Overview
There's no shortage of excellent films these days, and there are plenty of great movies releasing in September, whether you're a regular theatregoer or more comfortable watching at home by renting or streaming the latest blockbusters and indie films.
If you've lost track of the release schedule or you're simply curious about what's in theatres this month, as well as what's landing on streaming and VOD (video on demand — renting or buying on your platform of choice), these are all the films the Concrete Playground team will be watching throughout September.
Not keen on the movies releasing this month? Check out our guide to all the TV shows hitting streaming this month instead.
How to Rob a Bank — In cinemas September 3
Influencers and content creators cover nearly everything online – but bank heists aren't the sort of thing you normally see on TikTok. But that's what films are for. In How to Rob a Bank, director David Leitch puts Nicholas Hoult at the head of a bank-robbing content creator crew that's "got kind of a Robin Hood thing going on" against federal agents and the inherent corruption of the financial world.
Silenced — In cinemas September 3
One of the most impactful films featured in this year's global film festival circuit, Silenced is a documentary on the weaponisation of defamation laws against women worldwide. Featuring international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, Silenced goes beyond the headlines of defamation cases and puts the victims first, including Brittany Higgins, Amber Heard, Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and more.
By Any Means — In cinemas September 3
Truth is often stranger than fiction, and the true story of the FBI partnering with organised crime beggars belief. But that's the case recreated in By Any Means, following a young FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) assigned to investigate a string of murdered civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi. His partner? Notorious New York Mafia hitman Gregory Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg).
It Ends — In cinemas August 6
The liminal space craze is (much like its subject matter) seemingly infinite in Hollywood. This year has already seen Exit 8 and Backrooms trap audiences in uncanny interiors; now It Ends takes it on the road. This time, friends on the post-college road trip of their dreams find themselves trapped on an endless road through the forest, no turns, no end in sight, with only each other to keep them all sane.
Mayday — Streaming on Apple TV September 4
When fighter pilot Troy Brennan (Ryan Reynolds) is shot down while flying over the Soviet Union, he assumes he's destined for the gulag or an early grave. But he just so happens to be rescued by Nikolai (Kenneth Branagh), a former KGB agent and superfan of all things America. Surviving the crash was the easy part, because now half the Red Army is looking for him, and they'll have to work together to make it out unscathed.
Hope — In cinemas September 10
Korean filmmakers know how to make an excellent sci-fi horror. Be it modern zombie classics like Train to Busan or Colony, or monster films like The Host. Hope, from director Na Hong-Jin, seems to channel A Quiet Place. The trailer keeps context low and atmosphere high, with terrified cops and armed locals battling alien monsters and mysterious beings in the woods and the smoking, bloodied ruins of a rural town.
Practical Magic 2 — In cinemas September 10
For every new film in Hollywood, there are three sequels, but surprise legacy sequels aren't so bad, and all the millennial witches out there ought to love seeing the Owens sisters back in Practical Magic 2. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as mothers of two witches-to-be, this time having to watch their daughters face their bloodline's bad luck with love.
Coyote vs. ACME — In cinemas September 17
The latest animation/live-action hybrid from the world of Looney Tunes is a middle finger to almighty corporate America. Hilariously, Warner Bros. infamously and ironically shelved it as a tax write-off in 2023. Now it's finally hitting the big screen thanks to new rights holders, pitting Wile. E Coyote and a billboard lawyer (Will Forte) in a court battle against an ACME Corporation executive (John Cena) targeting ACME's thousands of malfunctioning products.
Resident Evil — In cinemas September 17
One of the most prominent video game series in history has never found its footing in Hollywood. But modern horror icon Zac Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) is rebooting it on the big screen, minus the action, focusing on an organ courier (Austin Abrams) who takes one last job for the night in the dead of winter. His destination? Racoon City General…on the night when all undead and supernatural hell breaks loose in the scariest city in video game history.
Forgotten Island — In cinemas September 17
Animation powerhouse DreamWorks, which shaped the childhoods of those of us born in the 2000s, is back with a new feast for the eyes and emotions. There are no fairy tales in sight this time, and we're instead delving into the spiritual power of friendship through two lifelong best friends who fall into a mythical, memory-stealing spirit realm after graduating high school.
Heart of the Beast — In cinemas September 24
The classic cinema trope of a man and his dog never fails to please. The man in question? Brad Pitt as a former special forces soldier. The dog? His veteran combat K9, Odin. They've been through hell together, but a peaceful flight kicks off another mission when they crash in the deep American wilderness and have to face hell, high water and hungry predators to make it back home alive.
For more movies releasing this month, check your local theatre website or a streaming platform of your choice.
Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Images: Supplied | VVS Films