In contrast to July and August, September feels a little sleepy. There aren’t too many blockbuster type films besides the obvious Marvel flick, and most of these options you might not even know. Since October is reserved for Halloween and all things scary, most studios releasing horror/thriller films might choose to capitalise on what the month is known for, so September was always going to be a little dull in comparison.
But hey, half the fun of watching films comes from stumbling onto new releases you heard nothing about, before they burgeon into films you never forget. Here are the 5 biggest new movies of September 2021.
September 2021 New Movies
1. Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings | September 3rd, 2021
The early reviews for Shang-Chi are in, and the film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a strong 91%. We do need to note that the first wave of reviews are usually complimentary, the tide might turn with the second wave, but I have a feeling it won’t here. In the film, Shang-Chi (played by Simu Liu), must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
The critics praised Shang-Chi’s action sequences, which are reminiscent of fighting sequences from the likes of Jackie Chan. A lot of action films these days don’t really have follow-through with their action scenes, with quick cuts back and forth so you never quite get the energy of the full thing. Shang-Chi seems like a different kind of fish. Also, Tony Leung absolutely kills it in his role, so fans should have much to look forward to.
2. Cinderella | September 3rd, 2021
Even though Cinderella is premiering on Amazon Prime and not the theatre, I predict a lot of interest with this film. After all, it has a cast of stellar singers, from musical theatre stars like Idina Menzel and Billy Porter to pop singer Camila Cabello, so Cinderella promises an entertaining spectacle.
I’m not going to elaborate on the plot, because we all pretty much know the broad strokes of it, albeit with some variation. The film is directed by Kay Cannon, who was the screenwriter for Pitch Perfect and directed Blockers (one of the funniest films of 2018 by the way, so do check it out), so we know she’s certainly gonna spin some twists to the usual Cinderella story.
3. Malignant | September 10th, 2021
There’s one main reason this film is on this list: James Wan. The last horror movie Wan directed was The Conjuring 2, and that was in 2016. We have waited 5 years for Wan to return to the horror space, to do what he does best. This was a desire on Wan’s part as well – he wanted to return to a smaller, intimate type of film in between his DCEU commitments.
Madison, played by Annabelle Wallis, is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities. That’s pretty much all we’re going to get. Wan is keeping a tight lid on things, and even joked that Malignant might be considered the horror version of Frozen.
The best advice I have for you is to go and check out the film with as much a blank slate as possible. Wan wants to give us something new and unexpected, so it’s essential we don’t spoil the fun for ourselves.
4. Intrusion | September 22nd, 2021
When a husband and wife move to a small town, a home invasion leaves the wife traumatized and suspicious that those around her might not be who they seem.
The film stars Logan Marshall-Green, who has been in some stellar films like Upgrade and The Invitation. The man is pretty much a chameleon; he never looks the same across films. I last saw Freida Pinto in Love Wedding Repeat – a Netflix rom-com that had Sam Claflin in the leading role and still sucked. The actress was also in Hillbilly Elegy, so she doesn’t have the best luck when it comes to movies – here’s hoping this film changes the tide a little for her.
Intrusion is on this list because I am intrigued by it – simple as that. It could very well go down the road of horrible thrillers that Netflix has churned out over the years, movies like Secret Obsession and Dangerous Lies (which was so bad I couldn’t remember the title and had to Google it).
5. Dear Evan Hansen | September 24th, 2021
I’m a bit on the fence about Dear Evan Hansen. On one hand, it is directed by Stephen Chbosky, the man who directed and wrote the screenplay for The Perks of Being A Wallflower. On the other, I’m always a tad skeptical when musicals are adapted for film. There is also all the online controversy about Ben Platt’s casting as Evan Hansen, given that he is a bit too old to be taking on the role, even if he did originate the role on Broadway (and won a Tony for it).
Dear Evan Hansen is a musical film that features a star-studded cast, with the aforementioned Platt, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, DeMarius Copes and Danny Pino. The film follows Evan Hansen, who feels like an outsider at school. This all changes when his classmate Connor (Ryan) takes his own life, and Evan’s letter to himself is discovered among Connor’s belongings.
The jury’s still out on whether the transition from stage to screen will be a successful one.
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