If you’re a frequent user of Netflix and have become familiar with their regular content rotation, we’re here to help point you towards new content that’s just been added to the streaming service. Now this isn’t simply Netflix original content—this lists comprises new movies that were added to Netflix in September 2019. Ones we’ve seen, ones we’ve loved, and ones that make us laugh.
For this month, Netflix hasn’t added a ton of new content, but there are a few standouts. So let us help cut down on the time spent trying to find the perfect movie to watch, and check out our list of the best new movies on Netflix for September 2019 below.
Superbad
Director: Greg Mottola
Writers: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
Cast: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Seth Rogen, and Bill Hader
If you’re looking for a great comedy, it’s hard to go wrong with Superbad. While the 2007 film has aged poorly in a couple areas, by and large it still holds up as a hilarious chronicle of teen friendship and that anxiety you feel just before going away to college. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera (in what would become breakout roles) play a pair of best friends enjoying their senior year of high school who are on the hunt for alcohol to bring to a party so they’ll finally look cool. Simmering just beneath the surface are tensions because Cera’s character has chosen to go to a different college, and Hill’s character is afraid he’s about to lose his best friend. The story was inspired by the real-life friendship of Rogen and Goldberg, and Rogen too appears in the film alongside a scene-stealing Bill Hader. It’s a raunchy, surprisingly sweet teen movie that marked a key high point in the age of incredibly successful comedies produced by Judd Apatow.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/Return of the King
Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens
Cast: Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Miranda Otto, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, and John Rhys Davies
While Netflix doesn’t have the first (and arguably best) installment of the triumphant Lord of the Rings trilogy, the final two make a nice back-to-back viewing experience if you’re in for a six-hour marathon. The Two Towers features the Battle of Helms Deep, possibly the best battle scene in the trilogy, while The Return of the King is where it all comes to a close. Honestly, in the wake of The Hobbit you can kind of look towards Return of the King to see where Peter Jackson’s overreliance on CG effects comes into play, so that’s another angle to watch out for upon rewatch. And then of course those endings. Those many, many endings. And yet, in spite of the trilogy’s flaws, its triumphs are so good that it still stands as one of the best trilogies ever made.
American Psycho
Director: Mary Harron
Writers: Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner
Cast: Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe, Josh Lucas, and Samantha Mathis
Filmmaker Mary Harron’s 2000 adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho is not for the faint of heart, but the film’s satire is often misunderstood—not unlike David Fincher’s Fight Club. Christian Bale gives a terrifying performance as a New York investment banker obsessed with his looks, material possessions, and personal success, showing outright disdain for those he views as lesser than him. Things take a murderous turn, but it’s all in service of Harron’s themes of greed and materialization run amok. Bale chased after the role hard, and it’s one of the performances that landed him on Warner Bros.’ shortlist to be the new Batman when casting for Batman Begins rolled around.
300
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, and Rodrigo Santoro
Before Man of Steel or Justice League or the “Snyder Cut,” filmmaker Zack Snyder made a huge impression on the world at large with his 2007 action film 300. Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, the film recounts the legendary Battle of Thermopylae during the Persian Wars, during which 300 Spartan soldiers stood tall against over 300,000 invading Persian army. While the film came in the wake of Sin City, Snyder put his own stamp on faithful comic book adaptations with an inventive use of slow motion and high-speed cameras, combined with stylized imagery aided by CG technology. The result is a thrilling, visually gorgeous action film the likes of which we’d never seen before. Say what you will about Snyder’s movies, but the guy is a brilliant visual artist.
Stripes
Director: Ivan Reitman
Writers: Len Blum, Harold Ramis, and Daniel Goldberg
Cast: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, and John Candy
If you’re looking for a comedy classic, it’s hard to go wrong with Stripes. The 1981 Bill Murray comedy revolves around a guy who decides to join the Army after losing his job, apartment, car, and girlfriend within the span of a few hours. The story then follows Murray’s character through training with fellow recruits, with an impressive ensemble that includes John Candy, Harold Ramis, John Larroquette, and Timothy Busfield. While the film goes off the rails a bit in its third act, it’s pretty darn funny throughout, and Murray’s chemistry with Ramis is palpable.
For even more Netflix recommendations, check out our other lists below: