September is a great month. Pumpkin spice season is right around the corner. Or it might already be here. What does this have to do with movies to stream this month, you may ask. Absolutely nothing, but I do love pumpkin spice everything.
Unless, of course, you choose to sit down with a nice pumpkin spiced latte, or pumpkin bread, or pumpkin scented candles (perhaps all three) when you are finding movies to watch this September. In that case, pumpkin spice season has everything to do with movies to stream.
Here are five movies to pair with some pumpkin flavored muffins this month.
Netflix: The Big Short (2015)
Adam McKay has tried to recapture the magic of The Big Short since it boldly shook things up in 2015. Unfortunately for his follow up projects Vice and Don’t Look Up, the chaotic and frenetic energy of The Big Short is unique to the tale it tells. The story of the financial industry oddballs and weirdos who decided to short the housing market needed to be made in this style. The film wouldn’t work any other way. The real life absurdity is matched by the film’s manic existence. Now also feels like a great time to reminded of the awesome work of both Ryan Gosling and Jeremy Strong, who are having great 2023s.
FOR FANS OF: Wolf of Wall Street; Vice; Too Big to Fail
Prime Video: Paths of Glory (1957)
A must watch for any fan of Kubrick. This early work of his doesn’t quite soar the ways some of his later works like 2001, The Shining, or Dr. Strangelove do. But you do get a sense of the genius that is bubbling within the young filmmaker. Kirk Douglas stars in this biting critique of war and the men who decide when and how they’re fought. It’s one of the best anti-war movies ever made. There’s a wide angle tracking shot of soldiers leaving the trenches into no man’s land that will leave you speechless. It’s far from Kubrick’s best, but it will remind you of why he’s the GOAT.
FOR FANS OF: 1917; Dr. Strangelove; All Quiet on the Western Front
Max: Eastern Promises (2007)
Post Lord of the Rings Viggo Mortensen made some really great creative choices as an actor. Perhaps the most exciting role that he took on was in his second collaboration with David Cronenberg. Playing a brutal gangster in the London Russian mob, Mortensen delivers one of the finest performances of his career. His character, Nikolai, acts as a defacto guardian angel for Anna (the always delightful Naomi Watts) as she finds herself getting deeper into the world of mob activity. The two leads develop a wonderful platonic chemistry in this twisted but wholly engrossing tale. If that’s not enough of a sell, Viggo Mortensen has a wild fight scene while fully nude in a bathhouse.
FOR FANS OF: A History of Violence; Drive; The Equalizer
Hulu: The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Banshees was one of the best movies of 2022, but somehow still feels like it went under a lot of people’s radars. If you somehow missed this brilliant dark comedy last year, then now is your time to rectify that. Director/screenwriter Martin McDonagh brings the wonderful pairing of Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell back for more fun (see In Bruges for the first great collaboration between these three talents). There’s a donkey, self mutilation, lots of pints of beer, beautiful Irish landscapes, and a civil war being fought off in the distance. It all adds up to a really poignant story about friendship and legacy – one that you’ll be thankful to have witnessed.
FOR FANS OF: In Bruges; The Favourite; Phone Booth
Disney Plus: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Many people would probably be quick to write off The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as one of the worst comic book movies of the last ten years. I am not one of those people. While it certainly fails in many aspects, TASM 2 has an incredible amount of heart. Director Mark Webb takes some big artistic swings. They don’t always work but it’s hard to fault the effort. It’s also hard to not enjoy something that has talents like Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, and Paul Giamatti. Just imagine how awesome it would’ve been to get a quality Spider-Man movie with those four.
FOR FANS OF: Spider-Man 3; Wonder Woman 1984; The Incredible Hulk
Make sure you check out all of these awesome options and let us know what you think. Also, be sure to let us know the best hidden gems you’ve streamed recently. Share in the comments and help us expand the list!
See you next month!
