The fact that Roma carries the Netflix banner, though, is significant.
The crown jewel in Netflix’s fall film festival programming, however, as to be Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, an intimate black-and-white drama that already has played to raves at the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals.
Cuaron’s an Oscar-winning master craftsman, and Roma — a tribute to his childhood that’s supposed to be painted with exquisitely vivid detail — would likely draw a crowd no matter where it was distributed.
(There already are reports that Netflix will consider giving Roma a limited theatrical run, like the company did with Mudbound, so it can properly contend for the Academy Awards.)