We’re fully in the fall now, which means a few things for movie fans — summer blockbuster season is behind us (which means some of the biggest hits are about to hit home video), spooky season is very much here and, with festival season underway, awards contenders are starting to roll out in earnest.
All told, there’s a lot to watch out for on streaming right now, so if you’re stuck on endless scroll and not sure what to watch right now, not to worry, here’s a curated list of the best new movies on Netflix in September 2024.
“Jaws” (1975)
Starting things off with a bonafide classic: summer may be over, but it’s never a bad time to watch Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” Credited as the first summer blockbuster in cinematic history, the film didn’t just eat up the box office, it’s a phenomenal piece of filmmaking that holds up way better than you’d expect for a nearly 50-year-old about hunting a giant shark. Everyman police chief Brody (Roy Scheider), grizzled shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) and oceanologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) are an unforgettable trio, who set out to find the great white chowing down on the citizens of Amity Island and take audiences on an exquisitely tense, perfectly paced survival adventure.
“Rebel Ridge” (2024)
Aaron Pierre gives the breakout performance of the year in “Blue Ruin” and “Green Room” director Jeremy Saulnier’s ripping new thriller, “Rebel Ridge.” Inspired by the universally infuriating (and, yes, very real) police practice of asset forfeiture, the film follows a veteran (Pierre) who comes into conflict with a small-town Louisanna prescient after they take the money he needs to bail his cousin out of a life-or-death prison transfer. Part action movie, part legal thriller, “Rebel Ridge” is smart, heartfelt and human, with tangible stakes and relentless tension that’s intercut with fist-pump-worthy “hell yeah” moments.
“His Three Daughters” (2024)
If you’re looking for some performances this month — like, all three stars campaigning in the same Oscars category performances — “His Three Daughters” needs to go on your watchlist. Directed by Azazel Jacobs (“The Lovers”), the film stars Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon (all excellent) as three estranged sisters who reunite in their family’s NYC apartment to care for their dying father in his final days. Though bristly, tough and full of emotional gristle each sister needs to chew through, “His Three Daughters” is also very cathartic, a stark and true portrayal of grief and the patchwork legacy a person leaves behind in the people who loved them. Understated and by no means weepy, you’re still going to want to bring some tissues.
“Will & Harper” (2024)
Lovely and so heartwarming, “Will & Harper” might be one of the all-time great film portraits of friendship. A road trip documentary, “Will & Harper” follows comedy legend Will Ferrell across America with his close friend, former “SNL” head writer and fellow comedy great, Harper Steele, who transitioned during the pandemic. Directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”), the doc centers Harper and her experience as she returns to the small-town Americana destinations she’s always felt at home in but no longer necessarily feels safe in, with the beloved Ferrell by her side as both a bit of a social ameliorant an audience surrogate.
There are plenty of comedy royalty cameos throughout (and a delightful song written by Kristen Wiig), and both stars are naturally very, very funny. But “Will & Harper” is really surprisingly moving in its depiction of good old-fashioned “got your back” friendship, and hopefully, Will and Harper’s candid conversations can help free some hearts from the hateful rhetoric that has the country in a chokehold.
“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005)
If you’re looking for some seasonal fare for the whole family, “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” is a perfect choice for a family-friendly spooky season watch. Aardman’s stop-motion franchise is a gift, so gentle, funny and intricately, artfully made, and their 2005 feature film is among the best. A playful send-up of classic monster films, “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” finds the thoughtful, eccentric duo helping a town besieged by rabbits before a big veggie harvesting competition, only to find themselves up against a giant, monstrous were-rabbit. Sweet as could be and cute to boot, “Curse of of the Were-Rabbit” is the perfect semi-spooky movie to kick off your fall — especially since, at long last, we’re finally getting a new “Wallace & Gromit” movie this Christmas!
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