Box Office Battlefield: Wild vs. The Pyramid

The weekend warriors of December 5, 2014 includes Wild and The Pyramid, as well as the limited releases of Life Partners and Comet. Every week, movie studios select candidates to enter the glorious battlefield for your hard-earned dollars, Box Office Battlefield is here to help you decide which movie(s) will take priority over the others and determine who will be victorious.

Last weekend, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 dominated the box office for the second weekend in a row. Grossing over $500 million worldwide in just its second weekend, the young adult juggernaut is a force to be reckoned with. It’s pretty slim pickens this weekend as both major motion pictures will be released in limited theaters, but perhaps they have a shot at taking a chunk out of the champion.

Wild thing, you make my heart sing. This is the Box Office Battlefield:

(2014) Grade: C

Wild (Jean-Marc Vallée) [Limited NY/LA Dec. 3] Rated R [115 min] – A chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffmann, and Michiel Huisman

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 91% • Audience – 81%

What I’m saying:

Based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed, played by Reese Witherspoon, Jean-Marc Vallée’s Wild unfortunately isn’t able to formulate a cohesive track. With more bumps in the road than twists and turns, this journey of self discovery creates little wonder or revelation to rationalize a main character walking over 1,000-miles that isn’t, herself, a Hobbit. (Read my full review) MATINEE IT!

The Pyramid (Grégory Levasseur) Rated R [89 min] – An archaeological team attempts to unlock the secrets of a lost pyramid only to find themselves hunted by an insidious creature. Starring Ashley Hinshaw, James Buckley, Denis O’Hare, and Christa Nicola

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 13% • Audience – 60%

What they’re saying:

“”We need to find an exit right now,” someone shouts early on. Audiences may well find themselves sharing the sentiment.” – Geoffrey Macnab (Independent)

“Levasseur understands the claustrophobia of being locked inside a stuffy pyramid with collapsing floors and sand traps. Unfortunately for him, Indiana Jones turns out to be incompatible with Alien, and the bad acting and atrocious script don’t help.” – Chris Michael (Guardian)

What I’m saying:

If As Above, So Below taught us anything, it’s that a decent concept can be ruined by the unnecessary found footage gimmick. I am willing to give this film a shot, but am going in with the lowest of expectations. WAIT FOR IT ON NETFLIX!

Life Partners (Susanna Fogel) [Limited] Rated R [93 min] – Sasha and Paige’s co-dependent friendship is tested as Paige gets serious with a guy for the first time. Starring Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody, and Gabourey Sidibe

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 59% • Audience – 58%

What they’re saying:

“Fogel and Lefkowitz go for a loose, funny vibe that allows them freedom to serve a range of different characters and subplots, but the center of their movie doesn’t hold.” – Scott Tobias (The Dissolve)

“Life Partners travels some very familiar ground, but the strength of its writing, the honesty of its plot, and the charm of its leading ladies means that it’s a real cut above the rest of its genre brethren.” – Kate Erbland (Film School Rejects)

What I’m saying:

I definitely like the lead actresses. There’s a sense of honesty and rapport that resonates between the two. The narrative seems a bit thin and almost self-parody of a FWB type film. For a Good Time, Call was a very unexpected and hilarious, and I wouldn’t mind seeing what these two ladies bring to the table. WAIT FOR IT ON NETFLIX!

Comet (Sam Esmail) [Limited] Rated R [91 min] – Set in a parallel universe, Comet bounces back and forth over the course of an unlikely but perfectly paired couple’s six-year relationship. Starring Justin Long, Emmy Rossum, Kayla Servi, and Eric Winter

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 44% • Audience – 33%

What they’re saying:

“A star-crossed romance that often feels cosmic and intimate within the span of a single scene.” – Michael Nordine (indieWIRE)

“None of this gimmickry can make up for uninteresting characters writhing in a drama too distant to care about.” – Jordan Hoffman (Guardian)

What I’m saying:

There’s a strange chemistry of ambiguity that is being regurgitated by Comet’s indie charm. I feel as though there is something very convoluted about this unique love story, but can’t help but be drawn to it. RENT IT!

Wild, Comet, and Life Partners are playing on less than five screen each. And The Pyramid is only playing in about 550 according to Box Office Mojo. Although Mockingjay fell 53 percent last weekend, there still are very little competitors to take chunk of its core audience away. So as it stands, I believe the victor for this weekend shall be: