The Yellow Bird came out of Sundance with a bit of buzz, and it’s easy to see why — it’s a war movie with plenty of drama and a stellar cast. But I’m just not that excited about it. Something about it seems a little too on the nose maybe. It could turn out truly powerful, but this trailer feels like melodrama.
It doesn’t help that Saban Films is releasing it with a DirectTV exclusive early release before it hits theaters. That just makes the whole thing feel like a TV movie. I know streaming films are coming into their own, and all, but I’m not quite at a place where I can see a broadcaster’s logo and think, “Yup, this will be a good movie.” Maybe that’s just me.
The Yellow Bird releases on DirectTV on May 17 and will be in theaters and on-demand on June 15.
