from a proper theatrical releaseas theTimothée Chalamet filmdeserved to be seen in a theatrical setting fitting for the Shakespearean works it was originally based on. This would have been the preferred method of watching the film, allowing viewers to see the war depicted on a much wider, more fitting scale.
Romais a passionate look at the life of a live-in housekeeper named Cleo Gutiérrez and the higher-class family that she makes her living taking care of. The movie kicks off when she discovers that she is pregnant, only for her boyfriend to abandon her once he finds out. At its core,Romais a film about family, finding both joy and pain in the depiction of the relatable struggles that so many people face.
Romawon several awards after its release, including three different Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Though the film is in black and white, something that many audiences wouldn’t necessarily find themselves drawn to, the positive word of mouth and the awards noise would have helpedRomeat the box office.If given the opportunity,Romamight have done the same, allowing viewers to see this heartfelt movie in a grander setting.
Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is best known for his work onHamiltonandMoana, Tick, Tick… Boom!is a unique musical adventure through the mind of a real writer named Jonathan Larson, portrayed by Andrew Garfield. It shows the path of his life while being truthful about the fact that Jonathan might have embellished some of the details for the sake of storytelling. The result of this is a passionate tale of love and obsession, showing how Jonathan has consistently put his career and writing over his relationships.
Tick, Tick… Boom!was generally well-received by audiences and currently holds a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
ThoughTick, Tick… Boom!is another film that received a limited theatrical run,as it was only in theaters for days before being placed exclusively on Netflix. This prevented many people from having the chance to see it on the big screen, a setting that allowed for the incredible music of the film to be fully appreciated. IfTick, Tick… Boom!were to have a full theatrical run, more people would be able to feel the music of the film in a way that simply cannot be replicated in the home.
The crime thriller genre has always been one with an incredible draw, and the filmReptileis no different. When a girl is found murdered in a home that was put up for sale, it is up to detectives Tom Nichols and Dan Cleary to find the culprit. What the two of them find amid this mystery is a scandal that runs deeper than either of them could have ever predicted.
Reptile’s release was tumultuous, with the scheduled release changing several times before its actual release. When Netflix originally purchased the film, it was set to release only on the platform, but it later received a limited release in a handful of theaters. With a set plan and a wider range of theaters,Reptilewouldn’t have found itself lost in the noise, caught up in a flurry of other Netflix properties.
Some of Netflix’s best original movies are animated films, and among the best of them is a film calledNimona.Following a knight named Ballister Boldheart who was falsely accused of killing the queen, the film depicts a shape-shifting Nimona on her journey to becoming a real villain. Instead of finding villainy,Nimona eventually ends up finding community and kindness with Ballister, challenging the notion of what a villain is.
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Originally a Disney property that was delayed and later canceled,Nimonawas later given a chance at life by Netflix.A full theater run would have allowed this animated feature the recognition it deserves.Nimonais a film full of heart, wrapped in the sense of belonging that everyone should feel, something that so few movies can actually pull off.
Taking place in a neighborhood called The Glen,They Cloned Tyroneis a sci-fi adventure that, while starting with a slow but immediately intriguing plot, eventually explodes into a mind-bending mystery with conspiracy at its core. After a drug dealer named Fontaine supposedly dies after being shot to death, he wakes up the next day with no memory of the previous night’s events. This mystery spirals out of control from then on, showing a world where mind control and cloning are the lifeblood of the small community.
With a 1970s vibe that can be best appreciated in a theatrical setting,They Cloned Tyroneis an amazing story that keeps viewers hooked from beginning to end.The smaller nuances of its plot are best experienced in a setting with as few distractions as possible, as viewers can miss important moments if they are not paying attention. For this reason, this compelling mystery is best experienced in a movie theater.
An anti-war story at its core,All Quiet on the Western Frontis a tragic tale of two soldierswho join the German military in World War I in the hopes of being heroes. Instead, what they find is death and destruction, shattering their dreams of being heroes and teaching them the brutal realities of war. The film itself is a work of art and a testament to the generational pain of war, something that it seems no era is free from.
All Quiet on the Western Frontis one of many adaptations of the original 1929 novel, the first of which premiered back in 1930.
Award-winning for a variety of reasons, including its production design and cinematography,All Quiet on the Western Frontis a film that everyone should see in the theaters. Despite being played in local theaters overseas, the movie was only distributed worldwide onNetflix. The sheer scope of the film is reason enough to see it on the big screen, with the actors' incredible performances highlighted by the size and sound only really produced in a theater.
