10 Films Cinemas Refused To Play (And Why)

5. Roma

The Hateful Eight Kurt Russell Jennifer Jason Leigh
Netflix

Another excellent film that most people couldn't see in a theatre purely because it was also released on Netflix, awards season juggernaut Roma was turned down by AMC and Regal in the U.S. for - once again - having a short theatrical window.

While the movie did play on a couple of screens in order to secure its eligibility for the Academy Awards (and unlike Beasts of No Nation, Roma was a big hit with Oscar voters, taking home a handful of statues), it failed to secure a wide roll-out.

While that must have been disappointing for the filmmakers, Roma did at least tell us that great movies can still shine no matter where they're released, whether it's on a streaming platform, or on cinema screens around the world.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.