AMC and Regal Theaters Refuse to Play "Roma" Amid Several Oscar Nominations

Scene from Roma

If you've read the Oscar nominations that were announced on Tuesday, then there's a good chance that you've had plenty to celebrate. For Netflix in particular, there's plenty to enjoy as they not only get their first Best Picture nominee, but has the most nominees of any film (they also have a sizable total for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs). Considering that Amazon Studios and Hulu also have considerable nominations, it's a sign of the times that The Academy is finally recognizing streaming services as the quality distributor of entertainment that they are. But, there's an issue for anyone who wants to see Roma on the big screen. The nominations may have done plenty to raise its profile, but thanks to the ongoing conflict between Netflix and theatrical distribution, you may have to try extra hard to see it anywhere besides your home.

As I will attest, Roma is a great movie. I'd even go so far to argue that it's a miracle of how strong its Oscar chances are currently  given its problematic release schedule. Those paying attention during late 2018 will recognize how Roma's theatrical release schedule kept changing. Its limited run meant that audiences outside of niche markets had to wait for it to appear on Netflix via streaming, which contradicts the nature by which many have proposed seeing director Alfonso Cuaron's masterpiece. While I recognize the limitations that certain audiences have to seeing it, I do highly recommend seeing it on the big screen, for it enhances the small details and makes the story feel richer than its quaint text would suggest. 

But why is there any conflict with Netflix releasing movies? The answer is simple. In the past, before streaming services were seen as a legitimate threat, a movie needed to qualify with a theatrical run that culminated in a minimum of a week in limited release. It's a technique that has slowly gone away, though it helps to explain why it's taken Netflix so long to get in. Unlike Amazon Studios' approach, Netflix has the famous same day release schedule. Theaters don't like it because of the competition it gives the experience. In general streaming services have fought with traditional formats for years now. Its first notorious case came when Netflix released Beasts of No Nation (its first Oscar contender). Complaints came out, suggesting that there needed to be some leeway, a brief period before it gets released on streaming.

So the problem continues with Roma, which has had a very memorable Oscar campaign that has included a lot of doubt that it would even get this far. It's in large part because of the trend that continues with a recent announcement by major theatrical chains AMC and Regal who refuse to play the film as part of their annual Best Picture screenings. The 2019 line-up will include the other seven films, but they are refusing to budge with Roma. It's the underlying belief that streaming service is still in some ways illegitimate, which is a shame. I do have a belief that audiences are being done a disservice by not having accessible chances to see this Best Picture nominee on the big screen. While there's still the chance that they'll find it boring or even overrated, they still deserve the chance to see it in the way that Cuaron intended. There's some irony with Netflix teaming with prestige filmmakers who for decades have embraced the theatrical experience only to see a hurdle in even getting a film in a theater near you. 

I do believe that Roma not getting into theaters is similar to the belief that a bad screener campaign can sink a film. While Roma is in an accessible location, the inability to see it in an immersive environment means that the nuance stands a chance of being missed entirely. The same can be said for Martin Scorsese's quiet epic Silence, which only received one nomination amid positive reviews. The film's box office failure also meant that most audiences saw it on screeners, which don't do the film justice. Who's to say how much better the film would've done had it received a better box office run, but what is known is that films that lacks an element on screeners is bound to suffer. Sure, Cuaron has the 10 nominations, but Scorsese had the reputation as well. By refusing to play Roma in accessible markets, the film is handicapped sincerely in ways that something like Green Book or A Star is Born isn't. You can watch those films on home video and get the gist. Roma may still work on Netflix, but it's the cinematography and sound design that you're missing out on. You're missing the tender loving care that Cuaron put into the film. While I still have hope that the film will do well, this hurdle only shows how Netflix needs to evolve. They have gotten the nominations they want now, but will they be able to win without a professional theatrical run? It looks a little shaky at this moment.