text: what does a "limited" movie mean? what does a "limited" movie mean? if you're talking about a movie in theaters, then it means that it is only playing in a few theaters. a limited movie usually only plays in big cities. many movies have limited openings at first and then open to a wider audience at a later date. other movies that are only limited sometimes open everywhere if they become popular. an example would be the movie little miss sunshine. it was limited at first, but became so popular that it eventually played in almost every theater.