The Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix This Month

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I’ve pored over Netflix’s release schedule to bring you the best movies and TV shows premiering on the service this month.

Netflix is casting a wide net in September, with movies and shows that are aimed at every audience imaginable. You want to see rich people who murder each other? Check out Perfect Couple. You want deep, raw family emotions? Watch His Three Daughters. You want to watch a couple goofs see how many hot dogs they can eat? Check out Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.

The Perfect Couple

In this drama about murder among the privileged, Nicole Kidman plays Greer Garrison Winbury, the matron of the richest family in Nantucket. She’s planning a huge wedding for her son, but the event of the season is threatened when a body washes up on the beach, setting in motion an investigation where we learn whether the Winbury clan is normal-rich or kill-someone-and-get-away-with-it rich. The Perfect Couple’s cast includes Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning, and Meghann Fahy. 

Starts streaming September 6.

His Three Daughters 

In this drama, three estranged sisters return to their family home because their father is dying. Gathered at their father’s deathbed, the three sisters confront old resentment and try to forge new understandings as they wrestle with the meaning of death and family. With performances from powerhouse actresses Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Poker Face), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Kodachrome), and Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, The Nest), His Three Daughters looks promising.

Starts streaming September 20.

Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef (LIVE) 

No hot dog is safe when two of the biggest names in competitive eating, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, square off in an epic frankfurter-eating contest, live on Netflix on September 2. Like Ali vs. Fraser II in the 1970s, Unfinished Beef is a once-in-a-lifetime rematch that pits two of the all-time greats against each other in a final contest to settle the score for good. This is the kind of event TV you have to watch live. (Or not. I mean, it’s just some guys eating hot dogs.)

Starts streaming September 2.

Penelope 

This young-adult series was created by Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, and earned raves when the pilot aired at Sundance. It tells the story of Penelope, played by Megan Stott, an alienated 16-year-old whose yearning for the wilderness leads her to leave everything behind and trek into the unexplored wilderness to make a different kind of life for herself. 

Starts streaming September 24. 

Rebel Ridge

In Rebel Ridge, Aaron Pierre plays a black man targeted by a corrupt white cops of a small town police department. The officers don’t know that their target is a former marine though, and he’s not going to take injustice lying down. It’s a perfect set-up for an action-thriller as a badass soldier faces off with a mean cops who fully deserve the ass-kicking they have coming to them.

Starts streaming September 6.

Uglies 

In the dystopian science fiction world of Uglies, 16-year-olds are given a procedure that turns them beautiful. As you could probably guess, the full-body glow-up is a cover for more sinister changes. Adapted from the Scott Westerfeld YA sci-fi novel, Uglies posits a conflict between the perfect people and those who have chosen to keep their imperfections and their personalities intact. 

Starts streaming September 13.

Will & Harper

In this documentary, GOAT comedian Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele take a long drive in a car. Steele and Ferrell have worked together and been close friends for 30 years, and the two decided to take this cross-country trip when Ferrell learned his old friend was coming out as a trans woman; so they have a lot to talk about. Will & Harper has a rare perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Starts streaming September 27

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story 

The last season of Netflix’s true crime dramatization series Monster made waves for its unflinching and gritty portrayal of the seedy world of serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Season 2 takes a left turn into the world of mansions and tennis courts by telling the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, sons of privilege who murdered their parents—either in self-defense after a lifetime of abuse or because they wanted to get their greedy hands on the family fortune. 

Starts streaming September 19.

Untold: Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer

Untold, Netflix’s sports documentary series, turns its lens on women’s soccer and tells the story of star player Hope Solo’s career and personal life. From the heights of her record-setting goalkeeping to her falling out with U.S. soccer that included both an arrest for suspicion of DUI and an international controversy after Team USA’s loss at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer dives deep into the complex culture of high level professional sports.  

Starts streaming September 3

Apollo 13: Survival 

This film from director Peter Middleton documents the most harrowing, nail-biting near-disaster in space exploration history. Through archival footage and interviews with the people who were in the thick of it, Apollo 13: Survival takes viewers from the control center full of nervous engineers to the inside of the space capsule that nearly didn’t make it back to earth.   

Starts streaming September 5. 

Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter

This true crime series tells the story Cathy Terkanian’s search for her missing daughter. Terkanian gave her daughter up for adoption at birth, but she learns she’s been missing since 1989, and she sets out to solve the case. With the help of local authorities and amateur sleuths, Cathy’s relentless investigation uncovers clues that point to a shadowy series of crimes that might be connected to the disappearance of her daughter.

Starts streaming September 12.

What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates

The five-episode series tackles the topics and trends that will define our future, like artificial intelligence, income inequality, misinformation and more. Featuring in-depth interviews with the most renowned scientists, politicians, journalists, medical professionals, and artists in the world, as well as Bill Gates’ own insights, What’s Next? takes an open-minded and curious approach to defining a vision of what’s come.

Starts streaming September 18.

Twilight of the Gods

Created by Zack Snyder, Twilight of the Gods is a for-adults animated series based heavily on Norse mythology. Leif, voiced by Stuart Martin, is a mortal king who falls in love with Sigrid and invokes the wrath of Thor. Instead of begging forgiveness, Leif and a band crusaders sets out on a mission of vengeance against the Gods themselves. Epic!

Starts streaming September 19. 

Nobody Wants This

In this Netflix comedy series, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody star as Joanne and Noah, a pair of opposites: He’s a traditional rabbi used to playing it safe; she’s a brutally honest, in-your-face agnostic. Will these two fall in love despite the differences in their backgrounds and worldviews? I’d put my money on “yes,” because that’s what Nobody Wants This is about. 

Starts streaming September 26. 

Last month’s picks

Kaos

The great Jeff Goldblum leads the cast of Kaos, a strange, dark, comedy series about what might happen if Zeus (Goldblum) and the rest of the Greek pantheon existed in the modern world. If Goldblum playing a track-suited god isn’t a big enough reason to give this series a spin, Kaos was created by Charlie Covell, the genius behind The End of the F***ing World.

Starts streaming Aug. 29.

Emily in Paris, Season 4

Emily Cooper’s search for European romance continues for another season of stylish outfits and beautiful scenery. Season four sees Emily traveling from Paris to the majestic French Alps and on to the picturesque piazzas of Rome. That means Emily will have to learn another new language if she hopes to speak to potential Italian suitors. This confection of a series promises just the kind of light entertainment we all need during August’s dog days.

Starts streaming Aug. 15.

Unstable, season 2

Unstable’s first season earned fans’ loyalty for its mix of family comedy and scathing satire, and now Rob Lowe and his real-life son John Owen Lowe are returning for a second season of workplace comedy. They play fictional father and son Ellis and Jackson Dragon. Ellis is a bio-tech billionaire genius who can’t keep his shit together, and his son is the only thing that grounds him, but Jackson just wants to play his flute. If you missed season one, don’t sleep on season two.

Starts streaming Aug. 2.

Rebel Moon Director’s Cuts

If you can’t get enough of Zach Snyders’ Rebel Moon movies, the director’s cuts might finally slake your endless thirst for Snyder-y space opera. The combined runtime of Rebel Moon Part One: Director’s Cut and Rebel Moon Part Two: Director’s Cut is six hours and 17 minutes—that’s almost two hours of added footage. Expect extra violence, extra sex, and extra-Snyder with these R-rated new edits of the sci-fi epics.

Starts streaming Aug. 2.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie

Spongebob Squarepants is an American institution, the pop culture hero we both deserve and need. In this full-length original feature, everyone in Bikini Botton is scooped out of the ocean onto dry land, leaving Spongebob and Sandy Cheeks to travel to Texas to put things to right. Saving Bikini Bottom is the kind of kids’ movie that everyone likes, so gather the fam.

Starts streaming Aug. 2.

Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

This Netflix original series is a modern take on a classic formula: a plucky, precocious teen sets out to solve a mystery. Emma Myers, who you might remember as Wednesday Addams’ werewolf roommate in Wednesday, plays wannabe detective Pip Fitz-Amobi, a character created by YA novelist Holly Jackson in the book upon which this series is based. If you like Nancy Drew, but feel like it’s a little old fashioned, check out A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Starts streaming Aug. 1.

Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats

Joe Rogan hosts the most popular and influential podcast on earth, a fact that we all have to deal with. But before he hosted podcasts and gross-out reality shows, Rogan was a stand-up, and he’s returning to his roots with Burn the Boats, a comedy special that I’m sure lots of people who aren’t me will find hilarious.

Starts streaming Aug. 3.

Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is 98 years old. The biologist, natural historian, and actual knight’s latest joint is a three-episode series that uses cutting edge technology to examine the way animals use sound, whether it’s for mating, fighting, feeding, or just chilling out.

Starts streaming Aug. 4.

The Emoji Movie (2017)

While I try to focus on movies that are good (or at least interesting), sometimes you need a little disaster-cinema. Enter, The Emoji Movie. Who thought making a movie about emojis in your smart phone was good idea? How big of a dumptruck full of money did they drive up to convince talented people like T.J. Miller, Patrick Stewart, and Annis Faris to lend their voices to it? Watch and see if you can figure it out.

Starts streaming Aug. 8.

The Umbrella Academy, season 4

The fourth and final season of Umbrella Academy promises to conclude the story of the Hargreeves siblings battle against the mysterious Keepers. The season begins with our heroes stripped of their powers and separated, leaving each to fend for themselves in a strange new reality. If you’re even a little into superheros, don’t miss the final season of Umbrella Academy.

Starts streaming Aug. 8.

Inside the Mind of a Dog

Inside the Mind of a Dog is required viewing for all dog parents. Robe Lowe narrates this documentary that asks what’s going on inside your dog’s head. I’d think the answer would be “literally nothing,” but maybe that’s just my dog. This documentary features interviews with top canine experts that reveal scientific and emotional insights about our best friends’ inner lives.

Starts streaming Aug. 9.

Matt Rife: Lucid – A Crowd Work Special

If you’re not familiar with Matt Rife, you haven’t been watching viral TikTok videos. Rife has the rare gift of being able to connect directly with his audience to create some of the funniest comedy you’ve ever heard. Rife is the king of crowd-work and in this special, he’s working without a net‚ nothing prepared, just off-the-dome comedy. If you like stand-up at all, don’t miss Lucid.

Starts streaming Aug. 13.

Daughters

This Netflix original documentary follows Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja’Ana, four young girls preparing for a big Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. The dance is part of an innovative fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail where convicts change from state-issued jumpsuits to semi-formal suits and are given the chance to bond with their children.

Starts streaming Aug. 14.

Worst Ex Ever

This Netflix true crime series was created by the people who brought us Worst Roommate Ever. Like that show, it combines interviews with victims and their loved ones with animated reenactments of terrible domestic situations. If you like “that shit is crazy” style documentary TV, make an appointment with the Worst Ex Ever, but be ready to file a restraining order.

Starts streaming Aug. 14.

Untold: The Murder of Air McNair

Over his 13 seasons in the NFL, Stephen “Air” McNair distinguished himself as one of the great quarterback of all time, even being named MVP in 2003. But soon after his retirement, McNair was gunned down by his girlfriend. This Netflix documentary examines the quarterback’s meteoric rise and long career and delves into the troubling questions surrounding his death.

Starts streaming Aug.20.

Incoming

Incoming slaps a new coat of paint on that old cinematic trope of a gaggle of high school nerds trying to be cool and learning something about themselves by going to a rager. But there’s a reason these stories keep coming back: They’re awesome. Inspired by a real party witnessed by directors Dave and John Chernin, Incoming is packed with up-and-comers like Mason Thames, Ramon Reed, and TikTok star Loren Gray, and it just might be this generation’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Starts streaming Aug. 23.

Terminator Zero, Season 1

This eight-episode anime series based on the classic Terminator franchise features the voices of Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd. Instead of focusing on the characters from the movies, Terminator Zero introduces us to a soldier sent back in time to protect a scientist working on an AI system to combat SkyNet. As you’d probably guess, Skynet’s assassin is hot on her heels.

Starts streaming Aug. 29.