How should I gauge success beyond opening weekend for a limited indie release?

[Violet.J]

As an independent filmmaker with a small-budget feature finally getting a limited theatrical release next month, I'm trying to set realistic expectations for its box office performance. Our distributor is handling the marketing, but I know the landscape for non-franchise, dramatic films is incredibly tough right now. For others who have navigated a theatrical release, what metrics beyond the opening weekend gross should I be looking at to gauge real success, like per-screen average or holdover percentages? How much influence do you believe festival buzz and critical reviews actually have on driving audiences to theaters in the current market, versus pure social media and word-of-mouth campaigns?