[ot-caption title=”As more viewers opt to ditch movie theaters, video-on-demand is starting to receive some highly anticipated films. (via Netflix, Flicker)”]

To many, watching a film is an experience accompanied by popcorn and a seat at a movie theater. But to others, watching a film is ideal when played on their own television at home or on their phone as they travel. Clearly the growth of technology and smart phones has changed the way we communicate and interact, but it has also had a profound effect on the way we view entertainment. Over the past few years, many top filmmakers have taken special steps in order to support theaters and help fight against the growing number of people who skip the theater and just wait for a movie to release on iTunes or Netflix. For instance, Quentin Tarantino released his latest film, The Hateful Eight, as a special roadshow experience that was only available at theaters. While many in the film industry have been quick to fight against the growing number of video-on-demand viewers, others have decided to embrace the more tech savvy audiences and release their films both in theaters and on video-on-demand services on the same day.

This month has shaped up to be an extremely strong month for same day releases, with two movies in particular becoming highly anticipated releases after strong critic reviews. First is Karyn Kusama‘s excellent return to small budget films, titled The Invitation, which had its same day release on April 8th. Kusama started her career with her well received indie film Girlfight. Shortly after her success with Girlfight, Kusama began to make big budget studio films; however, both of her attempts at making studio films did not materialize well. The Invitation marks her return to both indie film making and film making as a whole after she took a six-year break coming off the failure of her studio films. With an extremely strong start both at the box office and on video-on-demand platforms, this intense thriller has been a massive financial success. The film has also gained critical acclaim, with Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly saying that “Kusama ratchets the story’s tension masterfully, building to a final shot that’s as chilling as it is perfect.”

Another film that has gained attention is Ben Wheatley‘s High Rise. Based of the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard, High Rise tells the story of the tenants of an ultra-luxury modern building that has far darker things occurring than what is presented on the surface. Starring Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons, the film boasts a strong cast, and has so far received mostly positive reviews, currently with a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. While a 73% is not the super high scores some other films receive, it is not necessarily a bad thing. High Rise seemingly is a film that will either leave you in awe and astonishment, or complete confusion and disappointment. The film releases both in theaters and on video-on-demand services later this month on April 28th.

For many, watching a film is an experience that can only be had in a movie theater, but as more and more people make the decision to skip going to the theaters and instead opting to watch a film in their own homes, an increasing amount of highly anticipated films are making their debuts both in theaters and online. For those who do prefer to stay at home, this month has a particularly strong line-up of same day releases, with the exceptionally intense The Invitation and the polarizing High Rise.

Sources: IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Entertainment Weekly, Indiewire