This September on Netflix is a whole different ball game from what subscribers are used to. For the first time since we started putting out this monthly series, there are so many good releases and debuts we honestly didn’t know where to begin.
To give you an idea, here are some new additions that were good, but still didn’t make our top 10 list: Pulp Fiction, Jaws (all four movies), Requiem For a Dream, First They Killed My Father, George Harrison: Living in the Material World.
Yeah. Awesome as these titles are, they didn’t make the cut because September is just going to be that good.
Gangs of New York
Available Now
The only acclaimed classic making our list this month, Gangs of New York is Scorsese-directed masterpiece that focuses on the violence and turbulence of mid 19th century New York City. Though a work of fiction, it’s regarded as a pretty good dramatization of the times, and some of the characters—like Daniel Day-Lewis’s “Bill The Butcher”—are based on real people. The cast packs a hell of a punch and includes A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Neeson, Cameron Diaz, John. C. Reilly, and Jim Broadbent. If you want an intelligent and action-packed look into New York City’s blood-spattered past, this one is a must-see.
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography
Available Now
Elsa Dorfman isn’t just one of the most prolific female photographers of all time, she’s also an incredibly interesting and genuine human being. The B-Side: Elsa Dorman’s Portrait Photography is a brilliant and fun documentary that takes a look at the world famous portrait photographer in her natural habitat, and explores her work and history. She has shot everyone from working families to famous beat poets, artists, and rockstars, and The B-Side touches on them all.
Narcos Season 3
Available Now
Netflix’s hit original Narcos is back in September for a third season, and fans/critics have been hyping it up for months now. The first two seasons focused heavily on Pablo Escobar’s rise and fall, but Season 3 will delve into the infamous Cali Cartel, the richest drug-trafficking organization in the world. Pedro Pascal will return as DEA agent Javier Pena, who enlists the help of both American and Colombian law enforcement agencies to bring down the cartel.
Who The F**k is That Guy?
Available Now
Michael Alago is one of the most influential people in New York City’s long and storied rock and roll scene, and unless you’re heavily involved in it, you’ve probably never even heard his name. He was integral in shaping the New York City sound, having discovered and represented artists like Metallica, White Zombie, Cyndi Lauper, Nina Simone (!!), Misfits, Tracy Chapman, Dokken, and many more. Who The F**k is That Guy? is a documentary that tells the story of Alago, a gay Puerto Rican kid from Brooklyn who decided at a very young age that he was going to leave an indelible mark on New York City’s music scene.
Resurface
Available Now
No matter your views on America’s armed conflicts, no one should really argue whether or not our veterans deserve our utmost respect. The trauma—both physical and psychological—they endure in conflict is outright horrifying compared to our cushy lives. Resurface tells the story of one disabled veteran who comes home and, battling depression, PTSD, and other mental and physical illness, takes up surfing as a hobby.
That hobby introduces him to an entire network of veterans who, like him, came home with a ton of extra baggage and decided to seek out a different kind of medicine—the ocean. It’s a captivating and enlightening documentary that digs deep into surf culture (and our unique culture of war) to discover why, exactly, so many of our country’s veterans look to surfing as a momentary respite from the horrors of war. We can’t recommend it enough.
Marc Maron: Too Real
September 5
Marc Maron is one of the hands-down most insightful and hilarious comedians and actors of our generation. When we learned Netflix was releasing a new standup special with him, we knew it was going to be great—especially coming off of his success with GLOW, another recent Netflix Original hit. Maron is known for his incredibly popular podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, as well as his show Maron, which aired on IFC for four seasons. His particular brand of offbeat, cynical, and oftentimes self-deprecating stand up comedy is wonderful to witness live, and we can’t wait to see what he has to say in Too Real.
The Confession Tapes (Season 1)
September 8
Being that Making a Murderer was such a tremendous hit for Netflix, we’re betting that Confession Tapes is going to be another home run. We haven’t seen too much surrounding this new Netflix Original, but from what we know, it’s a docu-series that follows around convicted murderers who claim their confessions were coerced, outright false, or involuntary, and that they’re actually innocent.
American Vandal
September 15
Who drew the dicks at the school? That’s literally the entire premise of this highly anticipated Netflix Original comedy series. No, really. It sounds ridiculous, it looks ridiculous, and we’re really hoping it delivers. For better or for worse, it’s here on our list.
Ghosts of the Mountains
September 13
Ghosts of the Mountains follows a team of researchers over 250 days in some of the most remote regions of Mongolia to track down some of these majestic endangered cats, giving viewers an in-depth look at what snow leopards look like in their natural habitat. The film is a product of the DisneyNature studio, which immediately made us skeptical, but the videography is absolutely gorgeous, and the film itself is a truly compelling watch.
Jerry Before Seinfeld
September 19
When the news broke back in January that legendary New York comic Jerry Seinfeld had inked a $100-million dollar deal with Netflix, we were intrigued. When we learned that the deal not only included shifting his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee program to the platform, but also two new standup specials, we were downright giddy. The first of those specials, Jerry Before Seinfeld, drops September 19, and from the trailer and title, it looks as though Seinfeld is basing his set around his childhood, his rise to fame, and how it all came to be. There also appears to be a slight documentary style to it, with contextual interviews from friends and fellow comedians mixed in. If that is the case, we can’t wait.
Amazon Prime also has new releases. You should watch some of those.
