October 2

• The First Purge

  Behind every tradition lies a revolution. Witness the rise of our country’s 12 hours of annual lawlessness. Welcome to the movement that began as a simple experiment: The First Purge. To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the marginalized, the contagion explodes from the trial-city borders and spreads across the nation. Vitals: Director: Gerard McMurray. Stars: Y’lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez, Mo McRae, Melonie Diaz, Chyna Layne, Patch Darragh, Marisa Tomei, Aaron V. Williamson. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Horror, Box office gross: $17.324 million, Universal. Extras: Deleted scene; “A Radical Experiment” in which cast and filmmakers discuss how “The First Purge” expands on the themes of the franchise; “Bringing the Chaos” violence featurette; “The Masks of the First Purge.”

• Sicario: Day of the Soldado

  Sequel to 2015’s drug drama “Sicario.” In the drug war, there are no rules — and as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) calls on the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), whose family was murdered by a cartel kingpin, to escalate the war in nefarious ways. Alejandro kidnaps the kingpin’s daughter to inflame the conflict — but when the girl is seen as collateral damage, her fate will come between the two men as they question everything they are fighting for. Vitals: Director: Stefano Sollima. Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Catherine Keener, Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine, Christopher Heyerdahl, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 122 min., Crime Action, Box office gross: $49.746 million, Sony. Extras: “From Film to Franchise: Continuing the Story,” “An Act of War: Making Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “The Assassin and the Soldier: The Cast & Characters.”

• Three Identical Strangers

  Winner of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award for Best Documentary Storytelling,” Three Identical Strangers” tells the astonishing true story of three men who make the chance discovery, at the age of 19, that they are identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by different parents. The trio’s joyous reunion in 1980 catapults them to fame but it also sets in motion a chain of events that unearths an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes far beyond their own lives — a secret that goes to very heart of all human behavior. Vitals: Director: Tim Wardle. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-12, 97 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $12.222 million, Universal. Extras: Commentary with director Tim Wardle and editor Michael Harte, photo gallery, trailer.

 

October 9

• Skyscraper

  Former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China, he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building … above the fire line. Vitals: Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber. Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Pablo Schreiber, Neve Campbell, Kevin Rankin, Roland Moller, Adrian Holmes, Chin Han. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min., Action Adventure, Box office gross: $66.801 million, Universal. Extras: Deleted scenes with commentary by director Rawson Marshall Thurber; extended scenes with commentary by director Rawson Marshall Thurber; “Dwayne Johnson: Embodying a Hero”; “Inspiration”; “Opposing Forces”; “Friends No More”; “Kids in Action”; “Pineapple Pitch”; commentary by Rawson Marshall Thurber.

• Hotel Transylvania 3

  Count Dracula has diligently maintained Hotel Transylvania so monster guests can vacation away from humans. Feeling tired and alone, he allows his daughter, Mavis, to take him on a cruise. Although hesitant, he embarks on his first vacation with family and friends in tow. Aboard the cruise ship Legacy, he meets Captain Ericka and quickly falls in love. Ericka is a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, an ancient monster foe. Her evil plans try to turn love into hate as Dracula and the monsters enjoy the cruise and are blind to their fate. Vitals: Director: Genndy Tartakovsky. Stars: Voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, Kathryn Hahn. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Animated Family Comedy, Box office gross: $158.617 million, Sony. Extras: Three all new Scary-Oke sing alongs, “Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover” featrurette, “Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial,” “Behind the Screams – The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3,” “Johnny’s Home Movies (Franchise Recap),” ““I See Love Monster Dance Party” dance along, “Drac’s Zing-tastic” read along, two mini movies: “Puppy” and “Goodnight Mr. Foot.”

• Eighth Grade

  Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth-grade year — before she begins high school. Eighth grade is an important time of transition. For Kayla, the task at hand is getting through the last week of middle school without losing her mind. As a bit of a loner, she’ll pretty much have to go it on her own; her most vital interaction with the outside world comes though the YouTube videos she posts online. Unfortunately, it doesn’t equate to much interaction at all as no one subscribes to her videos or the vision of the world as she sees it. As graduation time draws near, it becomes increasingly clear that Kayla is uncomfortable in her own skin. Vitals: Director: Bo Burnham. Stars: Josh Hamilton, Elsie Fisher, Emily Robinson, Missy Yager, Greg Crowe, Deborah Unger, Daniel Zolghadri. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 94 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $12.480 million, Lionsgate. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary with director Bo Burnham and actress Elsie Fisher, “You’re Not Alone: Life in Eighth Grade” featurette, music video.

 

October 16

• Ant-Man and the Wasp

  Follow-up to 2015’s “Ant-Man.” Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is grappling with the consequences of his choices, as both the Super Hero Ant-Man and a father, in the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War.” As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) with an urgent new mission to rescue Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp, all while attempting to serve house arrest, assist fast talking-Luis (Michael Peña) and the X-con Security crew, and thwart the efforts of a new adversary called Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and her ally Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne). Vitals: Director: Peyton Reed. Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 118 min., Action Adventure, Box office gross: $215.808 million, Disney. Extras: Director’s Intro by Peyton Reed; making-of featurettes: “Back in the Ant Suit: Scott Lang,” “A Suit of Her Own: The Wasp,” “Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank & Janet,” “Quantum Perspective: The VFX and Production Design of Ant-Man and The Wasp”; gag reel and outtakes; deleted scenes. Digital exclusives: “10 Years of Marvel Studios: The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” “Online Close-Up Magic University” commercial.

• Unfriended: Dark Web

  When a 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop, he and his friends are unwittingly thrust into the depths of the dark web. They soon discover someone has been watching their every move and will go to unimaginable lengths to protect the dark web. Unfolds in real time. Vitals: Director: Stephen Susco. Stars: Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Colin Woodell, Andrew Lees, Chelsea Alden. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min., Horror, Box office gross: $8.783 million, Universal. Extras: Three alternate endings.

 

October 23

• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

  Mamma Mia! five years on, based on the songs of Abba. Both a prequel and a sequel, the film tells two stories: present day as Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) prepares for the grand reopening of her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) hotel and 1979 when young Donna (Lily James) first arrives on the island. Sophie learns about her mother’s exciting, fun-filled adventures with the young Dynamos, Tanya (Jessica Keenan-Wynn) and Rosie (Alexa Davies), and how young Donna first met her three possible dads Harry (Hugh Skinner), Bill (Josh Dylan) and Sam (Jeremy Irvine) all those years ago. Vitals: Director: Ol Parker. Stars: Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Cher, Meryl Streep. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Musical Comedy, Box office gross: $119.926 million, Universal. Extras: Deleted songs and scenes with commentary by director-screenplay writer Ol Parker; enhanced sing-alongs; “The Story” featurette; “MAMMA MIA! Reunited”; “Playing Donna”; “Meeting Cher”; “Costumes and The Dynamos”; “Curtain Call”; NBC’s” TODAY Show” interview with Cher & Judy Craymer; Feature Commentary with director-screenplay writer Ol Parker; feature commentary with producer Judy Craymer. Blu-ray adds “Cast Meets Cast: Tanya Meets Tanya and Rosie Meets Rosie”; cast chats; “High Jinks”; “Sophie’s Story”; “Choreographing Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”; “Dancing Queen: Anatomy of a Scene”; “Performing for Legends”; “Class of ’79.”

 

October 30

• The Spy Who Dumped Me

  Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two 30-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world. Vitals: Director: Susanna Fogel. Stars: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux, Sam Heughan, Hasan Minhaj. 2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Action Comedy, Box office gross: $33.541 million, Lionsgate. Extras: “Covert Operations: The Making of The Spy Who Dumped Me” featurette, “Gary Powell: The King of Action” featurette, “Makin’ Friends with Hasan Minhaj” featurette, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, “Off Script” featurette.