Every month, streaming services add new films to their roster, but not all of them are worth watching. After all, film studios churn out a great amount of films every week, month, and year that passes, and why waste time on a movie that simply won’t entertain, engage, or else inspire you? Here at Me Like Movies, we do the watching for you and let you know which best new to streaming releases come out every month to watch. So here’s our guide for the “Big Three” in September. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are here (though Prime kind of doesn’t offer much in Sept.) to give you something new to watch: here are our picks.
Jaws series (Sept. 1st): You know what’s a lot of fun? The Jaws series of films. Not just the original, which is an outright classic and a primer of how to make a film, but even the sequels–the non-Spielberg, goofy, ultimately stupid sequels. The concept gets worse each time out until finally Jaws 4: The Revenge, which is one of the worst films ever made, but it’s also a lot of fun to watch entropy in the form of film in effect and is a predictive trait of how sequels in general are an example of diminishing returns. Watch the original seriously and stick around for the awful sequels for fun and for which to snark.
Pulp Fiction (Sept. 1st): I’ve already written about how great Pulp Fiction is: it’s a masterpiece that’s noir while mixing in a new, graphic portrayal of villains battling villains. But for any neophyte that hasn’t seen this cornerstone of American cinema and literally changed the rules of what a popular film can depict, Pulp Fiction is a must-see.
She’s Gotta Have It (Sept. 1st): Similar to the previous entry, She’s Gotta Have It has been discussed in the Spike Lee article I wrote for this site. But it’s a worthwhile film to watch–the first Spike Lee feature–that largely sets the thematic tones that he would revisit throughout his career. It’s a mini-masterpiece in many ways: a low-budget film about the complexities of romance for a sexually liberated black woman, it has humor, heart, tragedy, and an insight that’s rare even for modern films to find on such subjects–if they’re displayed at all.
Bojack Horseman, Season 4 (Sept. 8th): For those that have watched the entirety of the Bojack Horseman saga, the fourth season is one of the most anticipated releases of the fall. For those that haven’t, however, here’s a recommendation: watch the first three seasons. This unique adult cartoon depicts the melancholic life of a has-been television actor–who happens to be a horse–as he retains a career in a Hollywoo(d) that has since passed him by. Besides this, the entire world created for Bojack Horseman, where anthropomorphic cats, dogs, horses, dolphins, and pretty much every other animal lives in harmony with human characters and have obviously evolved into humanoid figures along with human beings, is a fascinating and original concept in itself. It’s a worthwhile show that is alternately tragic and humorous, this is how adult cartoons should be: creating a fantastic world of implausible anomalies that root its characters with all-too-human flaws.
Beauty and the Beast (September 19th): The live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast has garnered both praise from fans of the Disney brand and condemnation from purists who insist this remake is pointless. For those, I would counter: shut up. Simply because the live-action version brings a lot to the table: seeing these characters in live-action mode is rather enthralling and enjoyable. This familiar story and its music is brought to life by a sincere performance from Emma Watson and…the guy that plays Beast, whoever that is. It’s something to watch that even die-hard fans of the cartoon version will enjoy. Simply put, don’t deny yourself something enjoyable just because you’re a purist.
Robocop (Sept. 1st): Goddamn Robocop. Hell, Robocop is one of the best sci-fi films ever made and it’s coming to Hulu this month! You lucky duck! This is the male-centered Rosetta Stone of what makes sci-fi such a male-dominated and -oriented genre. Made in the glorious 80’s, Robocop is both futuristic while also being representative of the decade as a whole. Its visual effects hold up even after all these years and the story and acting itself is solid. It’s a great classic of the genre filled with satire and action that’s coming to streaming, so watch it. I’d buy that for a dollar!
My Girl (Sept. 1st): If you grew up in the early 90’s, most likely you watched My Girl. As a fledgling nerdling, I even read the novelization, young enough to not realize hemorrhaging wasn’t supposed to be pronounced hem-or-hage-ing. It’s a sad and unique coming-of-age film that will either rev up nostalgic engines for those that watched it at the time or else serves as a fantastic representation of how coming-of-age films were handled in the early 90’s. Anna Chlumsky is a perfect young woman to play the pubescent Vera, and it’s overall a great representation of an awkward time in one’s life (particularly for young women).
A River Runs Through It (Sept. 1st): A candidate for Perfect Movies, this film is a brilliant adaptation from one of the best American novellas ever written. The melancholic and nostalgic Norman Maclean novella is represented in this colorful and well-made adaptation by Robert Redford, who infuses each frame with color, authenticity, and craftsmanship that such a moving story deserves. Please watch this film: not only is it one of my favorite films but I recommend this movie to everybody–particularly those who have troubled siblings. It’s emotional, moving, and visually stunning.
The ABCs of Death (September 27th): This is a concept I can get behind: an anthology series of short horror films that are dictated by following the A-B-C sequence of the alphabet. Each one only runs about 5 minutes, are made by different directors, and in quick succession rattle through separate narratives about horrifying, sad, and sometimes insane premises. Even if you don’t like every short, there are 26 of them, so you move along quickly to enjoy the next one. Horror fans will enjoy many of the vignettes and it’s worth their time to watch.
T.G.I.Hulu! (AKA: the complete series of Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Step By Step, and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (Sept. 29th): Holy crow. I literally wrote a long, crazy, and ultimately sad series of articles about various T.G.I.F. shows, with all of the ones included on this Hulu release featured on them. And this is on Hulu now! Go have a few bites of nostalgia and realize how good/crummy many of these shows were.
Amazon Prime is really falling down on the job: with only one good addition to their streaming service this month, this is the singular good film to watch that’s new to it.
The Lost City of Z (Sept. 9th): One of the best films of 2017, The Lost City of Z is a complex, well-made epic of an Englishman’s life in the early 20th century. Based on a true story, a disgraced nobleman and adventurer goes on an expedition with his son to find South America’s legendary “Lost City of Z.” It’s a beautiful, panoramic film that fans of the epic genre and those who enjoy the contrast between society and nature will find a lot of value in. It’s unfortunate that this is the only worthwhile film being added to Amazon Prime in September, but at the same time this is a worthwhile film to watch. Again: one of the best of 2017, and it’s unfortunate that it has a slim-to-none chance to be nominated for an Oscar this year since it deserves such a lauded award. But the film itself is an accomplishment for the filmmakers and all involved to be proud of.
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