From 'Inside Out 2' to 'Challengers,' 15 movies you need to stream right now
Back-to-school season is over. Spooky season is approaching. Now's the season for lots of movie streaming.
September has a nice bumper crop of flicks for film lovers of all tastes, from all your favorites like Netflix, Max, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Disney+ and Paramount+. There are recent theatrical releases you might need to catch up on, from a very emotional Pixar blockbuster to maybe the sauciest tennis movie ever, but also original fare such as a "Rosemary's Baby" prequel, a Joseph Gordon-Levitt mystery, and a George Clooney/Brad Pitt crime comedy.
Here are 15 notable new movies you can stream right now:
‘Apartment 7A’
"Rosemary's Baby" is a horror classic but one that hasn't been revisited to death. That's why this 1960s-set prequel is intriguing, if not exactly creeptastic, with Julia Garner as an aspiring dancer sidelined by a nasty injury. Thanks to seemingly kind old folks, she moves into a super-nice apartment complex with a seriously dark secret.
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Where to watch: Paramount+
‘Challengers’
This engaging, hot-blooded tennis melodrama features Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor as young doubles partners and Zendaya as the teen singles sensation who sparks an emotionally complicated, deliciously watchable love triangle that unfolds on and off the court over several tumultuous years.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Civil War’
In a riveting cautionary tale, director Alex Garland makes audiences confront what an actual modern civil war would look like. The thriller doubles as a journalism movie, too, with Kirsten Dunst as a world-weary photographer who takes a rookie (Cailee Spaeny) under her wing on a dangerous road trip to get a scoop for the ages.
Where to watch: Max
‘The Garfield Movie’
The best Garfield movie ever made – admittedly, an extremely low bar considering the Bill Murray films. Chris Pratt voices the husky orange tabby who springs into action with canine sidekick Odie, plus gets involved in a milk heist, when the big-boned cat's long-lost dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), comes around needing help.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘His Three Daughters’
Bickering and hard feelings arise when three very different, very estranged sisters (Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon) reunite to take care of their dying father when he's put in home hospice care. Grab some tissues for this well-acted family drama – Lyonne is a particular highlight – with a truly moving ending.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘I Saw the TV Glow’
Transgender writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s eerily immersive horror drama stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine as 1990s youngsters who bond over a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"-style supernatural TV drama and begin to lose track of reality. It acts as both well-acted coming-of-age queer allegory and intriguing pop-culture deconstruction.
Where to watch:Max
‘In a Violent Nature’
Cinephiles will appreciate this arthouse indie spin on the well-tread slasher genre, unfurling a bloody spree from the perspective of a masked murderer (Ry Barrett) back from the dead. And horror fiends will dig the gory creativity, including one of the gnarliest kill scenes you'll see all year.
Where to watch: Shudder
‘Inside Out 2’
The Pixar sequel hits like an amusing, profound wrecking ball. Young girl Riley turns 13, which means more emotions running around her noggin – including Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), who leads a revolt against Joy (Amy Poehler) and Co. in an animated comedy with empathy, hope and a heap of metaphors.
Where to watch: Disney+
‘Killer Heat’
Noir isn't just for back alleys and big cities: There's a scenic mystery afoot in this modern detective story, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an ex-cop working as a private eye in Greece. He's hired by a wealthy socialite (Shailene Woodley) to look into the shady death of her brother-in-law and runs afoul of their powerful family.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Oddity’
Jump scares aren't always considered the greatest thing in the horror world. But in this Irish flick, they're extremely well done and will scare your pants off in a freaky tale of a blind psychic (Carolyn Bracken) looking into the death of her twin sister with some strange help: a weird wooden mannequin she brings to the scene of the crime.
Where to watch:Shudder
‘Rebel Ridge’
Miss the good ol' two-fisted action-movie days of "First Blood" and "Walking Tall"? This one's for y'all. Aaron Pierre has a star-making turn in the thriller as a former soldier trying to bail his cousin out. When he gets railroaded by small-town Louisiana cops – including Don Johnson's villainously smarmy chief – he wreaks havoc in return.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Rez Ball’
When the star player on a Native American high school basketball squad tragically dies, the team captain (Kauchani Bratt) and coach (Jessica Matten) change up their play and go on an unlikely run to the state hoops tournament in a sports drama based on a true story.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Uglies’
Based on Scott Westerfeld's young-adult book series, the dystopian sci-fi drama centers on a society where youngsters with beauty "flaws" get a procedure when they turn 16 to become "pretty." But the rebellious Tally (Joey King) learns being good-looking isn't all that when seeking out a friend who has vanished.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Will & Harper’
The heartwarming documentary focuses on comedian Will Ferrell and his longtime ex-"SNL" comedy writer friend Harper Steele, who comes out as a trans woman. Will takes Harper on a road trip to her favorite places (biker bars, sporting events and more) to understand their new dynamic as well as enjoy fresh perspective amid new prejudices.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Wolfs’
Forget Batman and Robin – George Clooney and Brad Pitt are the real dynamic duo in the buddy action comedy. As two rival "fixers" called in to handle the same job, the A-listers are charming, verbally sparring delights who give their stoic characters needed personality when a mixed-up college kid and a bag of drugs turn their night upside down.
Where to watch: Apple TV+