So, does getting press really help in terms of getting people to watch your low-budget film? Yes! But you can't just hope the platform that wrote about you will get eyeballs on your project. You, as the artist, have to promote the article to stay on other people's radar.
If you're a filmmaker (though this applies to all artists), any press you get is an excuse to remind your circle of friends, followers, investors, and people you want to do future business with that people are talking about you and your project, giving you validity. It's not you saying your film is good; it's someone else. No matter how small the publication or platform is, it's still another person who thinks what you are doing is worth their time to post, even if it's a cut and paste from your press release—it doesn't matter.
When people are on the fence about whether or not they're going to spend the night watching your film, the press you get and promote may convince them, as the article might have a unique take on your film. But let's get real—they will most likely not read your post but rather just "like" it and forget it 5 minutes later. This is why you should post about the wonderful review after 5 PM, a time when most people are looking to watch a film for the night, which will increase the chances they will watch.
There are many ways a filmmaker can leverage the press they get, from staying on people's radar, to reminding people to watch, to reminding people you're a source of conversation. This can help not only your current film but also future films you want to make in the near future. No matter how small or big the press you get, always post it on your website, draw attention to it on your social media in various ways, send an article to a potential client/investor to gain interest and/or to stay on their radar, and get the cast and crew to also share in the excitement that all this hard work is paying off.
Below are a few platforms that have talked about The Luring. Each one has been leveraged in someway to remind people this film is worth a watch.