After strong ticket sales in St. Louis, the film received a limited release in Los Angeles and Dallas. Further theatrical expansion was halted in St. Louis in August 2014 after the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Due to racial tensions in the city, Wehrenberg Theatres pulled the film from its planned release on September 5, 2014. The suppression of the film led to national media coverage, including an article by "Deadline Hollywood". "Spanish Lake" was released to Video on demand on October 21, 2014 to critical acclaim. The DVD release came a month later on November 15, 2014.