Charlie McDowell and Mark Duplass on ‘The One I Love’

Another Radius film, The One I Love, also has a non-traditional distribution plan. This sort-of-romantic, sort-of-mysterious indie went a route that’s known as ultra-VOD, meaning the film was available on demand for several weeks before opening in theaters.

Guest host Michael Schneider of TV Guide Magazine spoke to the film’s director Charlie McDowell and star and executive producer Mark Duplass about why they opted to have The One I Love available for purchase or rental before hitting the big screens. In this case, McDowell and Duplass say quietly building a fan base through VOD has helped generate buzz for the theatrical release.

But for this particular film, this multi-platform release plan requires a lot of trust in fans and critics. The One I Love has a plot twist the filmmakers would love to keep under wraps, especially for potential theatergoers. So far, people who’ve purchased the film early have done an impressive job of keeping spoilers off the internet. McDowell and Duplass hope that pattern will hold, at least for a little bit longer.