0
0
September is a somewhat dreaded time for many of us, as summer comes to a close and the hot weather slowly turns to that mild Fall chill.
It’s an end to those long days and longer nights, but on the plus side, it is closer to Halloween which usually means a flood of all things spooky making its way to our TV screens.
This year, the thrills and scares start a bit early making the closing of summer seem not too bad, as our VOD and streaming services distributors give us something to really look forward to in the upcoming month.
Honestly, I think we’ve all earned some good news, and hopefully, the list gives you something to look forward to next month.
The September Watchlist
Freaks: You’re One of Us (Netflix)
September 2nd, 2020
If you’re like me and you managed to binge Umbrella Academy too quickly and currently you’re looking for a quick superhero fix, Netflix has you covered with their new film about powered-up oddballs.
Based on the trailer, the German film has elements similar to the British series Misfits and even hints of a meta look at superheroes much like James Gunn’s movie Super, both of which were excellent watches of the cult classic variety.
While we’re in a major drought of any upcoming cape related features coming to theaters, the small screen heroics seem to be consistently good and this original take looks like another to add to that list.
Raised by Wolves (HBO Max)
September 3rd
Sci-fi meets horror in this new series written by Prisoners scribe Aaron Guzikowski and produced by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, and The Martian) who also directs two of the episodes.
At first glance, it looks like it could be a lot of dark gory fun with a twist somewhere along the ride, and the mysterious nature of the trailer is enough to hook even non-genre fans almost instantly.
The premise seems similar to Netflix’s 2019 sci-fi thriller I Am Mother, which to me, is enough reason to get excited along with the fact that Scott is involved with the series.
Additionally, with the next season of Westworld now possibly a year away, this could be the next great sci-fi series coming from the HBO powerhouse looking to fill its place.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix)
September 4th
Unsettling. That’s the best way I can describe the trailer. It just makes me feel uncomfortable and intrigued all at the same time, and maybe its because the sound of the dog shaking seems to echo in your brain after you’ve finished watching it… or it’s just the pure WTF energy this entire thing gives off.
Of all the projects coming out in September, Charlie Kaufman’s Netflix film (based on the novel of the same name) has me confused, excited and already predicting it will take me two watches to fully grasp.
The 2016 novel by Canadian author Iain Reid was a debut that seemed to shake its readers to the core and was met with rave reviews from The New York Times, as well as, other notable publications.
If you’re a “read the book before watching the series” type of person, there is still some time to finish it before the film debuts early next month.
Mulan (Disney+)
September 4th
Ah yes, yet another film in Disney’s series of animated childhood cartoons turned live-action features, but admittedly, this one does seem a bit different.
For starters, there is a sense of realism added to the live-action film and this is said to atone for past complaints coming from vocal Chinese audiences who found the animated movie to be somewhat offensive given the historic nature of the story.
So this time around, no dragons and no singing, and in its place, a whole lot of PG-13 action and sword fighting that looks like it might be on par with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
As we can all tell this is not the rollout that Disney wanted for a once predicted summer blockbuster and in an attempt to make the money back this will be a $30 dollar rental for fans eager to see the anticipated movie.
Of course, there are those who will complain about the hiked up price for the small screen feature, but sadly there is no way around that in these strange times.
Antebellum (Video on Demand)
September 18th
This may just be the most interesting horror directing debut of the year, and it’s truly a shame that we won’t get to experience it in theaters. With that said, I don’t care and I’m happy as Hell we’re finally getting a release date that is within sight.
Directing duo Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz ambitious premise dives into America’s brutal past, time travel, and creepy looking ghosts to further solidify its horror elements. Overall, it looks like a perfect blend of modern horror meets classic poltergeist scares and that’s something I can definitely get behind.
Starring the always great Janelle Monáe in her first lead role, this might be a hard watch for some (given the subject matter) but its haunting setting looks like the original horror story we need to close the strangest summer on record.
On top of these exciting films and series making their debuts, the much-anticipated return of the Superhero The Boys (which I covered in a previous article) is also right around the corner for its sophomore season beginning on September 4th.
Happy Viewing!
