In-home Releases: August 21, 2018: DEADPOOL 2, FIRST REFORMED, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE EIGHTH SEASON, & More

In-home Releases: August 21, 2018

New films and TV shows have been released on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra, and Digital HD today (August 21, 2018), including new Criterion Collection films. Some of these releases are on single discs while others come in large collections, filled with extras, behind-the-scenes footage, and cloud capabilities. Below you find a listing of those films and TV programs.

Our Picks of the Best DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultras, and Digital HDs Out Today

Deadpool 2
First Reformed
Wild at Heart
The Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season
Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season
Heaven Can Wait
Show Dogs

Thoughts on This Week’s In-home Releases

Continuing with the success of comic book films in 2018, Deadpool 2 is releasing this week in home video. Returning to the titular role is Ryan Reynolds, this time going head-to-head with Josh Brolin as the cyborg Cable. I have not seen either the first nor this sequel, but audiences seem to like these movies that poke fun at the superhero genre. A third film is all but guaranteed with the staggering box office the first two films have generated.

In terms of quality, nothing this week tops Paul Schrader’s religious thriller First Reformed. Starring Ethan Hawk (in arguably his best performance since Training Day), the film was not a hit with audiences, and could not expand out of its limited theatrical release.

In my review I said about the film:

Paul Schrader has an obsession in his films exploring men that are isolated and on a self-destructive path. Indeed, it is a disease that Ernst Toller is afflicted with. It is the disease of depression and ultimately self-destruction. Much like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (which Schrader wrote), Toller sees the world crumbling around him, and loses hope. Stylistically, Schrader gives us an art-house slow-burning thriller, with extended shots, minimal music, and dialogue-heavy sequences. To me, it felt to be heavily influenced by Andrei Tarkovsky’s work, with slow tracking shots, and surreal images.

Also releasing is the AMC phenomenon The Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season. While better received than the 7th season, the series has continued its rapid decline of viewers and interest. And with the news that star Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) will be leaving the series after the ninth season, it is only going to keep falling.

In his review FilmBook contributor Sam Joseph concluded about the season:

After pretty much welching on the promise of All Out War, season 8 of The Walking Dead pretty much hollowed out any interest in a “New World” that comes “after.”

Let us know your thoughts and which new In-Home Releases for August 21, 2018 you plan on purchasing (or renting) below in the comments section. Readers seeking more In-Home release news can visit our Home Entertainment News Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.