The flicks you need to see in September
September sees the return of a selection of film festival favourites and a host of new familyfriendly movies. Animation abounds, with the return of the Angry Birds on September 12, Dreamworks’ latest yeti-themed adventure Abominable debuting a week later and misfits musical Ugly Dolls making its bow on September 26. Meanwhile, Dora the Explorer gets the live-action treatment (September 26), complete with a villainous Temuera Morrison.
On the documentary front, there’s a trio of NZIFF titles coming back, focusing on Aretha Franklin (Amazing Grace,
September 5), Michael Hutchence (Mystify, September 12) and the Whitbred Round the World Yacht Race’s first allfemale crew (Maiden, September 26), while Chinese-american dramedy The Farewell
(September 5) and the Robert Pattinson-starring sci-fi High Life (September 12) are also coming back on general release.
However, after looking through next month’s schedules, these are the movies we at Stuff
are most excited about seeing.
Ad Astra (September 19)
Brad Pitt headlines this sci-fi drama about a man who has to journey across the solar system to find his missing father – a renegade scientist who poses a threat to humanity.
The impressive cast also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland.
Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (September 5)
Hot on the heels of the release of the 40th anniversary final cut of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, comes this Australian drama set during one of the early conflicts of the Vietnam War. In August 1966, around 100 young Australian and New Zealand soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives against a much bigger North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in a rubber plantation.
Downton Abbey (September 12)
The much-loved British television period drama gets the big-screen treatment with the Crawley family facing one of their biggest challenges yet – a visit from the monarchy. Joining all the regulars are Tuppence Middleton, Stephen Campbell Moore and Imelda Staunton.
Good Boys (September 19)
Superbad and Bad Neighbours’ creatives Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg shift their brand of edgy comedy from tertiary students and teens to tweens with this tale of a trio of young boys who try to impress their classmates by attending a party.
The cast includes Wonder star Jacob Tremblay and Stephen Merchant.
It Chapter 2 (September 5)
Jessica Chastain, James Mcavoy and New Zealand’s Jay Ryan are among those playing the adult versions of The Losers Club, who reunite after kids begin disappearing from Derry once again. It’s 27 years since they defeated Pennywise the Clown, but it seems their battle may be far from over.
Rambo: Last Blood (September 19)
Having seemingly said adios to his boxing alter-ego Rocky Balboa in Creed II, Sylvester Stallone turns his attention back to John Rambo.
His fifth adventure and first in more than a decade, sees the Vietnam War veteran travel to Mexico to try to save a friend’s daughter who has been kidnapped by a cartel.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (September 26)
Based on the children’s book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz, this 1960s-set Guillermo Del Toro-produced horror focuses on three teenagers who have to face their biggest fears when they find themselves at the centre of some terrifying tales.