September 2024 Movie Preview

Comedy - dir. Kevin Smith
In theaters September 13

Spinning his life into a film has worked before for writer-director Kevin Smith. And after going a bit meta with Clerks III, this coming-of-age love letter to cinema set in 1986 seems like a logical next step. Smith's most personal film to date follows three 16-year-old best friends who love to sneak into their local theater and spend their Saturdays in the dark. When one of them invites Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong), the girl of his dreams, to see an R-rated movie at 4:30, their lives will never be the same. Ken Jeong plays the theater manager, and he's joined by Smith regulars Jeff Anderson, Justin Long, and Jason Lee.

Action/Horror - dir. E.L. Katz
In theaters September 27

Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) stars in this nearly dialogue-free horror film from writer Simon Barrett (You're Next, The Guest) and director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills, Small Crimes). Wanted as a sacrifice to appease a demonic evil, Weaving's Azrael spends the film fleeing various terrors in this stripped-down and gory action-thriller.

Fantasy/Horror/Comedy - dir. Tim Burton
In theaters (including IMAX) September 6

Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is back, and judging from the solid reception his latest film received at the Venice Film Festival, Tim Burton has revived himself as well after Dumbo. Thirty-six years after Beetlejuice established his particular brand of macabre comedy, Burton gets the band back together when Catherine O'Hara's Delia Deetz and her daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder), who is now a widow and mother to Jenna Ortega's Astrid, return to Winter River. When Astrid opens the portal to the Afterlife, you know who jumps through—along with a few newcomers, including Monica Bellucci's Delores, a soul-sucking demon who shares a past with Beetlejuice, and Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, a detective hot on her tail.

Comedy/Horror/Thriller - dir. Aaron Schimberg
In limited release September 20 (expands nationwide October 4)

Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's follow-up to Chained for Life pairs one of that film's stars, Adam Pearson, with Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) for a surreal and darkly comic examination of identity, beauty, authenticity, and ableism. Stan (in heavy prosthetics) plays Edward, an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis. When he's given a chance to change his appearance, he takes it. Under his tumors, Edward is revealed to have the face of Sebastian Stan, but he discovers that a new face doesn't change who he is or result in him getting the lead role in a play written by his neighbor (Reinsve) and starring a charming actor (Pearson) with neurofibromatosis.

Horror/Thriller - dir. Max Eggers and Sam Eggers
In theaters September 6

After contributing to their brother Robert's films (Max co-wrote The Lighthouse), Max and Sam Eggers take to writing (with Susan Hill) and directing their own feature film with this story of the mother-in-law from hell. Brandy stars as the newly pregnant Belinda, who makes the mistake of allowing her husband's mother (Kathryn Hunter) into their home despite his warnings. For Belinda, a racist mother-in-law who believes she's possessed by the Holy Spirit is only the beginning of her troubles.

Foreign/Drama - dir. Shuchi Talati
In theaters September 13

Writer-director Shuchi Talati's debut feature captures how 16-year-old Mira's (Preeti Panigrahi) experience of first love changes her relationship with her youthful mother Anila (Kani Kusruti). Girls Will Be Girls finds Mira at a strict boarding school where she is the first female to be appointed head prefect, but when new student Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiran) arrives, Mira's class standing and emotional equilibrium are challenged in surprising ways. Talati's sensitive and subtle observation of budding romance and teen sexuality pleased critics and audiences at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema - Dramatic competition.

Drama - dir. Azazel Jacobs
In theaters September 6 / Streams on Netflix beginning September 20

Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen star as three very different sisters who come together in the final days of their father's life. Azazel Jacobs (French Exit) writes and directs the drama, which received excellent reviews at TIFF in 2023 and is now getting a limited theatrical release in advance of its Netflix debut later in the month.

Drama - dir. Luna Carmoon
In theaters September 6

Writer-director Luna Carmoon's debut feature tells the story of Maria (Lily-Beau Leach), the daughter of Hayley Squires' Cynthia, a hoarder of items others have thrown out. As a result of her mother's proclivities, Maria (now played by Saura Lightfoot Leon) spends most of her teen years in foster care where she meets and begins a relationship with Joseph Quinn 's Michael. Carmoon's choices are original and challenging as is this unique coming-of-age film.

Drama - dir. Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
In theaters September 20

Writer-director Alessandra Lacorazza took home the Directing Award as well as the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival for her very personal debut feature, a coming-of-age drama told in four chapters over two decades as two sisters, Violeta and Eva, make summer visits to their addict father, Vicente (René Pérez Joglar), in Las Cruces, New Mexico. As each of them evolve over time, Lacorazza complicates her characters' relationships in subtle and authentic ways, resulting in a genuinely affecting film.

Documentary - dir. Lana Wilson
In theaters September 6

The latest from documentary filmmaker Lana Wilson (After Tiller, The Departure, Miss Americana) allows viewers to get to know a group of New York City psychics in a new light. Wilson enters their homes, revealing their passions, what experiences shaped their lives, and what led them to provide psychic services.

Drama - dir. Francis Ford Coppola
In theaters (including IMAX) September 27

Before and since its premiere at Cannes, Francis Ford Coppola's 40-year dream project has been surrounded by controversy, including rumors of chaos on the set, allegations of questionable behavior by the director toward extras, and a trailer that used fake quotes from famous critics to try to sell the misunderstood genius of the film. While star Adam Driver denied the first issue, nothing has come of the second and the marketing rep behind the trailer was fired, this month audiences can finally make up their own minds about the merits of the film.

Loosely based on the Catilinarian Conspiracy of 63 BC but set in an alternate present (or near future), Coppola's epic stars Driver as Cesar Catalina, a genius architect who seeks to overthrow Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) and the ruling upper class to create a new utopian city. Caught between the two men is Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor's daughter, who loves Cesar. This description just scratches the surface of a film that inspired a wide range of reactions upon its premiere and includes Aubrey Plaza as a reporter named Wow Platinum and John Voight as a perverted billionaire. Love it or hate it, there's nothing else like it headed to cinemas this fall.

Documentary/Drama - dir. Asmae ElMoudir
In theaters September 6 (NY only to start)

Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir took him the Directing Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival for this interrogation into her family's past. Wanting to know why she only has one photograph from her childhood, El Moudir builds a replica of her Casablanca neighborhood and invites her mother, father and grandmother to the soundstage, hoping to unravel the truth from all of the stories she has been told throughout her life. Ultimately, El Moudir discovers that her grandmother is the reason so many disturbing memories have been buried for so long and are so difficult to confront.

Comedy - dir. Megan Park
In theaters September 13

In 2021, writer-director Megan Park impressed critics at the SXSW Film Festival with her debut feature The Fallout. This year she brought her follow-up, another (but very different) look at teen life, to Sundance, and, once again, critics praised the film. Maisy Stella stars as Elliott and Aubrey Plaza plays her older self, who visits her during a mushroom trip. But their encounters don't stop there as older Elliot tries to persuade younger Elliot to avoid anyone named Chad. It's a sweet and surprisingly emotional coming-of-age comedy, fit for teens and their parents.

Horror - dir. Alexandre Aja
In theaters September 20

Halle Berry stars as a mother who will do anything to protect her two sons (Anthony B. Jenkins and Percy Daggs IV) from a spreading evil in the latest from veteran horror director Alexandre Aja (Oxygen, Crawl, Horns, Piranha 3-D, High Tension). Believing their cabin provides them safety, they remain tied to it at all times, tethering themselves with ropes when they walk into the woods. But when one of the boys questions what his mother has always told him, their struggle to survive becomes more terrifying.

Sci-fi/Drama - dir. Bernardo Britto
In theaters September 20

Critics believe there's much more to like in this sci-fi drama than in writer-director Bernardo Britto 's previous feature, Jacqueline (Argentine). Mary-Louise Parker stars as Zoya, a woman who is stuck in a time loop while dealing with a black hole in her chest. (We've all had similar problems.) When she meets Ayo Edebiri's Paula, Zoya hopes she has found someone who can help solve her time travel conundrum. Carried along by the rapport between the two leads, Omni Loop approaches its time travel premise in fresh, emotionally impactful ways.

Action/Thriller - dir. Jeremy Saulnier
Streams on Netflix beginning September 6

The latest thriller from writer-director Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room, Blue Ruin) finds Aaron Pierre's Terry venturing to a small township to post bail for his cousin. Instead, he's drawn into a battle with local law enforcement—and Don Johnson's dirty police chief—after they seize his property. AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and James Cromwell also star in the Netflix exclusive.

Horror/Thriller - dir. Pascal Plante
In theaters September 6

Canadian writer-director Pascal Plante's follow-up to Nadia, Butterfly stars Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne, a model and online poker player living a lonely existence in Montreal, who becomes obsessed with Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), the man accused of killing three teenage girls. Plante examines true-crime obsessives through the actions of Kelly-Anne and Clémentine (Laurie Babin), a young trial attendee who believes Chevalier is innocent. The film was a hit at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival where Gariépy won Outstanding Performance and Plante took home Best Film and Best Screenplay.

Horror - dir. James Watkins
In theaters September 13

This remake of Christian Tafdrup's 2022 film of the same name stars Halt and Catch Fire castmates Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as Louise and Ben Dalton, an American couple who, along with their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), accept a weekend invitation to the country estate of a British family (James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Daniel Hough) they meet while on vacation. What begins as an idyllic holiday morphs into a twisted battle for survival. James Watkins (Eden Lake, The Woman in Black) directs.

Drama/Horror - dir. Coralie Fargeat
In theaters September 19

Writer-director Coralie Fargeat made a splash at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival with her debut feature Revenge. Now she has taken that film's feminist rage and body brutality to another level in her follow-up, the Best Screenplay winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading star who has just lost her job as the instructor of a fitness show. Desperate to regain her star status, she takes The Substance, a drug that creates a "better version of yourself." Without spoiling the details of how she appears, that new, shinier version of Elisabeth is played by Margaret Qualley. She names herself Sue and sets off to reclaim her stardom. But there is, of course, a catch—one that leads to escalating scenes of body horror.

Documentary - dir. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
Event screenings on September 21 & 25

Documentary filmmaking duo Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (McQueen, Rising Phoenix) don't tell Christopher Reeve's life story chronologically. Instead, using never-before-seen home movies, Reeve's personal archives, and new interviews with family and friends, they explore how two pivotal events from his life—his being cast in Superman in 1978 and his advocacy work after a horse-riding accident in 1995 left him paralyzed from the neck down—reflect on each other. The structure of the film movingly reveals what changed and what remained in Reeves after his accident.

Animation/Action/Sci-fi - dir. Josh Cooley
In theaters (including IMAX) September 20

After dwindling returns from its seven live-action films, the Transformers franchise is in need of a reboot. And what better way to go about it than to return to the roots of toy adaptations—animation. (The Transformers: The Movie came out in 1986 during the TV show's first run, more than 20 years before Michael Bay's Transformers.) The talent hoping to rejuvenate the franchise is promising. Director Josh Cooley was able to pull off Toy Story 4, and writers Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Godzilla vs. Kong) have franchise experience. Voicing Optimus Prime and Megatron in this origin story are Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, respectively, and joining them are Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, and Steve Buscemi.

Animation/Family - dir. Chris Sanders
In theaters (including IMAX) September 27

After directing a live-action adaptation of The Call of the Wild, Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon with Dean Delois and The Croods with Kirk DeMicco) returns to animation with this adaptation of Peter Brown's award-winning best-seller about a robot, ROZZUM unit 7134 (Roz for short), that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings, eventually becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. Lupita Nyong'o, Kit Conner, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill all lend their voices to what looks to be a beautifully animated film.

Documentary - dir. Josh Greenbaum
Streams on Netflix beginning September 27

After directing the comedies Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar and Strays, Josh Greenbaum returns to documentary filmmaking (Becoming Bond and The Short Game) with this intimate and funny look at the 30-year friendship between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele. When Ferrell learns that his friend is coming out as a trans woman, the two embark on a cross-country road trip, allowing them to process this new phase of their relationship and Steele to visit some of her favorite places in America for the first time as a woman.

Comedy/Drama/Thriller - dir. Jon Watts
In theaters September 20 / Streams on Apple TV+ beginning September 27

Excited about Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming) directing a comedic action-thriller that re-teams Ocean's 11 stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt? You may want to lower your expectations a bit: Apple recently downgraded the film's Sep. 20 theatrical release from wide to limited and is bringing it to streaming just one week later. However, there's a bit of encouraging news as well: A sequel to the film is already in development. And reviews out of the film's Venice premiere last week weren't terrible: Over half of critics praised the film as funny, light, and entertaining, though it was a bit too laid back and insubstantial for some reviewers.

WANT MORE FILMS?
View our Movie Release Calendar for a full list of titles headed to theaters in October and beyond.