Though a lot of movie theaters are back to full function, the safer option for entertainment remains streaming, and fans who choose to stay home and take advantage are constantly rewarded with tons of new content. At the start of each month, most streamers—Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, and HBO Max—do a little shuffle, adding new movies and taking some away. io9 is here to help you narrow down your decision-making.
Welcome to The Nerd’s Watch, io9's monthly column where we curate the most interesting sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies (and television shows) coming to the biggest streaming services. There is lots of new content to be had for September 2021, so let’s get to it.
What’s coming to Netflix in September 2021?
Available September 1
Blade Runner: The Final Cut - There are many cuts of Blade Runner but the most recent, The Final Cut, is preferred by director Ridley Scott.
Green Lantern - Before he starred in Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds was cast as one of DC’s most popular, powerful superheroes. And while the movie bombed it really isn’t as bad as everyone says. It’s not good but it’s got some entertaining stuff. (Also on HBO Max)
Labyrinth - Jim Henson and David Bowie make for a magical combination in this timeless, creepy fantasy classic.
Mars Attacks! - “ACK. ACK ACK ACK ACK!” (The aliens from Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! know what I said...)
Mystery Men - Here’s one of those underseen superhero movies from before superhero movies got cool. Ben Stiller stars in what’s really a weird, rather funny comedy.
The Nutty Professor, The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps - Eddie Murphy’s career is kind of broken into multiple parts with major transitions throughout. One of those transitions is this hit franchise, the first film being better than the second, that made him a name brand in family entertainment.
Available September 16
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe — Not to be confused with the Kevin Smith series, this is another He-Man series, aimed squarely at kids, that’s coming to Netflix.
Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, Jaws: The Revenge - One of the greatest four-film sagas of all time is coming to Netflix. And that’s solely because the first Jaws is so good. The others aren’t anywhere close but you could put Jaws up with two Green Lantern movies and it would be one of the best trilogies ever too.
Available September 24
Midnight Mass — You watched The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor, right? Did you like those? Well, the team behind those made this new show about a town that starts getting very weird after a priest moves in. We can’t wait.
Available September 3
The Phantom - This Billy Zane superhero film would make a good double feature with the aforementioned Mystery Men of superhero movies before their time that didn’t quite nail it.
What’s coming to Amazon in September 2021?
Available September 1
Apollo 13 - “Houston, we have a problem”... if you haven’t seen this great historical drama from director Ron Howard.
Arachnophobia - This Amblin movie with John Goodman that taught a generation not just to be scared of spiders, but the word for what that condition is. Last we heard, James Wan was working on a remake...
Armageddon - Aerosmith, Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, need I go on? Okay, giant asteroid, Michael Bay, Ben Affleck... oh, I said him already.
Daredevil and Daredevil (Director’s Cut) - Speaking of Ben Affleck, the man who also played Batman was, famously, Daredevil too. Both versions of the movies (we aren’t sure of the differences) are coming to Amazon.
I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer - The very good 1997 original, the OK 1998 sequel, and the 20-years later direct-to-video conclusion to the trilogy. Yes, that’s a real thing. All coming to Amazon just in time to hype its TV series adaptation of the horror classic.
Jennifer’s Body - This Megan Fox/Diablo Cody film about a woman who seduces and kills men has only gotten better, more poignant, and gained more fans with age. If you haven’t seen it, check it out.
Planet of the Apes - From 2001, not 1968. So I’m not really sure why I put it on here. Tim Burton, I guess.
Predators - With a new Predator film currently in the works, now is a good time to revisit the Robert Rodriguez sequel, which isn’t as wonderful as the original, but certainly is fun, gory, and violent enough for a rewatch.
The Boy - The creepy doll movie that got a sequel named after him, Brahms.
The Descent - A group of women go cave diving and find some nasty monsters in one of the best horror movies in recent memory.
The Host - Speaking of best movies in recent memory, this creature feature by Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho is also a standout in its genre.
Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks loves a good genre send-up and arguably his best is this hilarious black and white comedy starring Gene Wilder.
Available September 3
Cinderella - One of those modern movies that was supposed to come out in theaters but got sold to a streamer, this update on the iconic film stars pop star Camila Cabello and actually looks like it could be fun.
What’s coming to Hulu in September 2021?
Available September 1
Anaconda - It’s almost becoming a parody how Anaconda goes from one streaming service to the next. If you haven’t watched it by now, will you ever?
Edward Scissorhands - Tim Burton’s lyrical tale of an outsider has an incredible cameo from the late Vincent Price and is basically pure magic.
Friday the 13th - Part III and Friday the 13th - Part IV: The Final Chapter - Two of the quintessential Jason movies are coming to Hulu. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t actually “the final chapter.”
Fright Night -This quintessential 1980s vampire movie is either something you watched a lot or desperately need to rewatch. Not to be confused with its remake.
Gattaca - Jude Law, Ethan Hawke, and Uma Thurman star in this heady sci-fi film about a world where genetics have become an a la carte selection process. A great movie for sure.
Jacob’s Ladder - Though this did recently get remade, this is the trippy, surprising, Tim Robbins original, unlike...
The Manchurian Candidate - ...This, which is the more recent Denzel Washington remake of the political thriller with a sci-fi twist. This one is actually fairly decent though unlike...
The Omen - ...This film, which also had a recent remake. Thankfully, the one coming to Hulu is the unforgettable 1976 original about a child who is the Antichrist. Horror remakes aren’t always bad though, consider...
The Ring - ...This 2002 American remake of a 1998 Japanese film about a videotape that kills you seven days after you watch it. If anything, this solid remake helped make the original more popular. And so ends my random four-entry single thought.
Road to Perdition - Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes followed up American Beauty with this moody, excellent comic book adaptation with Tom Hanks and Daniel Craig. Ahead of its time for sure.
Stephen King’s It - The 1990 TV version, not the more recent film version. This one is scary and unique enough to stand on its own though.
Sucker Punch - Zack Snyder’s ambitious, star-studded, woman-led action film doesn’t quite live up to its potential, but it’s a fascinating, gorgeous film nonetheless.
The X-Files - Not the TV show, but the first 1998 movie which tried to be like an ultimate season finale for the show but... I don’t think quite worked? Honestly, I don’t remember.
Available September 13
Y: The Last Man - Yes, it’s finally happening. A Y: The Last Man TV show. And it kicks off September 13 with a three-episode season premiere.
What’s coming to Disney+ in September 2021?
Available September 3
Dark Phoenix - The final Fox X-Men movie comes to Disney+, an example of something that probably was good at some point, but the final version doesn’t really come together like it should.
Tomorrowland - Directed by Brad Bird, co-written by Damon Lindelof, this George Clooney sci-fi adventure film should have been amazing. It’s... OK. Worth watching but there’s a chance, even if you’ve seen it, you’ve forgotten it already.
Available September 10
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - On Stranger Tides is the weird middle-child Pirates movie. Not quite part of the original trilogy, not exactly part of the most recent film, this is the one with Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane and the fountain of youth. I had to look that up.
Available September 22
Star Wars Visions - With The Bad Batch over and The Book of Boba Fett a few months away, the Star Wars series that’s bridging the gap is this incredible looking anime interpretation that words can’t really do justice. You have to watch the trailer.
What’s coming to HBO Max in September 2021?
Available September 1
Army Of Darkness (Plus The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2) - The Evil Dead franchise is coming to HBO Max and it’s got something for everyone; mostly horror in the original, a good blend of horror and camp in the second one, and more camp than horror in the third one. This is why Army of Darkness is my favorite. Because I’m smart. I’m S-Mart. But they’re all fantastic thanks to Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.
Cloverfield - In 2008, rising stars Matt Reeves, J.J. Abrams, and Drew Goddard teamed up for this unforgettable found footage film that still holds up today. They’ve since all done OK for themselves.
Event Horizon - Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne (one after Jurassic, the other before The Matrix) co-star in this cult sci-fi film about a spaceship that traveled through a black hole and brought back something evil.
The Goonies - If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably love this fantastic adventure about a group of kids who go on a treasure hunt to save their families. If you grew up later, apparently it doesn’t hold up as well. I wouldn’t know. I’m a Goonie for life.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - The whole Potter Saga is coming to HBO Max.
King Kong - Peter Jackson’s 2005 epic is coming to HBO Max, to live alongside Godzilla vs. Kong and more. Plus, this is the extended version.
Lady in the Water - Though we think this is one of M. Night Shyamalan’s lesser movies, any movie by Shyamalan is worth watching. Plus it stars Bryce Dallas Howard.
Ouija: Origin of Evil - Before he brought us Hill House, Bly Manor, or Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan made this horror sequel which probably should have sucked, but doesn’t!
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Steve Carell and Keira Knightley star as strangers who form a friendship as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth. A sad, sweet little movie.
Transformers - Michael Bay’s original Transformers film, which also happens to be the second-best Transformers film behind the 1986 animated film.
Available September 9
Mad Max: Fury Road - For anyone who doesn’t already own this masterpiece on Blu-ray, 4K, digital, whatever, now it’s streaming on HBO Max. Oh, what a lovely day!
Mortal Kombat - It didn’t do as well as the filmmakers probably hoped, but I really liked this brand new Mortal Kombat film. Great action, plenty of gore, and a nice blend of nostalgia. If you missed it when it debuted, now it’s here for good.
Available September 10
Malignant - HBO Max’s big premiere of September is this brand-new original horror film from James Wan. You know, the guy who helped take a few other original horror movies called Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, and turn them into mega franchises. This could be next.
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