Movies Out This Weekend: 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' And More

Highly anticipated sequels are dominating the big screen this weekend. First up is "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," which reunites the cast members Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Colin Firth, as well as newcomers, Cher and Lily James.

"The Equalizer 2" also opens this weekend starring Denzel Washington, who is reprising his role as a defender of justice for the oppressed.

In the electrifying crime-drama "Blindspotting," Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal play lifelong friends who suddenly experience a great divide, while horror flick "Unfriended: Dark Web" is sure to terrify audiences.

Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

Movies Out This Weekend

“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” — Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, directed by Ol Parker

The “Mamma Mia!” jukebox-musical saga continues with its sequel, “Here We Go Again,” reuniting the characters from the 2008 film.

Switching between the present day and the summer of 1979, the second installment is the backstory of how Donna (played by Meryl Streep in the original) found her destiny on the magic island of Kalokairi.

In the opening scene, Donna’s daughter Sophie (Seyfried) reminisces about her mother’s post-college trek to the island. Then, in flashback, young Donna’s (Lily James) emotional journey unfolds as she lives a free-spirited life with her close friends, The Dynamos (Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies), and a few love affairs thrown in for good measure.

See it. While the movie’s screenplay falls flat at times, ABBA’s classics “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper” and “Mamma Mia”— and the applause-worthy performances of Cher and Andy Garcia — will win you over.

Watch the trailer:

“The Equalizer 2” — Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Pedro Pascal, directed by Antoine Fuqua

In the first sequel of his career, Denzel Washington reprises one of his signature roles as Robert McCall, the retired CIA assassin-turned-justice defender for victims of assault, exploitation and oppression. Also returning to the franchise is director Antoine Fuqua following his critically-acclaimed box office hits, “Training Day,” "Magnificent Seven” and the original “Equalizer.”

In the movie, McCall spends his days as a Boston Lyft driver and his nights as the Equalizer, the avenging angel who serves the coldest justice to baddies. Since his retirement, the former CIA operative has devoted his life to victimized strangers — that is, until someone close to him gets murdered mysteriously.

Burning with vengeance, he will stop at nothing to seek his friend’s killers.

See it. Washington’s performance is brilliant, notwithstanding a script that is contrived and too pat.

Watch the trailer:

“Blindspotting” — Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Oakland, Carlos Lopez Estrada’s feature directorial debut explores the intersection of class and race through the eyes of two lifelong friends grappling with the strains of gentrification in the city they grew up in.

In the film, which is written by the film’s leads, Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, Collin (Diggs) is finishing up his final three days in a halfway house after serving a short prison sentence for battery. Both he and his childhood best friend, trouble-maker Miles (Casal), spend their time together working as movers.

The two buds are seemingly inseparable, but when Collin becomes the sole witness to an atrocious crime, their worlds collide causing a deep rift in their friendship.

See it. The movie is artistically rousing and wildly inventive, further elevated by the leads’ commanding performances and Estrada’s impressive direction.

Watch the trailer:

“Unfriended: Dark Web” — Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel, directed by Stephen Susco

“Unfriended: Dark Web” is the chilling sequel to 2015’s teen-horror flick “Unfriended.” Whereas the original was about cyberbullying teens being haunted by the Facebooks of the dead, this new movie is a cautionary tale about our fascination with technological gadgets.

In it, amateur programmer Matty (Colin Woodell) has been using a laptop he recently found at a café. One night while Skyping with his friends, he discovers that the laptop’s owner has hacked into his account. This mysterious character called Charon is a member of a sinister group engaged in kidnapping, torturing and murdering young women on camera, then selling the snuff films in black market.

What will Matty do once Charon demands his laptop back and vows to kill him and his friends, if necessary?

Skip it. The movie feels “buggy” with unbelievable twists and revelations.

Watch the trailer:

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Top Photo: Cher and Meryl Streep attend the 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' world premiere at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith on July 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Universal Pictures )