The temperatures are (whisper it) finally dropping, and the evenings will soon be drawing in. Like it or not, we’ve made it through the seemingly endless heatwave that was the summer of 2018 – which means a whole new crop of films and TV shows arriving on Netflix, just in time for hibernation season.
As ever, September's line-up is a strong one. Perhaps most exciting is Maniac, the new psychological drama that’ll reunite Emma Stone (in her Netflix debut) with her Superbad co-star Jonah Hill, which will arrive on our screens on 21st of the month. The pair play participants in a dubious pharmaceutical trial, and judging from the trippy trailer, it’ll be a must-watch for fans of The OA (on that note, aren’t we long overdue a sequel?) If you’re after something a little less mind-bending, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser looks poised to fill this month's rom-com slot, while Nappily Ever After has already sparked conversation on social media (for good reasons, mind). Plus, the third season of The Good Place is just around the corner, ready to ward off the back-to-school blues (still very much a phenomenon, even for grown-ups...)
To ensure you don’t lose entire evenings scrolling and scrolling right through to the end of the ‘browse’ page (we have been there; it isn’t pretty), we’ve narrowed down the best of this month’s Netflix offerings, from original series to acclaimed movies and brand new documentaries. See you in October...
New on Netflix September - Grazia
1 of 9Sierra Burgess Is A Loser
After the runaway success of Set It Up and To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Netflix clearly has its sights on a rom-com hat trick with the launch of Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, which stars Shannon 'Barb from Stranger Things' Purser. It's a modern day, high school re-telling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story (we'd raise our eyebrows, but 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless had equally unexpected source material) about an outsider who has to team up with a 'popular' girl in order to win over her crush. Available 7th September
2 of 9Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool
Towards the end of her life, Gloria Grahame, the Hollywood star best known as film noir's premier femme fatale in the 1940s, found herself in a terraced house in Liverpool, staying in the family home of her younger boyfriend, Peter Turner. Based on the book which Peter wrote about their relationship, Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool stars Annette Bening as Grahame and Jamie Bell as Turner.Available 11th September
3 of 9Maniac
Emma Stone's Netflix debut also doubles up as a Superbad reunion. In Maniac, which has been adapted from a hit Norwegian series and directed by True Detective's Cary Fukunaga, she re-unites with her former co-star Jonah Hill. This time, the pair play strangers who take part in a pharmaceutical trial, testing out a wonder drug which promises to repair the mind entirely, be it from mental illness or heartbreak – until the side effects kick in, dragging participants into another dimension entirely.Available 21st September
4 of 9American Honey
Block out your calendar for this blistering three-hour road trip through a side of America we don't often see on screen. Released in 2016, American Honey was auteur director Andrea Arnold's first venture into US territory: she's since landed a major gig helming the second series of Big Little Lies. A coming-of-age story without the clichés, it's built on a brilliant, star-making performance from Sasha Lane, a first-timer who Arnold spotted on a Mexican beach during spring break. Available 21st September
5 of 9Queen of Katwe
A Disney biopic with just enough bite, Queen of Katwe tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi (played by newcomer Madina Nalwanga), a young Ugandan girl who discovers an unexpected flair for chess. Lupita Nyong'o stars as her strict mother, while David Oyelowo is a local minister - slash - amateur chess coach. It's the sort of uplifting, life-affirming stuff that Disney does best, but doesn't put too much Hollywood gloss on the poverty and prejudice that Phiona is up against.Available 25th September
6 of 9Nappily Ever After
Nappily Ever After has already generated plenty of hype, thanks to its celebration of natural hair. Sanaa Lathan plays Violet, a woman who, with her high-powered career and her eligible boyfriend, seems to be ticking off all the requisite boxes. But after a longed-for proposal fails to materialise – and a visit to the salon proves calamitous – she decides to embrace a new approach to life (and hair care). Available 21st September
7 of 9Quincy
There are arguably few people better placed to give new insights into the remarkable life of Quincy Jones than his daughter, director, actor and writer Rashida. For her second Netflix documentary (following last year's Hot Girls Wanted) she's doing just that, tracking her father's remarkable career as a producer, composer and talent spotter. Available 21st September
8 of 9The Good Place: Season Three
After signing out of season two with a genuinely jaw-dropping plot twist, The Good Place is back for round three. This time, Eleanor, Chidi and co have been given a second chance at life, meaning that the series will be swapping heaven for earth. Given the series' penchant for pulling the proverbial carpet from under our feet, we've zero idea how things will pan out, but we're sure there'll be some philosophy jokes…Available 28th September
9 of 9The Grand Budapest Hotel
Here's a chicken-egg dilemma for our times: which came first, our collective mania for millennial pink or The Grand Budapest Hotel? Wes Anderson's whimsical aesthetic reaches its apex in his eighth film, a pastel-hued comedy starring Ralph Fiennes as an overly attentive hotel concierge who must prove his innocence when he's framed for the murder of one of his rich, elderly clients. Like every Anderson film, the sets also double up as excellent interiors inspiration. Available 30th September