Friday’s openings: Step into alternate reality

As the heat caused by “Black Panther” subsides a bit, a new crop of movies is set for release. And according to the national release schedule, that crop should include:

“Annihilation” : Writer-director Alex Garland follows his film “Ex Machina” with this sci-fi-themed story of a team of women that heads into a mysterious area where the laws of nature are all mixed up. You don’t mess with Mother Nature.

“Game Night” : A group of friends gradually discover that the fantasy evening they’re engaging in is a real-life mystery. Yes, it’s a comedy.

“Every Day” : A woman falls in love with a man who becomes someone new every day. Match.com should offer this option.

And at the Magic Lantern : The Oscar-nominated Animated and Live-action short films.

As always, I’ll update when the local theaters finalize their listings.