‘Landline’, ‘Killing Ground’, ‘The Gracefield Incident’
July 2017 brought a scattershot weekend of releases that ranged from intimate family dramas to found-footage horror and one very expensive sci-fi spectacle. Landline arrived with a Sundance premiere behind it and a modest theatrical rollout ahead. Killing Ground tested how far a couple could stretch before breaking under pressure. Kuso turned an earthquake into a transmission experiment. The Gracefield Incident tried to weaponize a weekend getaway. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets aimed for blockbuster scale while several smaller titles competed for attention on the same Friday.
Landline (Magnolia Pictures / Amazon Studios) premiered January 20, 2017 at Sundance before its U.S. release on July 21, 2017. Gillian Robespierre directs this comedic drama that explores the messy reality of love and sex. Set in 1990s Manhattan, the plot follows two sisters who suspect their father might be having an affair. The two try to uncover the truth as they come to terms with their own relationship. But cracks soon begin to appear within the family façade. Written by Robespierre and Elisabeth Holm, the film stars Jenny Slate, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass, Finn Wittrock, and John Turturro.
Killing Ground (IFC Films) opened in limited release July 21, 2017. A couple’s romantic trip to a remote beach soon becomes a desperate fight for survival. Arriving to find an abandoned campsite with no sign of its former occupants and a lone child wandering around the woods, they unleash a chain of events that will put their relationship to the ultimate test. Australian writer and director Damien Powers weaves a chilling thriller in the vein of Straw Dogs and Wolf Creek in his directorial debut. The cast includes Ian Meadows, Harriet Dyer, Aaron Pedersen, and Aaron Glenane.
Critical Reception Snapshot
Landline earned a 75 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Killing Ground landed at 76 percent with a 59 Metacritic score. Kuso received a 36 percent rating. The Black Prince sat at 7 percent. The spread reflected how wide tastes ran that summer, from warm family stories to polarizing experiments and under-reviewed biopics.
Box Office Outcomes
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets grossed roughly 40.5 million dollars domestically and more than 215 million worldwide. Landline finished with 940,000 dollars globally. The Black Prince earned 633,000 dollars across three territories. The numbers underscored how difficult it remained for mid-budget science fiction to break even while smaller dramas scraped by on limited runs.
Streaming and Availability Today
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets later appeared on HBO Max and other platforms. Who the Fuck is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago found a home on Netflix. Viewers who missed the original theatrical windows could catch both titles without hunting for physical media years later.
2017 Summer Indie vs. Blockbuster Context
July 21, 2017 served as a release date for multiple titles. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets arrived as the wide sci-fi entry while Landline, Killing Ground, Kuso, The Gracefield Incident, The Black Prince, and Awaken the Shadowman played in limited markets. The weekend highlighted how studios and independents still shared calendar space even as marketing budgets diverged sharply.
Kuso (Brainfeeder Films) premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 21 before its July 21 release. Undeniably the most bizarre film to have premiered at that year’s festival, Kuso is the directorial debut from music producer and rapper Flying Lotus. Set in the aftermath of Los Angeles’ worst earthquake nightmare, the narrative follows Kuso as he broadcasts through a makeshift network of discarded televisions. The cast features Hannibal Buress, David Firth, Tim Heidecker, Anders Holm, Regan Farquhar, and George Clinton. Written by Lotus and Firth.
Who the Fuck is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago (Xlrator Media) opened July 21, 2017 and later became available on Netflix. The documentary chronicles the life of cherished New York City icon Michael Alago. The story of a gay Puerto Rican kid growing up in a Chassidic Brooklyn neighbourhood, Alago got on the subway one day and began an odyssey to become the architect of a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance. Filmmaker Drew Stone captures the tender, loving, self-destructive tale of a man who loved new music so much he had to bring it into the world, and lived to talk about it.
The Gracefield Incident (Momentum Pictures) received a limited release July 21, 2017. Video game editor Matthew Donovan embeds an iPhone camera into his prosthetic eye to secretly record and document a weekend with his friends in a luxurious mountain-top cabin. But the weekend takes a terrifying turn when an otherworldly presence crashes the party. Directed and written by Mathieu Ratthe, who also stars in the lead, the film is framed as an intertwining story of life, love, and loss. Laurence Dauphinais, Juliette Gosselin, Kimberly Laferriere, Alex C. Nachi, and Victor Andres Turgeon-Trelles appear alongside Ratthe.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (STX Entertainment) opened wide July 21, 2017 and ultimately grossed around 40.5 million dollars domestically. Set in the 28th century, the film follows Valerian and Laureline, special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged for centuries. But a dark force is about to disrupt the balance. Valerian and Laureline must race against the clock to save not only Alpha, but the universe itself. Legendary filmmaker Luc Besson directs. The cast includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Ethan Hawke.
The Black Prince (Brillstein Entertainment) reached limited theaters July 21, 2017. A biopic on the poignant life story of the last king of the Sikh empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh, and his tumultuous relationship with Queen Victoria. Swept away from his homeland at the tender age of 15, the film charts his struggle to reclaim his throne during Britain’s occupation of India. Directed and written by Kavi Raz, the picture stars renowned Sufi singer Satinder Sartaaj in the lead, supported by Jason Flemyng, Amanda Root, and Shabana Azmi.
Awaken the Shadowman (Gravitas Ventures) also opened in limited release July 21, 2017. The directorial debut from J.S. Wilson follows two brothers who must reunite in the wake of their mother’s mysterious disappearance. But in their search for the truth, they uncover a hidden cult and an unknown supernatural force with sinister intentions. The cast features James Zimbardi, Skyler Caleb, Jean Smart, Emily Somers, Andrea Hunt, and Robert R. Shafer.
