‘The Whale’ Beats ‘Cocaine Bear’ on VOD
Plus: Netflix is your place if you're looking for a Vin Diesel film festival, with three of his films in its top 10.
This week in home viewing, the whale topped a bear. “Cocaine Bear” ($19.99) came out on PVOD after its third weekend — standard timing for Universal. Since it was still strong in theaters (#5, crossing $50 million), home availability would usually guarantee across-the-board #1 rankings at iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
But surprise — A24 lowered the price of “The Whale” to $4.99 just before Brendan Fraser’s Best Actor win. The film soared to the top at iTunes and Google Play right after the Oscars.
Both sites rank by transaction, which benefits any lower-cost rental. However, Darren Aronofsky’s film is also #2 at Vudu, which counts by revenue. (Vudu has “Cocaine Bear” at #1).
Meantime, Oscar juggernaut “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — available on streaming as well as theaters (it was #11 for the week, adding another $1.5 million in gross) — stayed strong at $19.99. That price may have discouraged some buyers, but it still placed fourth or fifth on all charts.
“A Man Called Otto” (Sony), with its price reduced to $5.99, continued its strong chart showing. It was the fourth title to make all three, with third-place showings on each.
Keanu Reeves in “John Wick: Chapter 4”
Lionsgate
Ahead of Friday’s highly anticipated release of “John Wick: Chapter 4,” iTunes lists “John Wick Chapters 1-3” ($14.99) at #5. Google Play lists the earlier titles in the Lionsgate franchise separately.
The sole new title this week is Alec Baldwin’s first film since the tragic shooting on the “Rust” set. “Supercell” (Saban), a tornado-chaser story that also saw minimal theatrical play over the weekend, showed up at #8 at iTunes at $6.99 to rent.
Netflix was all about Vin Diesel this week as three of the action star’s hits made its top 10. They include two of his “Riddick” franchise titles, as well as his earlier “Pitch Black.”
Leading the chart is 2019 action title “Dragged Across Concrete” with Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. The crime thriller had a minor theatrical run, then gained traction along with some critical support as it went to home viewing.
“The Magician’s Elephant”
NETFLIX
An eclectic group of Netflix originals, four in all, also are in its top 10. Best is last week’s #1 “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” now second. “The Magician’s Elephant,” an Australian animated film is #3, Belgian thriller “Noise” is #5, and the documentary “Moneyshot: The Pornhub Story” is #8.
Top Oscar wins for “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Pinocchio” didn’t prompt enough of a boost for either previously ranked films to return to the list.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, March 20 . Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
iTunes
1. The Whale (A24) – $19.99
2. Cocaine Bear (Universal) – $19.99
3. A Man Called Otto (Sony) – $5.99
4. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $19.99
5. John Wick Chapters 1-3 (Lionsgate) – $14.99
6. The Ritual Killer (Screen Media) – $6.99
7. Only the Brave (Sony) – $3.99
8. Supercell (Saban) – $6.99
9. Missing (Sony) – $14.99
10. The Fabelmans (Universal) – $5.99
Google Play
1. The Whale (A24) – $19.99
2. Cocaine Bear (Universal) – $19.99
3. A Man Called Otto (Sony) – $14.99
4. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero – $9.99
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $19.99
6. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Lionsgate) – $5.99
7. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) – $19.99
8. Knock at the Cabin (Universal) – $19.99
9. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $5.99
10. The Ritual Killer (Screen Media) – $6.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating Premium VOD titles. This list covers March 13-19.
1. Cocaine Bear (Universal) – $19.99
2. The Whale (A24) – $19.99
3. A Man Called Otto (Sony) – $5.99
4. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $19.99
5. Missing (Sony) – $14.99
6. Knock at the Cabin (Universal) – $19.99
7. 80 for Brady (Paramount) – $19.99
8. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) – $19.99
9. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Crunchy Roll) – $9.99
10. Plane (Lionsgate) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, March 20. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed.
1. Dragged Across Concrete (2019 theatrical release)
2. Luther: The Fallen Sun (Netflix British original)
3. The Magician’s Elephant (Netflix Australian animated original)
4. Riddick (2013 theatrical release)
5. Noise (Netflix Belgian original)
6. Kick-Ass 2 (2013 theatrical release)
7. The Chronicles of Riddick (2004 theatrical release)
8. Money Shot: The Pornhub Story (Netflix original documentary)
9. Pitch Black (2000 theatrical release)
10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013 theatrical release)