Netflix’s movie selection will make this a September to remember. From an abundance of romantic comedies and dramedies arriving on the streamer this month to fun-loving animation that tells heartfelt stories, there is no shortage of stream-worthy content as the colder months approach. While fall technically does not start until Sept. 21, this list may or may not supply some watch suggestions for pumpkin spice season.
In “Love Again,” Céline Dion talks some sense into Rob (Sam Heughan) when he struggles to make a connection with beautiful Mira Troy (Priyanka Chopra) after she instigates their meet cute by texting Rob’s phone — the same number that used belong to dead lover.
Those looking for more of a young adult love story can check out “Love at First Sight,” based on the book by Jennifer E. Smith and directed by Vanessa Caswill. In the film, shortened from Smith’s original title, “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight,” Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) meet because Hadley misses her flight to London, for her dad’s wedding, by four minutes.
Lastly, “Choose Love” starring Laura Marano and Avan Jogia promises an interactive adventure.
Here are the 7 best new movies to watch on Netflix in September 2023:
“Love Again”
Watch this one for the Celine Dion soundtrack. The “My Heart Will Go On” singer also stars as the driving factor that helps children’s book illustrator Miray Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and music journalist Rob Burns (Sam Heughan) get together. Mira lost the love of her life in a car accident a few years ago, but his phone gets repurposed as a work phone. Rob becomes the owner of this phone, so when Mira texts her love’s old number for catharsis, Rob picks up on the hints she drops to learn who she is. Rob also gets an earful from Celine Dion about love when he asks her why she writes so much about it in her songs. Dion challenges him in many ways once she finds out about Mira. “Love Again” arrives on Netflix on September 2.
Love at First Sight
Based on “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” by Jennifer E. Smith, the Netflix romance “Love at First Sight” stars Haley Lu Richardson as Hadley Sullivan and Ben Hardy as Oliver Jones. Hadley’s habit of running late usually complicates her life, but when she misses her flight by four minutes, it might be the one time that fate dealt her a good hand. Of course, she happens to align with Oliver Jones at the airport, a boy who never gets taken by surprise and is prepared for every situation. Directed by Vanessa Caswill with an adapted script by Katie Lovejoy (“To All the Boys: Always and Forever”), the film tackles not only the possibility of love at first sight but timing, fate and many more concepts of the human condition. Jameela Jamil serves as narrator of the romantic comedy, which arrives September 15 on the streamer.
Kung Fu Panda 2
A solid follow-up installment to Po the Panda’s (Jack Black) adventures becoming the Dragon Warrior, “Kung Fu Panda 2” brings the unlikely hero who defeated Tai Lung (Ian McShane) with the Wuxi finger hold and some everyday items like noodle bowls and pot lids, to face his family history. While Po has a great adoptive father Mr. Ping (James Hong), he starts having flashbacks to his biological parents, two pandas who had to leave him behind because someone was chasing them. Meanwhile, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) sends Po and the Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan) and Viper (Lucy Liu) to figure out what Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) is up to with his newfangled fireworks. The final battle is epic, and the connections Po makes between this new villain and his parents are enough to make anyone feel some powerful emotions.
“Choose Love”
Romance is in the air this month with the September selections landing on Netflix. Those in the mood for a more “engaging” rom-com can watch the interactive “Choose Love” starring Laura Marano, Avan Jocia, Jordi Webber and Scott Michael Foster, which landed on the streamer August 31. Cami Conway (Marano) has a perfect life until she visits a psychic that breaks down the walls she puts around her heart and emotions. She then runs into two of her old flames, who rekindle something that her current boyfriend lacks. She faces a tough choice of which man she wants to end up with, and viewers can make the little choices that determine her path.
“Don’t Worry Darling”
How fitting that “Don’t Worry Darling” arrives on Netflix just in time for the anniversary of its much-publicized 2022 Venice Film Festival premiere. The drama surrounding the press tour for Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial project, which originally streamed on Max after its theatrical release in September 2022, brought the production of the film into question. Whether it was rumors of on-set blowups and speculation about whether or not Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine, online discourse about the press tour snowballed into the craziest conspiracy theories, which actually sort of align with the plot of the film.
Pugh stars as Alice, the wife of Styles’ Jack, who gets selected to work for the mysterious project, headed by Chris Pine’s Frank at a secret facility outside of the town of Victory. Alice begins to question what is really going on at the “Victory Project” when she notices strange things take place around her, but the other 1950s housewives — Bunny (Wilde), Shelley (Gemma Chan) and Peg (Kate Berlant), don’t exactly share her concerns, even when something goes horribly wrong for Margaret (KiKi Layne). Met with mixed reviews, the film is still a must-watch for its influence on pop culture alone.
Miss Congeniality
Sandra Bullock is a hoot in this 2000s comedy. She stars as a rigid F.B.I. agent, Gracie Hart, who has to go undercover in the Miss United States beauty pageant to intercept a bomb threat to the event. From writers Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas as well as director Donald Petrie, the comedy and action film also stars Michael Caine as Victor Melling, Benjamin Bratt as Eric Matthews and Candice Bergen as Kathy Morningside. Bullock is truly at her best combining stunts with crisp comedic timing, and “Miss Congeniality” is top shelf in her catalog.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Is there a more perfect way to get in the Halloween mood with some fun animation? We think not. From the creators of “Chicken Run” (2000), the duo that started it all — Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and Gromit — have some rabid rabbit business to take care of in “The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” The frightening, furry film also features voice actors Ralph Fiennes as Victor Quartermaine and Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Campanula Tottington. Inventor Wallace and his clever dog Gromit, who doesn’t say much, chase after a creature of the night after discovering a terrible rabbit infestation at Lady Campanula’s house. The cotton-tailed culprit might not be who you think it is.
