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Sex Education, Spy Kids: Armageddon and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar are among the high-profile new projects debuting on Netflix in September.

Sex Education’s fourth and final season will start streaming Sept. 21, with action shifting from the closed Moordale Secondary to the progressive Cavendish College and Emma Mackey’s Maeve in America. Creator Laurie Nunn said that as the writers were working on season four, “it became clear that this was the right time to graduate.” The final season sees the return of stars Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee Lou Wood, Dua Saleh, Mimi Keene, Kedar Williams-Stirling and Chinenye Ezeudu. Gillian Anderson will also return as Otis’ (Butterfield) sex therapist mom. But the new settings bring fresh faces in Anthony Lexa, Felix Mufti and Alexandra James, who make up the popular group, The Coven; a rival sex therapist for Otis, named O (Thaddea Graham); and Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, who joins Maeve’s world in the U.S.

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The fifth installment of the Spy Kids franchise introduces a new generation of secret agents as two kids, played by Everly Carganilla and Connor Esterson, have to become spies like their parents, played by Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi, in order to save the world from a game developer’s powerful computer virus. Director Robert Rodriguez teamed up with son Racer Max to co-write the latest film, saying in part, “It’s been very exciting for me and my kids to work on this film together as a family, for other families to enjoy.”

And Netflix jumps into the world of Roald Dahl, after acquiring the author’s catalog in a Blockbuster deal in 2021, with four shorts dropping at the end of this month. The series of films, all directed by Wes Anderson, begins with Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Sept. 27, followed by The Swan (Sept. 28), The Rat Catcher (Sept. 29) and Poison (Sept. 30). The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, based on Dahl’s 1977 story of the same name, sees Cumberbatch play a wealthy man who tries to learn how to see without using his eyes as a gambling technique. The short — also starring Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend and Richard Ayoade — had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter’s Leslie Felperin called the film “small but perfectly crafted.”

Additionally, after Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of two murders, Netflix returns to the powerful family’s South Carolina community for a second season of the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal docuseries. The new batch of three episodes of what’s been called “Southern Succession“ will feature firsthand accounts from key figures, including Curtis Edward Smith (aka Cousin Eddie), former housekeeper Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson and Libby Murdaugh’s caregiver Mushelle “Shelly” Smith.

The fifth and final season of NBC medical drama New Amsterdam hits Netflix on Wednesday, with the last 13 episodes of the Ryan Eggold-led series that wrapped earlier this year joining previous seasons on the streamer.

Later this month, the streamer will add four-part docuseries Encounters. The show, produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television in partnership with Boardwalk Pictures and Vice Studios, tells firsthand stories of experiences with otherworldly phenomena, with each episode devoted to a different sighting across the globe, including strange lights over the sky in Texas and an alien encounter in Zimbabwe.

At the end of the month, music video director Grant Singer makes his feature debut with the crime thriller Reptile, starring Justin Timberlake, Benicio del Toro and Alicia Silverstone, the latter two reuniting after 1997’s Excess Baggage. In Reptile, del Toro’s Tom tries to uncover the truth behind the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, with her boyfriend Will (Timberlake) quickly becoming the prime suspect. In her review of the murder mystery, which had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, THR’s arts and culture critic Lovia Gyarkye says Singer “crowds Reptile with gripping sequences, suspenseful moments, dramatic pauses and surprising levity — elements that, despite their overuse, keep the audience on edge and strategically blur the lines between dreams and reality.”

And Netflix returns to the tent with the start of a new season of The Great British Baking Show on Sept. 29. This year, new host Alison Hammond joins Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and Noel Fielding.

Other projects coming to Netflix this September include Love Is Blind season five and Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury, which will feature the return of Blue Ranger Billy (played by David Yost after he returned in the Once and Always anniversary special.)

Earlier this month, Netflix added movies Don’t Worry Darling, Love at First Sight, El Conde, Fences, Field of Dreams, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Arrival, Baby Mama, Hacksaw Ridge, Love Again, Matilda, Miss Congeniality, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Stand by Me, Superbad, Up in the Air, Vice, The Wolf of Wall Street, both Anchorman movies and the Jaws franchise.

And the streamer has added new seasons of Love Is Blind: After the Alter, S.W.A.T., Top Boy, Virgin River, Selling the OC and the docuseries Wrestlers, as well as past HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

Missed what came to Netflix last month? Check out the August 2023 additions here.

Read on for the complete list of titles hitting Netflix this September.

Sept. 1
Arrival
Baby Mama
Couples Retreat
A Day and a Half
Disenchantment: Part 5
Don’t Worry Darling
8 Mile
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fences
Field of Dreams
Friday Night Plan
Hacksaw Ridge
Happy Ending
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Jaws: The Revenge
Kung Fu Panda 2
Land of the Lost
Love Is Blind: After the Altar: Season 4
Matilda
Miss Congeniality
National Security
One Piece Adventure of Nebulandia
One Piece Episode of East Blue — Luffy and His Four Crewmates’ Great Adventure
One Piece Episode of Skypiea
One Piece Film: Gold
One Piece Heart of Gold
One Piece: 3D2Y — Overcome Ace’s Death! Luffy’s Vow to His Friends
Public Enemies
S.W.A.T.: Season 6
Stand by Me
Superbad
U-571
Up in the Air
Vice
Wallace Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Woody Woodpecker

Sept. 2
Love Again

Sept. 3
Crank
Crank 2: High Voltage
Is She the Wolf?

Sept. 5
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs

Sept. 6
Infamy
Predators
Reporting for Duty
Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America
6ixtynin9 The Series
Tahir’s House

Sept. 7
Dear Child
GAMERA -Rebirth-
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight: Season 3
Top Boy: Season 3
Virgin River: Season 5
What If

Sept. 8
A Time Called You
Burning Body
Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master: Ultimate Journeys: The Series: Part 1
Rosa Peral’s Tapes
Selling The OC: Season 2
Spy Ops

Sept. 12
Glow Up: Season 5
Michelle Wolf: It’s Great to Be Here
The Wolf of Wall Street

Sept. 13
Class Act
Freestyle
Wrestlers

Sept. 14
Barbie — A Touch of Magic: Season 1
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction
Once Upon a Crime
Thursday’s Widows

Sept. 15
Ancient Aliens: Seasons 6-7
Band of Brothers
The Club: Part 2
El Conde
Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 7
Intervention: Season 22
Love at First Sight
Miseducation
The Pacific
Surviving Summer: Season 2
Wipeout Part 1

Sept. 16
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

Sept. 18
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark: Chapter 5

Sept. 19
Kountry Wayne: A Woman’s Prayer
The Saint of Second Chances

Sept. 20
Hard Broken
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal: Season 2
New Amsterdam: Season 5

Sept. 21
KENGAN ASHURA: Season 2
Scissor Seven: Season 4
Sex Education: Season 4

Sept. 22
The Black Book
How to Deal With a Heartbreak
Love Is Blind: Season 5
Spy Kids: Armageddon

Sept. 25
Little Baby Bum: Music Time

Sept. 26
Who Killed Jill Dando?

Sept. 27
Encounters
Overhaul
Street Flow 2
Vasco Rossi: Living It
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Sept. 28
Castlevania: Nocturne
The Darkness Within La Luz del Mundo
Love Is in the Air
The Swan

Sept. 29
Choona
Do Not Disturb
Great British Baking Show
Nowhere
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
The Rat Catcher
Reptile

Sept. 30
Poison

And that’s not all – there’s also a new film from Edgar Wright, Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited adaptation of iconic sci-fi novel Dune and a sequel to Top Gun to look forward to, and that’s not even mentioning a new Ghostbusters film.

There are also a few films that we expect to be released in 2021 but don’t yet have exact release dates, and some that have now been moved to 2022.

Here’s everything you need to know about all the biggest releases still to debut in 2021.

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August

Stillwater

Date of release: 6th August 2021

Cast: Matt Damon, Camille Cottin and Abigail Breslin

Director: Tom McCarthy

An American oil-rig roughneck travels to Marseille, France, to visit his estranged daughter, in prison for a murder she claims she didn’t commit.

Last Letter From Your Lover

Date of release: 6th August 2021

Cast: Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, Nabhaan Rizwan, Joe Alwyn, Ncuti Gatwa

Director: Augustine Frizzell

After finding a trove of love letters from the 1960s, a journalist sets out to solve the mystery of a secret affair.

Free Guy

Date of release: 13th August

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Taika Waititi

Director: Shawn Levy

In Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds plays a non-player character in video game Free City who starts to realise that he’s a disposable person inside a games console.

PAW Patrol: The Movie

Date of release: 13th August

Cast: Randall Park, Dax Shephard, Iain Armitage, Yara Shahidi

Director: Cal Brunker

When their biggest rival, Humdinger, starts wreaking havoc as the mayor of Adventure City, Ryder and everyone’s favourite heroic pups kick into high gear to face the challenge.

Don’t Breathe 2

Date of release: 13th August

Cast: Stephen Lang, Rocci Williams, Stephanie Arcila

Director: Rodo Sayagues

A blind veteran must use his military training to save a young orphan from a group of kidnappers.

People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan

Date of release: 18th August

Cast: Allan Mustafa, Steve Stamp, Asim Chaudhry, Hugo Chegwin

Director: Jack Clough

Following a period of quiet, the Kurupt FM crew travel to Japan when they discover that one of their tracks has been used on a popular game show.

Censor

Release date: 20th August

Cast: Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Amelie Child Villiers, Clare Hollman

Director: Prano Bailey-Bond

A British film censor links a disturbing horror movie to her sister’s mysterious disappearance.

Candyman

Date of release: 27th August

Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo

Director: Nia DaCosta

Co-written by Jordan Peele, Candyman is a reboot of the class 1992 horror film, based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden. The thriller follows Anthony McCoy (Abdul-Mateen II) who discovers the true story behind Candyman – the ghost of a killer with a hook for a hand – after moving to the Cabrini Green neighbourhood.

September

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Release date: 3rd September

Cast: Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Ronny Chieng, Michelle Yeoh

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

The movie, based on Marvel Comics, will focus on Shang-Chi; “The Master of Kung-Fu”.

Respect

Date of release: 10th September

Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron

Director: Liesl Tommy

Respect is the story of Aretha Franklin who sings in her father’s church choir as a child and grows up to become an international musical superstar and legend.

Infinite

Date of release: 10th September

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas, Rupert Friend, Toby Jones, and Dylan O’Brien

Director: Antoine Fuqua

The hallucinations of a schizophrenic are revealed to be memories from past lives where he obtained talents that he still has to this day.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Date of release: 15th September

Cast: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Reid Scott, Naomie Harris

Director: Andy Serkis

Follow-up to 2018 superhero movie Venom, Venom 2 – aka Venom: Let There Be Carnage – will pit Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock against Woody Harrelson’s deranged Cletus Kasady.

Gunpowder Milkshake

Date of release: 17th September

Cast: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Chloe Coleman, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Paul Giamatti

Director: Navot Papushado

To protect an 8-year-old girl, a dangerous assassin reunites with her mother and her lethal associates to take down a ruthless crime syndicate and its army of henchmen.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Date of release: 17th September

Cast: Max Harwood, Richard E. Grant, Sharon Horgan, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Sarah Lancashire, and Ralph Ineson.

Director: Jonathan Butterell

Feature film adaptation of the musical about a teenager from Sheffield who wants to be a drag queen.

No Time to Die

Date of release: 30th September

Cast: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear, Ralph Fiennes, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas

Director: Cary Fukunaga

Daniel Craig’s 007 swansong sees Bond approached by his friend and CIA officer Felix Leiter, who enlists his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist.

Cinderella

Date of release: September TBC

Cast: Camila Cabello, Billy Porter as the Fab G, Idina Menzel, Nicholas Galitzine, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Maddie Baillio, Charlotte Spencer, John Mulaney

Director: Kay Cannon

Romantic musical comedy film based on the fairy tale of the same name.

Dune

Date of release: 1st October

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin

Director: Denis Villeneuve

In this adaptation of the sci-fi novel Dune, Duke Leto Atreides (Isaac) accepts his stewardship of desert planet Dune, the only source of ‘the spice’ – a drug which prolongs human life.

October

Halloween Kills

Date of release: 15th October

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens, Charles Cyphers, Anthony Michael Hall

Director: David Gordon Green

Follow up to 2018’s Halloween reboot, set in the immediate aftermath of the film as Laurie Strode and her family work with new and old allies to form a mob against Michael Myers, who is still loose in Haddonfield.

Dear Evan Hansen

Date of release: 22nd October

Cast: Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Colton Ryan, Danny Pino, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams

Director: Stephen Chbosky

A high school senior suffers from social anxiety disorder which leads him to struggle at school. His journey of self-discovery and acceptance begins following the suicide of a fellow classmate.

The Boss Baby 2

Date of release: 22nd October

Cast: Alec Baldwin, John Flanagan, James McGrath

Director: Tom McGrath

Animated sequel to the 2016 film.

The French Dispatch

Date of release: 22nd October 2021

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray

Director: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson’s latest star-studded comedy-drama centres around an American newspaper named The French Dispatch located in a fictional French city. There are three storylines told throughout the film, inspired by various real-life events.

The Many Saints of Newark

Date of release: 22nd October

Cast: John Magaro, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Leslie Odom Jr

Director: Alan Taylor

The Many Saints of Newark – a prequel to acclaimed TV series The Sopranos – takes a look at the formative years of New Jersey gangster, Tony Soprano.

Last Night in Soho

Date of release: 29th October

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp

Director: Edgar Wright

A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer.

November

Eternals

Date of release: 5th November

Cast: Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Barry Keoghan, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington

Director: Chloe Zhao

The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilisations.

Ghostbusters: After Life

Date of release: 12th November

Cast: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts

Director: Jason Reitman

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife a single mother and her two children move to a new town and soon discover that they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather’s secret legacy.

Top Gun: Maverick

Release date: 19th November 2021

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris

Director: Joseph Kosinski

In Top Gun: Maverick, after more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

House of Gucci

Release date: 26th November 2021

Cast: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Jack Huston, Reeve Carney, Salma Hayek, and Jeremy Irons

Director: Ridley Scott

The turbulent marriage and divorce of Patrizia and Maurizio Gucci, the head of the Gucci fashion house, leads to murder.

Encanto

Release date: 26th November 2021

Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, Ben Stiller

Director: Byron Howard and Jared Bush

A girl in Colombia faces the frustration of being the only member of her family who doesn’t have magical powers.

December

West Side Story

Date of release: 10th December

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez

Director: Steven Spielberg

In this adaptation of the Broadway musical, West Side Story stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria, who fall in love despite being members of rival gangs.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Date of release: 17th December

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfred Molina.

Director: Jon Watts

Latest instalment in the MCU and sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

The King’s Man

Date of release: 22nd December

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Charles Dance

Director: Matthew Vaughn

In the prequel to the Kingsman films, The King’s Man, one man (Fiennes) and his protégé must band together to stop history’s worst tyrants from wiping out millions.

Downton Abbey 2

Date of release: 22nd December

Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Matthew Goode, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Jim Carter, Laura Haddock, Huch Dancy, Nathalie Baye,

Director: Simon Curtis

Lord and Lady Grantham request the pleasure of moviegoers’ company at their Yorkshire country estate this Christmas.

The Matrix 4

Date of release: 22nd December

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, and Daniel Bernhardt

Director: Lana Wachowski

The fourth entry in The Matrix series, 18 years after the previous installment.

2021 releases TBC

The following films are expected to be released in 2021 but don’t yet have an official release date:

The Green Knight

Date of release: 2021 TBC

Cast: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan and Ralph Ineson

Director: David Lowery

A fantasy adventure based on the Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s headstrong nephew, who embarks on a quest to confront the eponymous Knight, a gigantic tree-like creature.

Bob’s Burgers: The Movie

Date of release: 2021 TBC

Cast: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal

Director: Loren Bouchard

Feature film based on the animated TV series.

2022 releases

The following films had originally been scheduled for 2021 but were moved back to 2022 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic:

Deep Water

Date of release: 14th January 2022

Cast: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas

Director: Adrian Lyne

In this erotic thriller, Affleck and de Armas play married couple Vic and Melinda, who fall out of love with one another and begin playing mind games which starts to have deadly effects on the people around them.

Morbius

Date of release: 21st January 2022

Cast: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but when his experiment goes wrong, he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.

Death on the Nile

Date of release: 11th February 2022

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Death on Nile sees Kenneth Branagh reprise his role as Hercule Poirot in this Agatha Christie adaptation. Poirot is tasked with uncovering a murderer whilst on holiday in Egypt

Mission: Impossible 7

Date of release: 27th May 2022

Cast: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett, Frederick Schmidt, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Cary Elwes

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

The latest instalment of the high octane action franchise starring Tom Cruise as MIF agent Ethan Hunt.

Jurassic World: Dominion

Release date: 10th June 2022

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Also known as Jurassic World 3, the latest film in the ongoing Jurassic Park franchise will see original franchise leads Neill, Dern and Goldblum reunite.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

January 2021

Herself – Amazon Prime – 9th January

Locked Down – HBO Max release – 14th January

The Marksmen – 15th January

One Night in Miami – 15th January

Outside the Wire – 15th January

The Ultimate Playlist of Noise – 15th January

Our Friend – 22nd January

The White Tiger – 22nd January

Penguin Bloom – 27th January

The Dig – 29th January

Finding ‘Ohana – 29th January

The Little Things – 29th January

Palmer – 29th January

Saint Maud – 29th January

Supernova – 29th January

February 2021

Bliss – 5th February

Falling – 5th February

Little Fish – 5th February

Malcolm Marie – 5th February

Minamata – 5th February

The Right One – 5th February

Son of the South – 5th February

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – 12th February

French Exit – 12th February

Judas and the Black Messiah – 12th February

Land – 12th February

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things – 12th February

To All the Boys: Always and Forever – 12th February

Blithe Spirit – 19th February

Flora Ulysses – 19th February

I Care a Lot – 19th February

The Mauritanian – 19th February

Nomadland – 19th February

Cherry – 26th February

Crisis – 26th February

The Father – 26th February

Tom and Jerry – 26th February

Tyger Tyger – 26th February

The United States vs Billie Holiday – 26th February

March 2021

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell – 1st March

Moxie – 3rd March

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run – 4th March

Boogie – 5th March

Boss Level – 5th March

Chaos Walking – 5th March

Coming 2 America – 5th March

My Salinger Year – 5th March

Raya and the Last Dragon – 5th March

Cherry – 12th March

Yes Day – 12th March

Zack Snyder’s Justice League – 18th March

The Courier – 19th March

A Week Away – 26th March

Bad Trip – 26th March

Nobody – 26th March

Godzilla vs Kong – 31st March

Bobby Brown – 31st March

April 2021

The Unholy – 2nd April

Thunder Force – 9th April

Voyagers – 9th April

Mortal Kombat – 23rd April

Separation – 30th Aprril

Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse – 30th April

Michael B. Jordan – 30th April

May 2021

Here Today – 7th May

Monster – 7th May

Wrath of Man – 7th May

Finding You – 14th May

Profile – 14th May

Spiral: From The Book Of Saw – 14th May

Those Who Wish Me Dead – 14th May

The Woman In The Window – 14th May

Army of the Dead – 21st May

Dream Horse – 21st May

Blue Miracle – 27th May

A Quiet Place II – 28th May

Cruella – 28th May

June 2021

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – 4th June

Spirit Untamed – 4th June

Infinite – 10th June

In the Heights – 11th June

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard – 16th June

Fatherhood – 18th June

Luca – 18th June

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – 18th June

The Sparks Brothers – 18th June

F9: The Fast Saga – 25th June

False Positive – 25th June

The Ice Road – 25th June

Zola – 30th June

July 2021

No Sudden Move – 1st July

The Boss Baby: Family Business – 2nd July

Fear Street Part One: 1994 – 2nd July

The Forever Purge – 2nd July

The Tomorrow War – 2nd July

Black Widow – 9th July

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 – 9th July

Gunpowder Milkshake – 14th July US, 17th September UK

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions – 16th July

Fear Street Part Three: 1966 – 16th July

Space Jam: New Legacy – 16th July

If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Movies hub for all the latest news.

National Champions – Picture: STX Films

Welcome to your first daily roundup of what’s new on Netflix (US) for this week, where we’ll be looking through all six new movies, seven new series, and a new mobile game added to the streamer so far this week.

Quite a few titles still to come this week, including not least the brand new Spy Kids movie that sees Robert Rodriguez returning to the director’s chair on the over-the-top franchise.

On the removal front, you only have hours left to watch In Darkness (2018) with other titles set to leave in the coming days, including The Vanishing (2018), My Mother’s Wound (2016), and Animal World (2018).

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Best New Releases on Netflix This Week So Far

National Champions (2021)

Rating: R
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Sport
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Cast: Stephan James, J.K. Simmons, Alexander Ludwig
Writer: Adam Mervis
Runtime: 116 min / 1h 56m

In a surprise addition today (Netflix didn’t include it in its September 2023 schedule) is the STX Films feature-film National Champions.

“Determined to win his first title, a college coach struggles to keep his life and team together when his quarterback goes on strike against the NCAA.”

If you’re a fan of All American and can’t wait for the new season, which has been delayed due to the strikes, this should be a perfect stopgap.

In their review of the movie, ReadySteadyCut concluded that both the main actors “give a knockout turn in the flawed but highly entertaining National Champions,” ultimately handing it a 3-star rating.

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Sex Education (Season 4)

Number of episodes: 8
Rating: TV-MA
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
Writer: Laurie Nunn
Runtime: 45 min

Today comes the bittersweet news that Sex Education has come to an end at the streaming service four years after the first touched down. It’s been a whirlwind adventure for the teens who have now moved up from High School into Sixth Form College.

Reviews haven’t been particularly strong for the final season, with DiscussingFilm noting that the final season falters under the weight of its giant cast.

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New Amsterdam (Season 5)

Number of episodes: 13
Rating: TV-14
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Cast: Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Jocko Sims
Runtime: 43 min

Picture: NBC

If you’re looking for a show you can now binge from start to finish on Netflix, now is your chance to do just that with New Amsterdam that saw its fifth and final season added to the streamer.

Season 5 of the medical drama sees Dr. Goodwin trying to come to terms with his recent breakup all while dealing with the regular headaches of running a hospital.

All 89 episodes will now reside on Netflix for the foreseeable future.

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Full List of New Titles Added to Netflix: September 21st

6 New Movies Added

• Kountry Wayne: A Woman’s Prayer (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – Comedian Kountry Wayne delivers a rousing stand-up set about life as a dad of 10, how to know if a woman likes you and why he keeps it real with Jesus.
• National Champions (2021) – R – English
• Skylines (2020) – R – English – When a mysterious alien virus begins to endanger humanity, an elite team of soldiers launches into space to end the threat for good.
• Suspect X (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Hindi – When a single mother is caught in a crime investigation, her neighbor — a gifted math teacher — offers to help and a relentless cop digs into the case.
• The Foreigner (2017) – R – English – After his daughter is killed by terrorists, a sullen restaurateur seeks the identities of those responsible, taking vengeance into his own hands.
• The Saint of Second Chances (2023) Netflix Original – TV-14 – English – A baseball dynasty built on fun — and a disco disaster that nearly undid it all. Explore the comeback of a lifetime in this documentary about Mike Veeck.

7 New TV Series Added

• Hard Broken (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Arabic – A tragic murder sends a friend group into a frenzy, revealing hidden romances and betrayals lurking beneath the surface of their seemingly perfect lives.
• KENGAN ASHURA (Season 2) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – Ohma Tokita enters a hidden world where corporate disputes are settled in brutal gladiator bouts. Forget the money, he just wants to fight — and win.
• Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Season 2 ) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – Shocking tragedies shatter a tight-knit South Carolina community and expose the horrifying secrets of its most powerful family.
• My Little Pony: Make Your Mark (Chapter 5) Netflix Original – TV-Y – English – Welcome back to Equestria, where pony magic is everywhere. With friends Zipp, Sunny, Izzy, Pipp and Hitch leading the way, adventure is sure to follow!
• New Amsterdam (Season 5) – TV-14 – English – One of America’s oldest hospitals welcomes a new maverick director in Dr. Max Goodwin, who steps up to change the status quo and save patients’ lives.
• Scissor Seven (Season 4) Netflix Original – TV-14 – Chinese – Seeking to recover his memory, a scissor-wielding, hairdressing, bungling quasi-assassin stumbles into a struggle for power among feuding factions.
• Sex Education (Season 4) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – Insecure Otis has all the answers when it comes to sex advice, thanks to his therapist mother. So rebel Maeve proposes a school sex-therapy clinic.

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Top 10 Movies and Series on Netflix for September 21st

What are you currently watching on Netflix? Let us know down below.

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What a difference a year makes. Last fall, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the movie industry. Studios pushed back some of the season’s biggest premieres to 2021 or indefinitely halted production all together as movie-going audiences sheltered in place. The upheaval resulted in a year of “lost” releases. Except for Tenet … which really came out last August. Wild.

A year later, conditions are at once both radically different and much the same. The development and subsequent rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has given some studios the confidence to move forward with their fall premiere plans, though a rise in cases tied to the COVID Delta variant has forced both filmgoers and studios to make the calculated decision of where and how to watch this year’s most anticipated new releases, if at all. But off the theatrical success of Marvel’s Shang-Chi over Labor Day weekend, many studios are prepared to move forward with the release schedule — and lean on streaming like never before.

To that end, here’s a list of what movies are playing in wide release this fall, from theater-only screenings to streaming exclusives and everything in-between. There’s a wealth of exciting new films to watch this season, here’s what you should keep your eyes out for.

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The Card Counter

Image: Focus Features

Paul Schrader follows his 2018 spiritual drama First Reformed with a moody vehicle for Oscar Isaac. The actor plays William Tell, an ex-military interrogator-turned-gambler who makes it his personal mission to reform a troubled young man (Tye Sheridan) out for revenge against Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe). With the backing of La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), Tell and his protege set out on the road with their sights set on winning the World Series of poker in Las Vegas. Having screened out of festivals, early word is that Schrader has once again delivered a gnarly human drama. Vulture critic Alison Wilmore wrote in her review:

William recognizes the puerility of Cirk’s dead-end mission, and without acknowledging the degree it’s also his, dedicates himself to helping the young man move on. The Card Counter takes place in a punishing world of windowless casinos, hotel ballrooms, and highways devoid of scenery — a vision of the America used to justify the actions that now so traumatize William, that is intentionally bereft of poetry until La Linda takes William to a park illuminated by Christmas lights. If it’s not a country worth losing your soul for, it’s also not one that will pay any mind to a life spent wallowing in angst over it, either.

In theaters on Sept. 10

Kate

Photo: Jasin Boland/Netflix

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars in the Atomic Blonde-meets-Crank revenge action thriller Kate as a preternaturally gifted assassin who is poisoned by her employers and sets out on a 24-hour manhunt to exact revenge on those who betrayed her. As her body rapidly deteriorates under the effects of the poison, Kate forms an unlikely bond with Ani (Miku Patricia Martineau), the teenage daughter of one of her past targets. With nothing left to lose, Kate embarks on one last self-appointed mission of retribution.

Streaming on Netflix on Sept. 10

Malignant

Image: Warner Bros.

Saw and Insidious director James Wan returns to the horror genre with Malignant, his latest psychological horror thriller starring Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders). The film follows Madison (Wallis), a young woman inexplicably wracked by debilitating visions and nightmares of people being brutally murdered. Except … the visions are real. In order to stop the killer and save her own life, Madison delves into the long dormant secrets of her past and face her darkest fears. If this has anywhere close to the energy of Wan’s Insidious, audiences are sure to be in for a horror film that keep their hearts racing and make it just a whee bit harder to fall asleep at night.

In theaters and on HBO Max on Sept. 10

Nightbooks

CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/Netflix

If you’re hungry for a retro-themed horror fantasy in the vein of 2019’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Leigh Janiak’s Fear Street trilogy, David Yarovesky’s Nightbooks should sate your appetite. Based on the J. A. White’s children’s book of the same name, the film stars Winsolw Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made) as Alex, a precocious young boy with an obsession with scary stories who is abducted by a nefarious witch (Krysten Ritter) and imprisoned in her magical apartment. Forced to tell a scary story every night or face horrific consequences, Alex must team up with his fellow prisoner Yasmin (Lidya Jewett) to escape the witch’s grasp and safely return home.

Streaming on Netflix on Sept. 15

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Photo: Amazon Studios

In director Jonathan Butterell’s film adaptation of Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae’s award-winning coming-of-age stage musical, Max Harwood stars as Jamie New, a 16-year-old teenager from a blue collar English town who just doesn’t quite fit in. Spurned by his teachers and ostracized by his peers, Jamie nonetheless remains determined to pursue his dream of become a proud drag queen. With the support of his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel), his mother (Sarah Lancashire), and his mentor Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant), Jamie defies his naysayers and inspires his community across several colorful music numbers in a story about remaining true to yourself even (and especially) when it’s hard.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 17

Prisoners of the Ghostland

Photo: Toshio Watanabe/ RLJE Films

Nicolas Cage (Mandy, Jiu Jitsu) stars in Japanese provocateur Sio Sono’s neo-noir western action film Prisoners of the Ghostland as Hero, a notorious criminal imprisoned in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town who is hired by a wealthy warlord known as The Governor (Bill Moseley) to rescue his adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) in exchange for his freedom. Fitted with a set of explosive devices fitted to his neck, arms, and ahem other areas, Hero ventures into the dark parallel universe known as the Ghostland and break a terrible curse that imprisons both Bernice and countless others. We caught this wild movie out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, so here’s a taste of what to expect:

Let’s not underestimate Cage. He rises to Sono’s level. Sporting strange sprayed-on Ken-doll makeup and Lee Marvin killer energy, Cage becomes a living action figure. He even has kung-fu grip! In a third-act sequence, Cage (or at least a spot-on body double in armor) goes toe-to-toe with the head samurai, delivering moves that keep up with the kinetic camerawork. If only Sono had found more for Boutella to do, Prisoners of the Ghostland might have achieved instant cult status. With action credits like Kingsman, Atomic Blonde, and Star Trek Beyond to her name, she’s more than capable of executing stunts and choreography. Sono loses her in Cage’s shadow, but again, she can really make that gatling gun sing.

In theaters and on VOD on Sept. 17

The Many Saints of Newark

Photo: HBO Max

David Chase’s The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, follows a young Anthony “Tony” Soprano through his formative years as a young gangster working for his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). As rival crime families rise up to wrest apart the powerful DiMeo family’s stranglehold over the tumultuous race-torn city, Dickie’s actions and decisions in the face of these challenging times will leave a profound and lasting impression on his young nephew and play an inevitable role in shaping him into the ruthless crime boss he will one day become.

In theaters and streaming on HBO Max on Oct. 1

Titane

Image: Neon

Raw director Julia Ducournau returns with another raucous body horror-thriller in the form of her sophomore feature, Titane. The film stars Agathe Rouselle as a young girl who survives a horrific car crash and has a titanium plate fitted inside her skull. Featuring murder, sex, impregnation by vehicles, and love borne out of deception, with a premise that sounds like head-on collision between David Cronenberg’s Crash and 2012’s The Imposter, Titane won the Palme d’Or during its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this past July and seems all but poised to become this year’s most talked-about film.

In theaters on Oct. 1

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Image: Sony Pictures

Tom Hardy returns as the down on his luck reporter-turned-symbiote-infused-vigilante Venom in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Directed by Andy Serkis (yes, that Andy Serkis), the film follows Eddie Brock (Hardy) as he attempts to reinvigorate his career by interviewing the notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson). Still struggling to adjust to his life as the human host for the sentient symbiote Venom, Eddie will have to face off against a slobbering new nemesis, Carnage. The film was originally slated to premiere in September, but was delayed to October due to renewed concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In theaters on Oct. 1

No Time To Die

Photo: MGM

Daniel Craig returns for his final outing as 007 in director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time to Die, the 25th installment in the James Bond film series. Set five years after the events of 2015’s Spectre, the film follows the now-retired MI6 agent as he is enlisted in the search for a missing scientist named Valdo Obruchev. Bond’s search for answers thrusts him into the crosshairs of a dangerous new nemesis in the form of Lytusifer Safin (Rami Malek), as well as old friends and adversaries alike. Featuring returning performances by Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, as well as new appearances by Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas, No Time to Die will finally see its long-awaited premiere in theaters this fall after being delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In theaters on Oct. 8

Lamb

Photo: A24

Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason play a childless couple, who discover a mysterious lamb-headed newborn in Valdimar Jóhannsson’s supernatural drama Lamb. Adopting the child and raising it as their own, the couple’s newfound happiness is nevertheless assailed from both within and outside their idyllic Icelandic farm. Like most A24 films, it looks impeccably well-shot and deeply sinister. I am absolutely terrified both for and of that child.

In theaters on Oct. 8

Halloween Kills

Photo: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween Kills, the 12th installment in the long running Halloween horror franchise. Taking place directly after the events of 2018’s Halloween — that movie being a canon-scrubbing sequel to John Carpenter’s original 1978 film — Strode and her family must continue to fend off the relentless murder spree of Michael Myers with the help of the Haddonfield community. Will Michael finally, finally die this time? Probably not, because director David Gordon Green is rounding out his reboot/sequel series with a third movie Halloween Ends, but we bet this one’s a spooky time at the movies anyway.

In theaters on Oct. 15

The Last Duel

Photo: 20th Century Studios

Good Will Hunting duo Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have written another movie … and wisely hired Nicole Holofcener (Walking and Talking) to help them grapple with a challenging subject matter. Set in 14th-century France, The Last Duel follows the story of Marguerite de Thibouville (Jodie Comer), wife of knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon). After accusing de Carrouges’s best friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) of rape, the two men engage in trial by combat in the last legally sanctioned duel in France’s history. Directed by Ridley Scott with beautiful cinematography courtesy of Dariusz Wolski and supporting performances by Affleck and Alex Lawther as Count Pierre d’Alençon and King Charles VI respectively, The Last Duel by all appearances looks like a historical drama destined for award buzz.

In theaters on Oct. 15

Dune

Photo: Chiabella James for Vanity Fair

Set thousands of years in the future, Denis Villenueve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s celebrated sci-fi epic Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, son and heir to the powerful Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who is haunted by strange and vivid dreams related to some great, yet unknown destiny. Assuming stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis, colloquially known as Dune, the Atreides must contend with not only the challenges of their dangerous new terrain but the treachery of the Harkonnens, their centuries-long adversaries and Dune’s former stewards led by the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). Can Villeneuve’s film succeed where David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s efforts fell short and deliver an adaptation worthy of its source material? We got an early look at the film out of the Venice Film Festival and signs point to yes.

In theaters and streaming on HBO Max on Oct. 15

The French Dispatch

Image: Searchlight Pictures

Wes Anderson’s latest film is a self-described “A love letter to journalists,” inspired by the director’s love of The New Yorker and following the stories of American newspaper outpost based in the in the fictional French city of “Ennui-sur-Blasé.” Featuring performances by Benicio del Toro, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Liev Schrieber, Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Léa Seydoux, Bill Murray, and many more, The French Dispatch (alternatively titled The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun) sounds as be as offbeat, hilarious, and whimsically idiosyncratic as any of Anderson’s films at his best.

In theaters on Oct. 22

Last Night in Soho

Image: Focus Features

Thomasin McKenzie (Old) stars in Edgar Wright’s psychological horror thriller Last Night in Soho as Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer who finds herself miraculously transported to the 1960s where she vicariously inhabits the life of a dazzling lounge singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). It’s not long before Eloise’s lucid escapades morph into insidious sojourns into a dark and terrifying world of waking nightmares.

In theaters on Oct. 29

Antlers

Photo: Searchlight Pictures

Black Mass director Scott Cooper’s supernatural horror thriller Antlers stars Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons as Julia and Paul Meadows, a school teacher and sheriff of a small town in Oregon, who become embroiled in a desperate fight to protect a young child (Jeremy T. Thomas) who is secretly harboring a malevolent, ancestral creature inside his house. It looks terrifying, and Guillermo del Toro’s name as a producer goes a long way.

In theaters on Oct. 29

The Harder They Fall

DAVID LEE/Netflix © 2021

Starring an ensemble cast including Regina King, Delroy Linkdo, Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield and more, and produced by none other than Jay-Z, Jeymes Samuel’s (aka The Bullitts) feature length debut The Harder They Fall is a contemporary Black Western worth getting excited for. When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers his longtime nemesis Rufus Black (Elba) has escaped from prison, he’ll have to reunite his old gang in order enact revenge on Rufus and his cohorts. Expect a whole lot of shootouts, anachronisms, and impeccably sleek-looking leather dusters.

Streaming on Netflix on Nov. 3

Eternals

Image: Marvel Studios

Chloe Zhao’s Eternals introduces longtime MCU fans to its titular cast of interstellar guardians ( not to be confused of with the Guardians of the Galaxy, of course). Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, an immortal alien race who have been living on Earth secretly for thousands of years rise up to defend the planet against a grave threat in the form of their immortal enemies, the Deviants. Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie, the film is sure to have major consequence in the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home and next year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In theaters on Nov. 5

Finch

Photo: Apple TV Plus

Though science fiction isn’t something for which he’s particular well known for, Tom Hanks proved his skills as a dramatic performer could translate to the genre through his work on 2012’s Cloud Atlas. Finch, the feature debut of Game of Thrones director and soon-to-be House of the Dragon showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, sees Hanks once again dipping his toes back into sci-fi, this time as one of the last surviving men on the planet who invents a robot companion named Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones) before embarking on a journey across the country. There’s no footage released as of yet, but the look of Hanks’ funky shirt and his robot pal it seems like it’ll be fun, weird, and soul-stirring adventure.

Streaming on Apple TV Plus on Nov. 5

Spencer

Image: Neon

Kristen Stewart is a far way away nowadays from her days as a Twilight starlet, having proven her chops as a dramatic actress with engrossing performances in films like 2016’s Personal Shopper and 2020’s Underwater. With Pablo Larraín’s biographical drama Spencer, Stewart takes on her most challenging and multifaceted role yet as Princess Diana in the midst of her impending divorce from Prince Charles. The cinematography in the film’s trailer, courtesy of Portrait of a Lady on Fire’s Claire Mathon, looks sumptuous and bathed in an ethereal glow of washed out hues, and Stewart’s resemblance to the late Princess of Wales in her heyday is uncanny. If Larraín’s work on 2016’s Jackie is any indication, Stewart could very well be set for a Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

In theaters on Nov. 5

Passing

Photo: Netflix

Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel Passing stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as Irene and Clare, two childhood friends from a mixed-race background who reunite in adulthood. While Irene openly identifies as a black woman, Clare as manage to live a life “passing” as a white woman in an attempt to circumvent the institutional prejudices of her time. Larsen’s novel is acclaimed for its nuanced portrayal of social malleability of race as a form of both performance and innate identity. Hall, miraculously, captures it with surgical precision and immaculate black and white photography. Passing was the big surprise of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and shouldn’t be missed when it slips on to streaming later this year.

Streaming on Netflix on Nov. 10

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Image: Columbia Pictures

When you’re (once again) trying to reboot the Ghostbusters movie franchise, who ya gonna call? Jason Reitman apparently, that’s who! Set 30 years after the events of Ghostbusters 2, Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Carrie Coon as Callie, a single mother and daughter of the late Dr. Egon Spengler. After moving to her family’s decrepit farmhouse in Oklahoma, her daughter Phoebe (I, Tonya’s Mckenna Grace) and son Trevor (Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard) discover their grandfather’s legacy and set out to resolve a paranormal disturbance that threatens to endanger the entire world.

In theaters on Nov. 11

Red Notice

Photo: Netflix

Dwayne Johnson stars in yet another high-octane action thriller as a law enforcer working alongside a former (?) criminal to take down a mutual adversary, but this time wholly unrelated to the Fast and Furious franchise! Rawson Marshall Thurber’s Red Notice follows FBI Agent John Hartley on his mission to track down and apprehend Sarah Black (Gal Gadot) and Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds), two notorious criminals that vie to compete across several high-profile heists across the globe. The tone of the trailer feels similiar in the vein of The Hitman’s Bodyguard meets the aforementioned Hobbes Shaw, with Reynolds playing the comic relief foil to Johnson’s more steely by-the-books persona. This looks like a blast, especially with Gadot serving up some serious Carmen Sandiego vibes.

Streaming on Netflix on Nov. 12

Encanto

Photo: Walt Disney Pictures / Walt Disney Animation Studios

You know what it feels like to not feel special? Encanto’s Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) sure does. Set in a fantastical version of Colombia, Lilo Stitch director Byron Howard and Zootopia co-director Jared Bush’s musical fantasy comedy centers on the Madrigals, a family in which each member is gifted with a dazzling magical ability like super strength, shapeshifting, or the power to conjure rainbows — all except for Mirabel, the sole “ordinary” member of the family. Obviously, what makes a person “special” is more or less a subject of perception, and Mirabel’s journey to find her place among her siblings will most likely yield a powerful message that what makes one exceptional is not always what is seen on the outside. With original music by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and gorgeous visuals, Encanto looks like a dazzling feel-good animated film for the whole family.

In theaters on Nov. 24

House of Gucci

Photo: MGM/Scott Free Productions

Ridley Scott’s second feature film of 2021 — the filmmaker is 83, by the way — centers on the life and death of Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), the Italian businessman and namesake of the international fashion house Gucci. Playing opposite of Driver is Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) in the role of Gucci’s ex-wife (and the chief conspirator behind his murder) Patrizia Reggiani. Jared Leto looks ridiculous as Maurizio’s cousin Paolo Gucci, and the picturesque villas and neon-lit nightclubs look appropriately luxurious and decadent. If the trailer is any indication, fans of Lady Gaga and similar fare like 2018’s The Assassination of Giani Versace are sure to love this one.

In theaters on Nov. 24

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Image: Sony Pictures

Director Johannes Roberts’ (47 Meters Down) reboot of the Resident Evil film franchise draws more explicitly from the source material of Capcom’s long-running horror series than Paul W. S. Anderson’s 7-film saga. Based on the first two installments in the videogame franchise (and inspired by John Carpenter’s Assult on Precint 13), Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City follows the origin stories of Claire (Kaya Scodelario) and Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), and Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia) as they attempt to survive in the aftermath of a horrific zombie infestation brought about by the machinations of the mysterious Umbrella Corporation.

In theaters on Nov. 24

2021 is in the books, and despite the chaos, we’re still standing. So too is the movie industry, which has been on quite a rollercoaster ride courtesy of COVID-19 and our up-and-down efforts to contain it. Between the theatrical business’ state of flux, and the bumpy track record of movies that opted to debut day-and-date at the multiplex and at home–not to mention the sheer confusion caused by all these shifting paradigms–it’s a minor miracle that, as we get set to turn the calendar to 2022, the country’s cinematic state of affairs is as stable as it presently is.

Credit for that resilience goes in large part to the insatiable appetite of American cinephiles, as well as the abundance of terrific features that, over the past twelve months, have graced screens both big and small. No matter where they premiered (or were seen), offerings from illustrious auteurs and promising newcomers were everywhere, led by the latest from Joel Coen, Joachim Trier, Roy Andersson, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose dramas comprise our top five. Rather than restrict ourselves to a select few triumphs, however, we here at Esquire continue to believe that more is always merrier, and that especially this year, it’s only right to celebrate the numerous diverse domestic and international works that chilled, thrilled, amused, excited and inspired us.

While no list can be definitive, and no unanimous consensus can be achieved, we’re confident you won’t find a more eclectic and electric group of gems than those we’ve chosen as the Best Movies of 2021.

(July 23)

Based on the graphic novel “Sandcastle” by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters, “Old” centers on a family on a tropical holiday. Things take a turn when they discover a secluded beach that causes them to age rapidly— reducing their entire lives into a single day. From thriller veteran director M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abbey Lee, Aaron Pierre, Alex Wolff, Embeth Davidtz, Eliza Scanlen, Emun Elliott, Kathleen Chalfant and Thomasin McKenzie.

Clockwise from top left: Invisible Beauty, Foe, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and Nyad.

Magnolia Pictures; Amazon Studios; A24; Murray Close/Lionsgate; Focus Features; Liz Parkinson/Netflix

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Magnolia Pictures; Amazon Studios; A24; Murray Close/Lionsgate; Focus Features; Liz Parkinson/Netflix

Clockwise from top left: Invisible Beauty, Foe, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and Nyad.

Magnolia Pictures; Amazon Studios; A24; Murray Close/Lionsgate; Focus Features; Liz Parkinson/Netflix

With no end in sight for the Hollywood strikes, we check in on new film releases for the fall. Our critics share recommendations for more than 25 films coming out between now and Thanksgiving.

September

Nia Vardalos as Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

Focus Features

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Nia Vardalos as Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

Focus Features

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Nia Vardalos wrote and directed this third installment in an unexpected franchise springing from her 2002 romantic comedy. Toula and Ian take their daughter and some of their family members to Greece for a reunion. Expect lots of beautiful scenery and, most importantly, the great and good Andrea Martin. — Linda Holmes

Bethann Hardison in Invisible Beauty.

Magnolia Pictures

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Bethann Hardison in Invisible Beauty.

Magnolia Pictures

Invisible Beauty Bethann Hardison’s self-portrait (co-directed with Frédéric Tcheng) chronicles the pioneering Black model’s rise and influence in a rigid, often-hostile fashion industry. After triumphing on the runway in a 1973 “Battle of Versailles” that pitted French designer royalty against American newcomers, Hardison founded a modeling agency and focused on changing the industry from the inside. She nurtured a community of models of color, including superstars Naomi Campbell, Iman and Tyson Beckford. — Bob Mondello

Cassandro Gael García Bernal is the titular real-life, gay luchador (wrestler) dreaming of being something other than the runt who gets smashed by the big guy. Someone suggests that he try being an “exotico” (a fey wrestling caricature), but they always lose, and he wants to win. Bernal is engaging, sexy and charismatic in the ring, and director Roger Ross Williams makes sure you hear the anti-gay slurs turn into cheers for the little guy. A Sundance Festival favorite. — Bob Mondello

Dumb Money In Craig Gillespie’s reality-based comedy, Paul Dano plays a guy with a Reddit page who went up against big hedge funds in 2021 in what became known as the “GameStop short squeeze.” The Reddit page recommended GameStop stock and its followers bought it. Hedge funds (Seth Rogen is their chief fall guy) saw them as amateurs (“dumb money”) and bet against the stock, assuming that it would fall. Small investors kept buying, making millions as the hedge funds lost billions. A feel-good comedy, yes? — Bob Mondello

Eve Hewson as Flora in Flora and Son.

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Eve Hewson as Flora in Flora and Son.

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Flora and Son When writer/director John Carney tackles a music-inflected story — Once, Sing Street, Begin Again — it pretty much always comes out crowd-pleasing. This one involves a single mom (Eve Hewson) who rescues a guitar from a dumpster hoping to find a hobby for her disaffected teen son, and when he’s not interested, she goes online to take lessons from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Now, how could that not be a charmer? — Bob Mondello

October

Strange Way of Life I’d wager there isn’t a more sultry trailer this season than Pedro Almodóvar’s first (hopefully not last!) Hollywood Western. The iconic director once turned down the opportunity to direct Brokeback Mountain but clearly maintained his mission to queer the Western on his own terms. There couldn’t be a sexier casting coup than a gunslinging Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke revisiting an old romance — delivered with Almodóvar’s signature color palette, dark humor and emotional precision. — Bilal Qureshi

Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in Foe.

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Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in Foe.

Amazon Studios

Foe Australian director Garth Davis’ Lion starring Dev Patel was a deeply moving and underrated breakthrough, and in this otherwise quieter fall season, Davis’ latest family drama is one of the more promising and mysterious arrivals. The brooding and brilliant Paul Mescal joins Saoirse Ronan as a husband and wife forced to make a harrowing choice in a dystopian future. The sci-fi stakes are being kept cryptic, but the performances excerpted in the trailer suggest an awards season powerhouse. — Bilal Qureshi

Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally in Dicks: The Musical.

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Dicks: The Musical In a bizarre-o musical take on The Parent Trap, a pair of businessmen learn they’re long-lost twins and plot to get their divorced parents back together again. It’s a conceit that’s just out-there enough to succeed with the right creative elements. Luckily, director Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Borat) and performers Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Nathan Lane and Bowen Yang (playing, appropriately, God) are all involved. — Aisha Harris

Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily in Fair Play.

Sergej Radovic/Netflix

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Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily in Fair Play.

Sergej Radovic/Netflix

Fair Play Written and directed by Chloe Domont, this story is about a couple, played by Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich, whose relationship is upended by a promotion at a hedge fund. That might sound like an unusual premise, but the thriller made a splash at Sundance and promises to tackle some interesting dynamics about gender and power. — Linda Holmes

What Happens Later Ex-lovers who’d just as soon never see each other again are stranded at a small regional airport during a snowstorm. Sounds like hell, but if the exes are played by Meg Ryan and David Duchovny, and if Ryan also steps behind the camera as co-writer and director, it might make a winning rom-com, yes? That’s the theory. It’ll be Ryan’s first appearance on-screen in eight years. — Bob Mondello

JaNae Collins, Lily Gladstone, Cara Jade Myers and Jillian Dion in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Apple TV+

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JaNae Collins, Lily Gladstone, Cara Jade Myers and Jillian Dion in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Apple TV+

Killers of the Flower Moon Monumental in scope (and in running time at three-plus hours), Martin Scorsese’s epic adaptation of David Grann’s nonfiction book is a true-crime drama about greed and homicide in 1920s Oklahoma. Cattle rancher Robert De Niro enlists his gullible nephew (Leonardo DiCaprio) in an intricate scheme to rob the Osage Nation of the oil under the “worthless” land to which its people had been exiled. Lily Gladstone plays Mollie, a wrenching figure in an escalating tragedy certain to be remembered during awards season. — Bob Mondello

Radical On the first day of sixth grade in a Mexican border town, students dodge hostage-dragging pickup trucks on their way to school and, once inside, are mostly bored. Except in Sergio’s classroom, where students float in “boats” (upside-down desks), trying not to capsize as part of a lesson about density and mass that only Sergio thinks they have the smarts to pursue. The film, based on a true story, has an uplifting take that’s conventional but proves winning. — Bob Mondello

Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in Nyad.

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Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in Nyad.

Liz Parkinson/Netflix

Nyad Annette Bening is swimming legend Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster is her longtime pal and reluctant coach, Bonnie Stoll, in this recounting of Nyad’s several attempts, in her 60s, to swim the 110 miles from Cuba to Florida’s Key West without a shark cage. She’d failed when still in her prime, but now — out of shape but determined — she wants another go. With Mother Nature throwing everything she has at them, Bening and Foster are garnering raves, as is the cinematography. — Bob Mondello

Niousha Noor as Shirin in The Persian Version.

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Niousha Noor as Shirin in The Persian Version.

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The Persian Version Immigrant angst and intergenerational collisions have always been at the heart of American cinema, and in recent years there have been even more specific and nuanced portrayals — from Hulu’s Ramy to Netflix’s Beef. Now I can’t wait for filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz’s big-screen Persian Version of that classic coming-of-self story. A hit at this year’s Sundance, it’s about a queer young woman and her Iranian mother, told through dance numbers, pop songs, sex, comedy and palpable heart. — Bilal Qureshi

Dear David Those of us who love web comic author Adam Ellis’ funny, creepy, sexy queer work have always expected him to break into the mainstream. Few of us expected it to happen this way, though. Dear David dramatizes a Twitter thread (no, seriously) that Ellis wrote in 2017, while he was still working at BuzzFeed, about encountering the ghost of a small boy in his apartment. The Tweet went viral, and here we are. Look, Lana Turner was discovered at a drugstore. — Glen Weldon

The Killer Bland title aside, David Fincher’s crime thriller looks like a fun, intense time at the movies in the tradition of John Wick. Michael Fassbender — in his first film since 2019’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix — plays an assassin who goes head-to-head with his employers and might be losing his mind. It also features Tilda Swinton and is based on an acclaimed French graphic novel series. Following Fincher’s last feature, Mank, his return to the brooding psychological genre is a welcome one. — Aisha Harris

Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.

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Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.

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The Holdovers This comedy-drama reteams director Alexander Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti in the story of an embittered teacher at a boarding school forced to supervise students who stay on campus over Christmas break. It’s Payne, so despite the setting, don’t expect maudlin, sentimental Dead Poets Society-type uplift. No, we’ll likely get lots of flintiness and passive-aggression. And if we get any moments of human connection, they’ll feel surprising — and fully earned. — Glen Weldon

November

Quiz Lady The triumphant year of the R-rated female-led comedy continues here, with Sandra Oh and Awkwafina playing estranged sisters who set aside their resentment to compete together on a game show. Jason Schwartzman and Will Ferrell also star, but really all you need to know is that Oh, primarily known for playing Type A overachievers, is portraying the hot mess sibling of the family — and that should be more than enough of a selling point. — Aisha Harris

Rustin Biopics can often be a rote slog, but the fact that this centers on the gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and stars the fantastic Colman Domingo (who is himself gay) is promising. Director George C. Wolfe’s previous work for the stage and screen has never been dull, and the cast is stacked with some of our finest character actors, including Glynn Turman, CCH Pounder, Jeffrey Wright and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. — Aisha Harris

The Marvels Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers, and meets up with Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris as Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, in the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the film will present a number of questions: What’s the status of the theatrical elements of the MCU? What will be the effect of releasing a big Marvel movie with very limited promotion during the strikes? The strong trio of MCU women is a reason for optimism. — Linda Holmes

Erika Alexander as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in American Fiction.

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Erika Alexander as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in American Fiction.

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American Fiction First off, this cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, Sterling K. Brown. (And more!) Also, this creator: Cord Jefferson, in his feature directing debut. His fingerprints have been all over some great TV from the last few years, including Watchmen. And finally, the subject: In an adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure, Wright plays a notable author who unwittingly finds huge success with a novel full of Black stereotypes and must contend with the monster he has unleashed. — Aisha Harris

Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes.

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Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes.

Murray Close/Lionsgate

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes In this prequel to the original trilogy, it’s 64 years before Katniss Everdeen brought down the regime of President Coriolanus Snow. District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) is prepping to fight in the 10th Hunger Games, ironically, mentored by that same Coryo Snow (Tom Blyth), who is then 18. Also on hand, Game inventors Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage, and Jason Schwartzman as TV host “Lucky” Flickerman, presumed ancestor to Stanley Tucci’s character. — Bob Mondello

Next Goal Wins.

Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Searchlight Pictures

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Next Goal Wins.

Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Searchlight Pictures

Next Goal Wins Writer/director Taika Waititi’s last couple of films (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Love and Thunder) showed signs that his sharp, defiantly off-kilter sensibility might be losing its singular vigor. Here’s hoping that in tackling this tale (along with co-screenwriter Iain Morris) about a sozzled, washed-up soccer coach (Michael Fassbender) trying to help the hapless American Samoan soccer team, Waititi is back on firm creative ground. If he manages to invert some sports-movie clichés along the way, all the better. — Glen Weldon

Napoleon Ridley Scott’s action epic traces the rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, with Scott’s favorite Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix, as the arrogant, height-challenged despot. Vanessa Kirby is Napoleon’s adored Josephine, and while much of her part has been trimmed from the director’s original four-hour cut, Scott says he hopes the long version will find a home on streaming. Wide-screen battles reportedly among the most enormous ever filmed offer an argument for seeing it first in theaters. — Bob Mondello

Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.

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Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.

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Maestro Much of the early attention has gone to a debate about the prosthetic nose that Bradley Cooper uses in his portrayal of composer Leonard Bernstein. But the film, which Cooper directed and co-wrote with Josh Singer, got solid reviews on the festival circuit in Venice. Carey Mulligan plays Bernstein’s wife, Felicia Montealegre, and that’s likely to be a potent on-screen combination. — Linda Holmes

Wish If the Disney folks had just one wish, it might well be for a hit animated comedy, after a run of box office misfires (Raya and the Last Dragon, Strange World, Lightyear, Elemental) and three pandemic-era Disney+ exclusives (Luca, Soul, Turning Red). Ariana DeBose voices Asha, a teenager in a land where wishes come true, though not always in the way you expect. Chris Pine is King Magnifico, who’s the keeper of wishes, and Alan Tudyk is a goat with lots to say when given a chance. — Bob Mondello

Barry Keoghan as Oliver in Saltburn.

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Barry Keoghan as Oliver in Saltburn.

MGM and Amazon Studios

Saltburn Little is known about Emerald Fennell’s directorial follow-up to Promising Young Woman, but early word out of test screenings is that it’s a sexually explicit version of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Barry Keoghan plays a college student who becomes obsessed with his schoolmate Jacob Elordi’s wealth, family — and charisma. We’re about due for a revisit to Brideshead Revisited that takes the sub out of the queer subtext, not to mention a chance for Keoghan to play a lead role at last. — Glen Weldon

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.

A24

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A24

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.

A24

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Raven Jackson’s directorial debut spans decades and generations of a Mississippi family, primarily through the eyes of Mack (played as a kid by Kaylee Nicole Johnson and as a young adult by Charleen McClure). The nonlinear film is lushly visualized and evokes the weight of time and the significance of life moments big and small. I had the fortune of catching its Sundance debut, and a wordless scene between two characters lingers with me as one of the absolute best cinematic moments of the year. — Aisha Harris

Edited by Rose Friedman
Produced by Beth Novey

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