September has started with a new season of movie releases and exciting TV series. This month promises to be a real treat for moviegoers, as we have a lot of premieres to satisfy all tastes. From large-scale blockbusters to intriguing dramas, from comedies to fantasy epics, September is rich in variety. Let’s find out together what movies and TV series are worth watching this month. 

Movies

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Many years ago, Delia Dietz moved to Winter River with her husband and his daughter Lydia. At the time, there was a lot of buzz about ghosts and the Beatlejuice they summoned from the dead. Tragedy brought the family together again. Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid is as rebellious as her mother once was. She finds in the attic a model of the city built by the old owners of the house. Now the portal to the afterlife is open, and Beatlejuice wants to be among people again.

Tim Burton can boast of an original and recognizable style that combines elements of the Gothic, horror and plenty of black humor. It’s impossible not to love his films, including the cult classics Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride, the Batman dilogy and many more bright works that are remembered for a long time. Unfortunately, after his divorce from Helena Bonham Carter, the iconic director seemed to have lost his inspiration and his subsequent works were rather bland, until the release of the Wesday series, which finally brought him back to the fold. Tim Burton is ready to make a full-fledged return to big cinema with the sequel to the film that made him a sought-after director in the first place, namely Beatlejuice.

The original movie was remembered for its outrageousness and madness. Some kind of cruelty was regularly happening on the screen, but thanks to the presentation, even the blackest jokes made people laugh. The scene where the heroes are waiting in the afterlife and one of them is offered a cigarette by a man who has been burned himself and resembles a coal is still funny. Of course, nowadays the special effects don’t stand up to any criticism, but that was the intention, because the director wanted to convey the atmosphere of B movies. The movie is not for everyone, but it is impossible to forget it, because it is really something unique.

The sequel, which we will finally get 36 years after the premiere of the first part, looks no less crazy, but at the same time very attractive. The style of cheap B-movies is present, Michael Keaton is back to reprise his iconic role, as is Winona Ryder, and they’ll be joined by Jenna Ortega (whom Burton seemed to take a liking to while working on Wenceslas), Catherine O’Gara, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe and Danny DeVito. We believe in Tim Burton and hope everything will turn out very well, because there are really not enough such unusual films these days!

The premiere took place on September 5.

Kinds of Kindness

A man in a desperate situation tries to take control of his life. A police officer can’t believe that his wife, who disappeared at sea, has suddenly returned, but seems to have changed. The third character is looking for someone with unusual abilities who is destined to become a spiritual leader.

An anthology from one of the most specific directors of our time, Yorgos Lanthimos. A six-time Oscar nominee who combines absurdist black comedy with violent and sexual content in his films. The director is not afraid to raise taboo topics and shock the audience with his plot twists. “Lobster, The Favorite, last year’s Poor Creatures – these films will definitely not leave anyone indifferent, although they are sometimes quite difficult to watch, and unprepared viewers should avoid them altogether.

The new work of Yorgos Lanthimos, Types of Mercy, promises to be no less interesting, and the anthology format will allow us to raise more topics that will make the viewer think. The main roles are played by Jesse Plemens, who has already won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley.

The film will be released on September 12.

The Killer’s Game

Joe Flood is one of the best hired killers in the world. Terminally ill, he decides to go out on a limb and puts a record price on his own head. When the killers have already gone on the hunt, Joe learns that his diagnosis was a ridiculous mistake. But who will believe him now?

The movie is based on Jay Bonansinga’s 1997 novel of the same name. As for me, the plot twist sounds ridiculous even from the description, but if it’s supposed to lead the viewer to an interesting action movie, then why not? The film was directed by J.J. Perry, who had previously worked as a stuntman and stunt director for John Wick, The Expendables 3, and Fast and Furious 9. He seems to know what a good action movie looks like, so fans of the genre should definitely take a closer look at this project. The movie has a lot of blood and violent scenes, so it’s not recommended for impressionable people. It is also worth noting a good cast. The main role was played by Dave Batista, among other famous names you may know such actors as Terry Crews, Ben Kingsley and Sofia Boutella.

The premiere in Ukraine will take place on September 12.

Soldiers of Song

Soldiers of Song features touching stories of Ukrainian performers about the struggle, courage, and voice of Ukraine in the world, from Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, Svitlana Tarabarova, to Dakha Braha, the Mariupol Chamber Philharmonic, and Ptashka.

A song is also a weapon, and Ukrainians proved this when, at the beginning of the invasion, many songs were created and played to inspire people to continue their resistance. Anyone who cares about the performers mentioned in the description is encouraged to watch this documentary.

The premiere will take place on September 12.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

Agent Hellboy and his partner from the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Protection return after disrupting a mystical ritual that could have been the beginning of an invasion of monsters from other dimensions into our world. Although the mission went well, at least by Hellboy standards, the heroes get into a car crash. Finding themselves in an abandoned village, they meet the Hunchback, who terrorizes the locals, collects their souls, and subdues them.

A new adaptation of the adventures of Hellboy… Hellboy? Hellboy? Hellboy? Hellboy? How many years has the character existed, and people still can’t agree on how to pronounce his name correctly? In this article, I will call him Hellboy.

For those who are not familiar with the character at all, I will give you a brief introduction. Hellboy first appeared in 1993 in a comic book written by Mike Mignola and has since become very popular due to his brutality, unconventionality (where else have you seen a demon hero?) and cool sense of humor.

Later, in 2004, cult director Guillermo del Toro made a very cool adaptation of the character’s adventures. This is an example of an atypical and at the same time very balanced superhero movie, where an interesting setting, cool action, a good story and incredible character design were perfectly combined. Creating cool monsters is Guillermo’s calling, but the best of all was Hellboy himself. Ron Perlman played him incredibly well, and his makeup was beyond praise! The 2008 sequel, The Golden Army, multiplied all the advantages of the original and turned out to be an even cooler adventure of the iconic devil. Unfortunately, both films were not financially successful, so the studio decided to take a break. After unsuccessful negotiations for the third installment, Guillermo del Toro left the project, and later Ron Perlman.

The studio decided to make a reboot, which came out in 2019, but it didn’t even reach the box office of the del Toro dilogy. The franchise had to be put on hold for a few more years.

The relaunch is subtitled “The Hunchback” and will focus more on the horror element. Not much can be said about the movie so far, but the script was written by the author of the original comics, Mike Mignola, so we expect a higher level of quality than the 2019 project, but the old parts with Pearlman are unlikely to be surpassed. Fans of the character should definitely check out this project, because Hellboy movies don’t come out often. Horror fans should also take a closer look, because this universe is famous for its interesting and scary monsters.

The Ukrainian premiere will take place on September 19.

Transformers One

Set on the planet Cybertron, the origin story centers on the Transformers race and the relationship between two Cybertronian robots named Orion Pax and D-16 as they go from brothers in arms to sworn enemies.

The Transformers franchise turns 40! It was in 1984 that the first toys and the cult animated series “Generation 1” appeared, which opened this incredible universe for us. And although we have seen many times fragments of the backstory of the war between the Cyborgs (Autobots) and the Decepticons, the new project aims to show an extended version of these events, in particular, we will learn how Optimus Prime (formerly Orion Pax) and Megatron (D-16) turned from best friends to bitter enemies. The animation looks great, and the story potential is very high, and this could be the beginning of a new animated franchise. Unfortunately, the voices that voiced the characters in the original animated series and films (Peter Cullen, Frank Welker) have given way to more famous Hollywood stars Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, John Hamm, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi. But Ukrainian viewers won’t notice the difference anyway, so this is more of a dig from a fan of the franchise. Moreover, the characters here are essentially different, younger versions, so they should sound more energetic.

In general, it looks gorgeous, but don’t take your kids to a toy store after the movie and don’t go yourself, because it’s very hard to resist the urge to buy an Optimus Prime, believe me!

The premiere will take place in Ukraine on September 19.

The Dead Don’t Hurt

USA, Wild West, 1860s. Vivienne (Vicki Krieps), a flower girl, and Viggo Mortensen, a carpenter, fall in love and set out on a journey to build a life together in a remote town. The country is in the midst of the Civil War and their dreams are shattered when the man joins the army. Now his beloved has to defend herself, which is not easy in a town controlled by cruel and arbitrary men.

The second directorial work is by Viggo Mortensen, a Hollywood actor known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings and Green Book. The actor was not afraid and personally came to Ukraine in June to present the film at the Mykolaychuk OPEN festival. The film has already received a lot of positive feedback and looks promising.

The western will premiere in Ukraine on September 26.

Megalopolis

A visionary architect dreams of rebuilding the New York of the future into a utopia, as the city dies in corruption and decay. He believes that his version of the future is the only true one, but finds fierce opposition to his mission among those who thrive in the midst of the inevitable end.

Attention all movie lovers! Francis Ford Coppola is releasing his new movie for the first time in 12 years, but unfortunately, it seems to be the last. The legendary director, who has made some of the most iconic films in history (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Dracula), has been planning Megalopolis since 1977 and tried to shoot it several times, but for various reasons the process was postponed and stopped. The script was rewritten about 300 times and this is the director’s first work in the science fiction genre. And judging by the plot description, Coppola was thinking about the Roman Empire even before it became a meme.

All these years, Francis Ford Coppola has been developing his own winery chain and in 2019 sold it to be able to finance the film entirely with his own money, without involving film companies. The total budget reached more than $120 million, making this project an unprecedented case in the history of cinema!

As you can see, the story of the production of this movie is no less impressive than the shooting of Apocalypse Now. As for the work itself, Megalopolis was literally a work that Coppola shot exactly as he wanted, so the level of expectation is very high. Although the critics at the Cannes Film Festival gave this project mixed reviews, this is not an indication that the film was a failure. “The Godfather 2 and Apocalypse Now were also underestimated at the time, but time puts everything in its place.

The cast of the movie is top notch. In addition to the incredibly talented Adam Driver, good actors Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel and Laurence Fishburne, Coppola used Shia Labeouf, who has not appeared in big-budget films for a long time, and called Dustin Hoffman, who replaced the late James Caan, for a cameo.

Francis Ford Coppola is already 85 years old, and judging by how much effort he put into this work, it will most likely be the last one in his career. Therefore, if the word “movie” has any meaning for you at all, Megalopolis is definitely worth watching. It will definitely be a new experience that will evoke different emotions, but in any case, it will not leave you indifferent.

The premiere will take place in Ukraine on September 26.

Series

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist

The series is about a robbery that takes place during Muhammad Ali’s fight in 1970. The story is based on the 2020 podcast of the same name, which is quite unusual. The cast is immediately striking, as the project seems to have set out to bring together all the best African-American performers in one shot, namely: Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Don Cheadle. The trailer looks stylish and dynamic, and I hope the series will be even better.

The premiere took place on September 5 on Peacock streaming.

Agatha All Along

At the end of the WandaVision miniseries, the witch Agatha Harkness is trapped in the town of Westview, New Jersey. In “It’s All Agatha,” she escapes with the help of a goth teenager. Harkness and her new friend create a coven of witches with whom they go on adventures.

Welcome back to the “next superhero series” section! I don’t know why the character of Agatha Harkness from the TV series WandaVision is so memorable that a separate show about her should be created, but the producers at Marvel know best. For those who are still interested in this superhero universe, the premiere will take place on September 18 on Disney+.

The Penguin

Unlike It’s All Agatha, this project can be watched by a mass audience, as all you need to know is that you have to watch Matt Reeves’ Batman, which was released in 2022. The series will tell the story of one of the most striking characters in the movie, the Penguin, who fights for power over the Gotham City underworld. The original movie was remembered for its very cool noir atmosphere, which fits perfectly with the theme of gangster wars, and Penguin can become a very cool experiment in its genre. A kind of “Sopranos” in the world of Batman, who, by the way, should also appear on the screen in one of the episodes. Colin Farrell continues to play the main role, which is very difficult to recognize in makeup. All in all, the project looks promising, and we’re looking forward to it.

The premiere will take place on September 19 on HBO Max.

Twilight of the Gods

In a mythical world of great battles, exploits and despair, Leif, a mortal king, is rescued on the battlefield by Sigrid, a warrior with an iron will, with whom he falls in love. On their wedding night, Sigrid and Leif survive the terrible wrath of Thor, who sends them, along with a team of crusaders, on a merciless mission of revenge. This heroic story of love, loss, and revenge is a journey to hell and beyond… through fantastical lands, fields of fierce and bloody battles, and wars waged against deities and demons.

Zack Snyder is rightfully considered a cult director of our time thanks to his works such as 300 Spartans and The Guardians. But in recent years, this creator has been losing ground, as his plots are already crossing the line of stupidity that the audience is ready to forgive in exchange for style and incredible visuals. “Army of the Dead” turned out to be a dud, and the 6.5 hours of the director’s version of “Rebel Moon” can be used as a means of torture. Maybe in animation, Zach will finally be able to regain his former authority? He once created the cartoon Legends of the Night Watch, which still impresses with its incredible animation and is just a pleasure to watch.

Zack Snyder’s new work is an animated series for adults based on Scandinavian legends. Although the animation is simple, it looks very dynamic and is a pleasure to watch in action scenes. We are promised all the advantages of an R-rating – a lot of blood, sex, and swearing. Although the Scandinavian mythology is already a bit boring, the project looks interesting, be sure to check it out if you’re interested in adult animation.

The premiere will take place on September 19 on Netflix.

Uzumaki

The series tells the story of the inhabitants of Kurozu-cho, a fictional city engulfed in a supernatural curse involving spirals.

It’s hard to find a more unique horror author than Junji Ito. His body horror manga frightens with its eerie depictions of human body transformations, and these shocking images remain in the memory for a long time. Mangaka manages to evoke fear even in the face of balloons, in particular, she skillfully plays with basic human fears: death, darkness, loneliness, surgery, etc. These works are recommended for reading by all fans of the genre!

Despite the fact that the adaptation of Junji Ito’s famous work Spiral was announced back in 2019, the director, Hiroshi Nagahama, set himself the task of conveying the original style of Ito’s drawing in as much detail as possible. Therefore, we expect very high-quality animation from the four-episode anime adaptation and prepare for sleepless nights after watching Spiral on September 28 on Adult Swim.

Continuation of the series

Slow Horses (Season 4)

The series starring Gary Oldman, which has received many positive reviews from critics. The fourth season will consist of six episodes and the first two will be released on September 4 on Apple TV+.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story (Season 2)

The second season of the biographical anthology series about serial killers. The first season about Jeffrey Dahmer was very popular in its time, and the next one is about the Menendez murderous brothers. Among the actors, Javier Bardem can be considered the main star of the season. The second season will premiere on Netflix on September 19.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (Season 2)

Fans of the franchise should get ready for the new season premiere on September 29 on AMC. Judging by the number of spinoffs and sequels to this story, there are a lot of you out there.