August 2023 was full of big releases like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Meg 2: The Trench, and Red, White & Royal Blue, among others. While many of the movies, like Blue Beetle, did not perform well at the box office, the audience will be getting a wide range of movies to watch in September 2023.
Whether it’s horror films to kick-start the pre-Halloween celebrations or new installments in popular action franchises, we will be getting movies of many different genres in September. Let’s explore all the major films that will be hitting the cinema screens and streaming platforms this month.
The Equalizer 3 (Sept 1)
Fans of the vigilante action genre love The Equalizer franchise. A new installment, The Equalizer 3, is finally coming after a gap of nine years. It is the third and final part of the trilogy. Just like the previous two movies, this one is also led by the retired US Marine Robert McCall (Denzel Washington).
The film follows McCall moving to southern Italy to escape from his dark past, but he ends up making new friends who are actually controlled by the Sicilian Mafia. It forces Robert to embrace his past and protect his friends at any cost. The action thriller also stars Dakota Fanning as Emma Collins Eugenio, Mastrandrea as Gio Bonucci, David Denman as Frank Conroy, Sonia Ben Ammar as Chiara Bonucci, and Remo Girone as Enzo Arisio in supporting roles.
The Good Mother (Sept 1)
Hilary Swank is known for her powerful performances, and she is coming back to films after three years with The Good Mother. This crime thriller follows journalist Marissa Bennings joining forces with Paige (Olivia Cooke), the pregnant girlfriend of her murdered son, to find the ones responsible for the horrible crime.
As they start to dive deep into the criminal world, they discover a lot of secrets and shocking revelations involving narcotics and a web of lies. The film’s director, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, has said that the idea of this plot first emerged when he was having on-set discussions about the opioid epidemic while directing As You Are in 2016.
All Fun and Games (Sept 1)
As the name suggests, All Fun and Games is all about the childhood games that most of us used to play. However, Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu have brought an interesting twist to these games, as they now involve demons and horror elements.
The horror film is about a group of Salem teens who find a cursed knife that unlocks a demon. The demon forces the teens to play violent and fatal versions of childhood games where no one person can win, but there can be survivors at the end. The film stars Asa Butterfield and Natalia Dyerand in the lead roles. It also has an interesting supporting cast, including Annabeth Gish, Benjamin Evan, Ainsworth Laurel, Marsden, and Keith David.
The Nun II (Sept 8)
The Conjuring is one of the most successful franchises, both critically and financially. So, there is no doubt that Warner Bros. Pictures is continuing the franchise with The Nun II. It is a sequel to the hit 2018 film The Nun and the ninth installment in The Conjuring Universe. Michael Chaves is coming back to the franchise as director of The Nun II, after directing The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
The Nun II is set four years after the ending of the first film, in which Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) and Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) assumed that they were successful in banishing Valak / Nun (Bonnie Aarons). However, Sister Irene has to face Valak once again at a boarding school in France in The Nun II. Jonas Bloquet is also returning as Frenchie, while several new cast members, including Storm Reid, Bonnie Aarons, Anna Popplewell, and Katelyn Rose, have been added to the sequel.
According to Michael Chaves, The Nun II is the most violent film of The Conjuring Universe. So, the audience should definitely fasten their seat belts and expect things to be much darker, violent, and scarier in this supernatural film.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (Sept 8)
Fan-favorite My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise is also getting a new installment after seven years, as My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 was released in 2016. A lot has changed in these years, particularly the death of Michael Constantine, who played Costas “Gus” Portokalos in the films.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will pay homage to Constantine and his character, Gus. It follows Portokalos’s family going on a trip to Greece for a family reunion after Gus dies. Just like the previous two films and the TV series, the latest rom-com film is also expected to have lots of twists and turns filled with emotional, romantic, and hilarious moments involving the Portokalos family.
It has an amazing cast, including Nia Vardalos as Toula, John Corbett as Ian Miller, Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos. and Elena Kampouris as Paris Miller. Nia Vardalos has written the previous two installments. This time, she is also donning the director’s hat, along with writing the new chapter in the Portokalos family’s adventures.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Sept 8)
Coming-of-age romantic films never go out of fashion, and the upcoming Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe film is also banking on this fact to pull people into the theaters. It is based on the hit 2012 novel of the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. The film version is written and directed by Aitch Alberto.
It follows two Mexican-American teenage boys, played by Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales, as they develop an instant friendship and have to navigate the complexities of their ethnic identity, sexuality, and family dynamics. The film is set in 1987 in El Paso, Texas, which further enhances the importance of depicting these complex storylines in an entertaining manner. Aitch Alberto is already considering making a film adaptation of the book’s sequel, but it all depends on how this film performs.
A Haunting in Venice (Sept 15)
September 2023 is full of supernatural film releases. A Haunting in Venice is another such supernatural mystery film. It is a sequel to Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express.
Academy Award winner Kenneth Branagh is returning as director and also in the lead role of Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. This film is based on the 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, written by Agatha Christie. Two of the previous films were completely mystery films. However, the new installment has some supernatural elements. It follows Poirot, now retired, attending a séance reluctantly. One of the guests at the séance gets murdered, and Poirot must go back to his detective persona to solve the murder.
According to Kenneth Branagh, A Haunting in Venice is a supernatural thriller and not a full horror film. It has an impressive cast of Michelle Yeoh, Kyle Allen, Emma Laird, Jamie Dornan, Camille Cottin, and Tina Fey. The director has already teased that this film will not be the end of Poirot movies.
Dumb Money (Sept 15)
Many people around the world heard of “GameStop” in 2021, even if many were not familiar with it or did not understand what exactly happened that made international news. However, it was massive news right in the middle of the global pandemic, so it is not surprising that the upcoming Dumb Money film is based on this true story.
The film itself is based on the non-fiction book The Antisocial Network by Ben Mezrich, which explains the true story of how a group of investors from the Reddit page joined forces to put the squeeze on hedge funds that were betting that GameStop shares would fall. It led to massive volatility in share prices, and the incident shook all of Wall Street. All of these events are likely to be portrayed in the film.
Other than the interesting plot, Dumb Money also has a great ensemble cast, including Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Anthony Ramos, Shailene Woodley, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan, and Seth Rogen.
Love at First Sight (Sept 15)
Love at First Sight is a romantic comedy film based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Vanessa Caswill is directing the film. It will be released directly on Netflix.
The film stars Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy in the lead roles as Oliver and Hadley Sullivan, respectively. It follows Hadley and Oliver falling in love when they are on a flight from New York to London. However, they have no way to contact each other after getting off the flight, so the film explores how and if destiny brings them together in the vast city of London. It also stars Dexter Fletcher, Rob Delaney, Sally Phillips, and Jameela Jamil in supporting roles.
Expend4bles (Sept 22)
The future of The Expendables franchise was in doubt after The Expendables 3 underperformed both financially and commercially. A major criticism of The Expendables 3 was its PG-13 rating, as the original fans of the series were left disappointed.
The good thing is that the franchise is going back to its roots, as the upcoming Expend4bles has an R-rating. The film follows the Expendables team being assigned a mission to stop Suarto Rahmat (Iko Uwais), head of a terrorist group, from smuggling nuclear weapons that can ignite a full-fledged war between the USA and Russia.
It is directed by Scott Waugh, who is mostly known for directing Need for Speed. Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren are returning to the franchise. The film has also added several new, impressive cast members, including Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Andy Garcia, and Jacob Scipio.
While Sylvester Stallone is returning to the film, the actor himself has confirmed that it is his last appearance as Barney Ross. He will be passing the torch to Statham’s Lee Christmas. It indicates that Expend4bles is unlikely to be the last installment in this action franchise.
Spy Kids: Armageddon (Sept 22)
Robert Rodriguez is rebooting the original Spy Kids franchise with Spy Kids: Armageddon. The film will be released on Netflix. The film stars Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla, and Connor Esterson in the lead roles, with Gina and Zachary playing one of the world’s greatest secret agents, and Everly and Connor are their children.
The film follows Patty (Everly Carganilla) and Tony (Connor Esterson) unknowingly helping a powerful game developer release a computer virus that gives him complete control over technology. As a result, Patty and Tony are forced to become spies and save their parents and the world.
Cassandro (Sept 22)
Biographical dramas are quite popular among the audience because they allow the viewers to not only get entertained but also learn about popular historical figures and celebrities. Cassandro is a biopic based on the life of the popular gay wrestler Saúl Armendáriz / Cassandro. Ace director Roger Ross Williams marks his narrative directorial debut with this film.
It is set in the early 1980s, when Saúl Armendáriz (played by Gael García Bernal) used to live in El Paso, Texas, and regularly visited Mexico to take part in lucha libre wrestling matches. He is eventually discovered by his new trainer, Sabrina (played by Roberta Colindrez), who suggests he compete in matches as exótico, leading to his massive popularity as Cassandro.
Flora and Son (Sept 22)
Flora and Son is an Apple TV+ musical comedy-drama film starring Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orén Kinlan, and Jack Reynor. It follows Flora (Eve Hewson), a single mother struggling with her estranged, rebellious teenage son Max (Eve Hewson). Flora finds an old guitar and tries to make Max adopt it as a hobby. However, she discovers that music might be her own passion. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and received great critical acclaim.
It Lives Inside (Sept 22)
It Lives Inside is a horror film that combines supernatural elements with larger questions about one’s identity and ethnicity. It is directed by Bishal Dutta. It Lives Inside follows Sam (Megan Suri), who does not embrace her Indian heritage to fit in the Western world and be like everyone else at her American high school. However, her former best friend gets possessed by a demonic spirit, due to which she has to explore her heritage to defeat malevolent forces.
The Kill Room (Sept 28)
The Kill Room is a dark comedy thriller with an impressive cast of Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Maya Hawke, Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway, and Samuel L. Jackson. It is the first time that Maya Hawke is working with her mother, Thurman, on a project. This Nicol Paone movie has an interesting plot involving a hitman, his boss, an art dealer, and a money-laundering scheme that makes an assassin an overnight sensation, causing her to pit the art world against the criminals.
The Creator (Sept 29)
The Creator is hitting the cinema screens at a perfect time when a huge debate about autonomous AI is raging in the real world. Gareth Edwards, known for directing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, has directed this sci-fi action thriller film with a well-known cast of John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, and Sturgill Simpson, among others.
It is set in the midst of a future war between humans and AI, where Joshua (Washington), an ex-special forces agent, is hired to kill the Creator, the individual responsible for developing the advanced AI system. However, the AI has actually taken the form of a young child, which complicates the entire mission.
Saw X (Sept 29)
As the name says, Saw X is the tenth installment in the Saw franchise. However, this is the first time in a decade that the franchise is returning to the original timeline, with Saw X set between Saw and Saw II. Since it is a direct sequel to the first time, Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young is returning. The cast also includes Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, and Michael Beach.
The film follows John Kramer / Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) traveling to Mexico to find a cure for his cancer, but he discovers that all of it is a scam. As a result, Kramer embraces his core instincts and starts “punishing” the scammers through his deranged traps.
Overall, Saw X seems to be a great opportunity for the audience who want to follow the franchise without watching all of the previous installments, as they just have to watch Saw to understand this new installment.
Fair Play (Sept 29)
Chloe Domont has written and directed the erotic thriller film Fair Play for Netflix. It stars Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich as Emily and Luke, respectively. The film depicts Emily and Luke’s relationship going through a massive crisis after Emily, instead of Luke, gets an unexpected promotion at a highly competitive hedge fund firm. The film had already received critical praise when it premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It will be released in limited theaters on September 29, followed by a global Netflix release on October 13.
Dicks: The Musical (Sept 29)
Musical comedies have been gaining significant popularity in Hollywood over the last few years. Dicks: The Musical is based on the off-Broadway musical F****** Identical Twins by Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Larry Charles is adapting the musical into A24’s first musical feature film. It follows two business rivals realizing that they are actually identical twin brothers, so they decide to switch places to reunite with their divorced parents and become a family again. The cast includes Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang, Nathan Lane, Josh Sharp, and Aaron Jackson.
She Came to Me (Sept 29)
Rebecca Miller is returning to the director’s seat after a few years with She Came To Me. It is a romantic comedy film that follows Steven Lauddem (Peter Dinklage), a struggling composer, trying to make a big opera comeback. Patricia (Anne Hathaway), Lauddem’s wife, suggests he go out and search for inspiration. The film also has Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig, and Brian d’Arcy James in prominent roles.
Overall, September 2023 seems to have a perfect blend of sequels, spin-offs, IPs, and originals coming to both theaters and streaming platforms. So, the audience can expect a lot of entertaining movies this month.
