‘Ava’ Takes Over as the Top VOD Choice, with Thriller ‘Alone’ Still Strong
With “Mulan” arriving on more platforms October 6 and non-premium VOD titles like “The Witches” and Amazon’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” later this month, the home-viewing market was on pause with no new premium titles this weekend. That didn’t stop Jessica Chastain’s “Ava,” however: It had the best showing for a non-premium title in the six months we’ve covered weekly VOD performance.
The $6.99 female-assassin action film, which debuted September 25, placed #1 at the three transactional sites (AppleTV, Google Play, and Spectrum) and second at FandangoNow, which lists by revenue. Other recent titles like “The Outpost,” “The Tax Collector,” and “The Silencing” have thrived for multiple weeks, but none topped the charts for two weeks.
Beating out “Ava” at FandangoNow, thanks to its $19.99 price point, is “Antebellum.” In its third week, it’s also #2 at Spectrum. It fell off Apple TV and Google Play, even with less competition among premium titles.
“Alone,” budgeted far lower than either of those mid-range films, continues its strong presence in its third week. It placed on all four charts, led by Spectrum at #2 and FandangoNow #3.
Six new releases entered the charts. “Then Came You,” starring and written by Kathie Lee Gifford as a widow who finds love by taking a trip she planned with her late husband, is in fifth place on two charts. Also with two placements, though lower, is “Death of Me,” a thriller that stars Maggie Q and Luke Hemsworth as a vacationing couple who become suspicious of each other.
AppleTV, which often shows new titles doing well at earlier stages than other platforms, reflect three films that aren’t on other charts. “Archive,” a sci-fi AI thriller, is #2 with standard pricing; it debuted on VOD in July. “A Call to Spy,” a 2019 festival title about the British military recruiting women as spies during World War II, is #4, and Australian sci-film “2067” is #6.
The other new title lurking is “Welcome to Sudden Death,” a decades-later sequel to Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Sudden Death.” It’s #7 at FandangoNow. Of note: It received a same-day release on Netflix, where it is #6.
The new #1 at Netflix, replacing “Enola Holmes,” is another original, this time a documentary. “American Murder: The Family Next Door” hit the top spot on its first day, and stayed there for several since. Two more new originals, comedy “Vampires vs. the Bronx” and “You’ve Got This” from Mexico, placed lower on their list. There’s more cross-platform success with Rod Lurie’s “The Outpost,” which turned up at Netflix after strong VOD play; it’s #2.
Of note: The Netflix remake of “The Boys in the Band,” the new film that received the most media attention, placed on the list for only one day, and at #10. This is the latest prestige item for the service, but it could be a long-term library play.
Apple TV
Ranked by number of transactions, with position as of Monday, October 5
1. Ava (Vertical) – $6.99
2. Archive (Vertical) – $3.99
3. The Secret: Dare to Dream (Gravitas Ventures) – $5.99
4. A Call to Spy (IFC) – $6.99
5. Then Came You (Vertical) – $6.99
6. 2067 (RLJE) – $6.99
7. American Made (Universal) – $3.99
8. Alone (Magnolia) – $6.99
9. The Death of Me (Saban) – $5.99
10. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $5.99
FandangoNOW
Ranked by revenue accrued not transactions, for September 28 – October 4
1. Antebellum (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. Ava (Vertical) – $6.99
3. Alone (Magnolia) – $6.99
4. Bill & Ted Face the Music (United Artists) – $19.99
5. Then Came You (Vertical) – $6.99
6. The Secret: Dare to Dream (Gravitas Ventures) – $5.99
7. Welcome to Sudden Death (Universal) – $5.99
8. Death of Me (Saban) – $6.99
9. The Tax Collector (RLJE) – $6.99
10. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $5.99
Spectrum
Ranked by transactions for September 25 – October 1; all $6.99 except as noted
1. Ava (Vertical)
2. Antebellum (Lionsgate) – $19.99
3. The Secret: Dare to Dream (Gravitas Ventures)
4. Trolls World Tour (Universal)
5. Blackbird (Screen Media)
6. The 2nd (Momentum)
7. Foster Boy (Gravitas Ventures)
8. The King of Staten Island (Universal)
9. Irresistable (Universal)
10. Alone (IFC)
Google Play
Ranked by number of transactions, with the daily position as of Monday, October 4
1. Ava (Vertical) – $6.99
2. Alone (Magnolia) – $6.99
3. Antebellum (Lionsgate) – $19.99
4. The King of Staten Island (Universal) – $5.99
5. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $4.99
6. Bill & Ted Face the Music (United Artists) – $13.99
7. The Tax Collector (RLJE) – $6.99
8. The Secret: Dare to Dream (Gravitas Ventures) – $5.99
9. The Silencing (XYZ) – $6.99
10. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (Warner Bros.) – $3.99
Netflix Movies
Most-viewed, current ranking as of Monday, October 4
1. American Murder: The Family Next Door (Netflix 2020 documentary original)
2. The Outpost (2020 VOD /drive in release)
3. Enola Holmes (2020 Netflix original)
4. Yogi Bear (2010 theatrical release)
5. Welcome to Sudden Death (2020 Netflix original)
6. Big Daddy (1999 theatrical release)
7. Colombiana (2011 theatrical release)
8. Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020 Netflix original)
9. You’ve Got This (2020 Netflix original)
10. The Social Dilemma (2020 Netflix documentary original)
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