What’s New to Stream on Netflix for September 2021

New original films starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Logan Marshall-Green, Melissa McCarthy, and more!
Netflix Guide September

Crossing the Streams is a series of columns spotlighting all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for September 2021 including a new Mike Flanagan miniseries, original action films, and more!


Netflix Pick of the Month for September 2021

After arriving quietly on the film scene in 2000 with a tiny drama (Makebelieve), Mike Flanagan moved on to horror with 2011’s eerie indie Absentia. Since then he’s proven himself repeatedly with the likes of Hush (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Gerald’s Game (2017), Doctor Sleep (2019), and the wickedly brilliant limited series, The Haunting of Hill House (2018). He returns to Netflix this month with a new miniseries called Midnight Mass (premieres September 24th), and while it doesn’t have a classic piece of literature to fall back on this time out it still looks like terrifically chilling ride. The original tale follows a mysterious series of miracles and disturbing events in a small town after the arrival of a young priest. Is he the devil? Is he worse? We’re excited to discover the haunting truth when Midnight Mass arrives towards the end of September with a cast that includes Hamish Linklater, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Alex Essoe, and more.


Netflix Original Films…

While some months are slight on the Original Film front, September is absolutely loaded starting with the Sundance 2021 film, Worth (premieres September 3rd). Michael Keaton stars in the true story about an attorney tasked with working out the dollar value of a single human life after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. It’s a dialogue-heavy drama, but there’s engagement to be found in Keaton’s performance and a central question that could never be answered… but obviously is.

J.A. White’s YA fantasy novel Nightbooks (premieres September 15th) gets the Netflix adaptation treatment with Krysten Ritter starring as a modern day witch who abducts a little boy. His only chance at survival is keeping her entertained each night with a new scary story — and yes, this does sound exactly like the wraparound segment from 1990’s Tales from the Darkside: The Movie — which I assume makes this an anthology film? The boy joins forces with a young girl, and along with some age-appropriate dark storytelling the pair must work together to survive and hopefully escape.

The Father Who Moves Mountains (premieres September 17th) is an entirely different kind of survival tale as it follows a man whose adult son goes missing in a remote mountain range. Mircea previously worked intelligence for the Romanian government, and when the traditional search groups come up empty he steps in using his contacts to form an elite unit. It may not be enough to save his son’s life though. The film looks to be a serious, heartfelt drama, so don’t go making any wagers thinking the missing man has a chance at coming out alive.

Melissa McCarthy has made a comfortable move into streaming the last couple of years with SuperIntelligence (HBO Max, 2020), Thunder Force (Netflix, 2021), and Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu, 2021). She continues her streaming adventure with The Starling (premieres September 24th), a comedic drama about a sad woman harassed by a bird outside her home. Her dealings with the starling apparently lead her to overcome her grief and move on with her life… or something. IMDB also lists “fantasy” as a genre, so knowing nothing else about it I can only assume she’s a widow whose dead husband returns in the form of a starling to help her find love again. Your move Netflix!


and Netflix Original Action Films

Netflix doesn’t have the greatest track record when in comes to Original action films, but a few good ones have slipped through including the Rurouni Kenshin sequels and Extraction. We have every reason to hope that Kate (premieres September 10th) will be worth adding to the list. It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as an assassin who’s poisoned and has just twenty-four hours to identify her killer and exact revenge. Its Tokyo setting promises attractive visuals, and hopefully producer David Leitch has influenced the action set-pieces as well.

A group of friends go hiking in the woods, but what should have been a fun excursion instead turns to terror when an unseen gunman targets them for death. Prey (premieres September 10th) may not feature the most original premise, but if executed well it’s a setting and scenario that could deliver thrills and tree-lined terror. Netflix hasn’t had too many Original films from Germany yet, but expect that to change if this one’s any good.

By contrast, France has been delivering some solid genre fare under the Netflix Originals label including 2020’s terrific Lost Bullet. The director of 2014’s The Connection is back with The Stronghold (premieres September 17th) and once again sets his sights on criminals, cops, and the darkness within them all. The great and brooding Gilles Lellouche stars as a tough cop working in tougher neighborhoods, and it looks to be an intense watch.

Finally, Freida Pinto and Logan Marshall-Green star in Intrusion (premieres September 22nd) as a couple who move to a small town only to be confronted by violence. They’re the victim of a home invasion, but all is not quite as it seems. This one sounds like a twisty tale meaning its success will come down in large part to the script. We know the cast is solid, so hopefully they’re working with a smart screenplay.


The Oldest New Arrival

Universal Pictures

For a hot second I was worried that 1980’s The Blue Lagoon was the film that would occupy this spot for September, but thankfully Netflix is taking Amazon Prime’s lead from last month and bringing Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) back to their streaming service. We can all agree it remains an absolute masterpiece and an animal attack film that succeeds through a combination of character, smarts, and clear skill. Does the shark look real? Nah, but credit all involved for making that an unimportant truth in the face of greatness. Happily for those of us who are completionists and/or gluttons for punishment, Netflix is also bringing all three sequels back too.

Jeannot Szwarc’s Jaws 2 (1978) isn’t in the same league, but it’s far better than its reputation suggests. Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary are back, and the film manages some exciting set-pieces on its way towards blowing up another killer shark. The last two films in the franchise, though, are mild fun *at best* meaning there’s minor fun to be had but only if you’re in the right state of mind. Joe Alves’ Jaws 3 (1983) tried riding the 3-D wave with some pretty uninspiring results, but Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr., Lea Thompson, and Simon MacCorkindale have a good time with the premise. And then there’s Joseph Sargent’s Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Some will proclaim it to be a misunderstand gem — hell, it even made our list of the most entertaining killer shark movies — but it’s ultimately something far simpler. It’s a silly romp offering up some dumb fun, and sometimes that’s all you really need. It’s definitely all that Michael Caine needed as he’s infamously referred to the film as one he never watched but that he’s grateful for as it paid for his summer house.


The Complete Netflix List for September 2021

Release DateTitleNote
9/1Agatha Christie's Crooked House (2017)
Barbie Big City Big Dreams (2021)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Chappie (2015)
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Cold Mountain (2003)
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)
Dear John (2010)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Freedom Writers (2007)
Green Lantern (2011)
House Party (1990)
House Party 2 (1991)
House Party 3 (1994)
How to Be a CowboyNetflix Series
The Interview (2014)
Kid-E-Cats: Season 2
Labyrinth (1986)
Letters to Juliet (2010)
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003)
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Marshall (2017)
Mystery Men (1999)
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Open Season 2 (2008)
Rhyme & Reason (1997)
School of Rock (2003)
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on TerrorNetflix Documentary
Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
9/2Afterlife of the PartyNetflix Film
Final Account (2020)
Q-ForceNetflix Series
9/3Dive ClubNetflix Family
Money Heist Part 5: Volume 1Netflix Series
SharkdogNetflix Family
WorthNetflix Film
9/6Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to SpaceNetflix Documentary
9/7Kid Cosmic: Season 2Netflix Family
Octonauts: Above & BeyondNetflix Family
On the VergeNetflix Series
Untold: Breaking PointNetflix Documentary
9/8The Circle: Season 3Netflix Series
Into the Night: Season 2Netflix Series
JJ+ENetflix Film
9/9Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad AliNetflix Documentary
The Women and the MurdererNetflix Documentary
9/10Firedrake the Silver DragonNetflix Family
KateNetflix Film
Lucifer: The Final SeasonNetflix Series
Metal Shop MastersNetflix Series
Pokémon Master Journeys: The SeriesNetflix Family
PreyNetflix Film
Yowamushi Pedal (2013)
Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road (2015)
9/14Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 5Netflix Series
A StoryBots Space AdventureNetflix Family
The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals: Season 2Netflix Series
You vs. Wild: Out ColdNetflix Family
9/15Nailed It!: Season 6Netflix Series
NightbooksNetflix Film
Saved by the Bell: Seasons 1-9
SchumacherNetflix Documentary
Too Hot To Handle LatinoNetflix Series
9/16He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseNetflix Series
Jaws (1975)
Jaws 2 (1978)
Jaws 3 (1983)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
My Heroes Were CowboysNetflix Documentary
9/17Ankahi KahaniyaNetflix Film
Chicago Party AuntNetflix Series
The Father Who Moves MountainsNetflix Film
Sex Education: Season 3Netflix Series
Squid GameNetflix Series
The StrongholdNetflix Film
9/19Dark Skies (2013)
9/20Grown Ups (2010)
9/21Go! Go! Cory Carson: Chrissy Takes the WheelNetflix Family
Love on the Spectrum: Season 2Netflix Series
9/22Confessions of an Invisible GirlNetflix Film
Dear White People: Volume 4Netflix Series
IntrusionNetflix Film
JaguarNetflix Series
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy MilliganNetflix Documentary
9/23Je Suis KarlNetflix Film
9/24Blood & Water: Season 2Netflix Series
Ganglands (Braqueurs)Netflix Series
Jailbirds New OrleansNetflix Series
Midnight MassNetflix Series
My Little Pony: A New GenerationNetflix Family
The StarlingNetflix Film
Vendetta: Truth, Lies and The MafiaNetflix Documentary
9/28Ada Twist, ScientistNetflix Family
Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!Netflix Comedy Special
9/29The Chestnut ManNetflix Series
FriendzoneNetflix Film
MeatEater: Season 10 Part 1Netflix Series
No One Gets Out AliveNetflix Film
Polly Pocket Season 3 Part 1
Sounds Like LoveNetflix Film
9/30Love 101: Season 2Netflix Series
Luna ParkNetflix Series
The Phantom (1996)

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Rob Hunter: Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.