What’s New to Stream on Netflix for September 2023

Crossing the Streams is our series of guides looking at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out what’s new to streaming on Netflix in September 2023, including an Anchorman double feature, new films from Pablo Larrain and Wes Anderson, and more!

Netflix Pick of the Month for September 2023

Sometimes all you want to do is laugh. Forget the rest of the world, avoid the stress of having to find something new to enjoy, and just sit back with a guaranteed good time. Well if that’s you, then Netflix has you covered this month as they’ve added a double feature loaded with unavoidable guffaws. Adam McKay is stuck up his own behind these days, but twenty years ago he helmed a comedic juggernaut that is Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, premieres September 5th). The jokes and gags come fast and furious with a roster of heavy-hitters riffing non-stop including Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Fred Willard, Christina Applegate, David Koechner, Chris Parnell, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen, Seth Rogen, Paul F. Tompkins, and more. It’s just a parade of absurdity guaranteed to leave you laughing. Most of the gang returned almost a decade later for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), and they’re joined by James Marsden, Kristen Wiig, Greg Kinnear, Harrison Ford, and more. It’s another ridiculous ride, and if you have the time you really can’t go wrong with a double feature.

New Netflix Originals!

Pablo Larrain has been making memorable, acclaimed films for over a decade now, but he’s found his critical stride in recent years with films like Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021). He’s back this year with another film that has one foot in history and the other well outside of it. El Conde (premieres September 15th) tells the story of Augusto Pinochet, a real-life dictator from Chile, but instead of dying in 2006 he’s actually still alive and kicking — and a 250-year-old vampire. He’s decided enough is enough and finally wants to die, but it’s not going to be that simple. IMDB lists it as a mix of comedy, fantasy, and history, so the possibilities seem endless.

Wes Anderson has tackled the world of Roald Dahl before with the still fantastic stop-motion adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and now he’s dipping back into that author’s well in a different fashion. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (premiering September 27th) is the first of four short films Anderson has made adapting some of Dahl’s short stories. It’s about a wealthy man who seeks out the ability to see without looking, and it stars Ben Kingsley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade, and Rupert Friend. The same cast reportedly stars in the other shorts as well, and while dates are unknown at this point those three will be hitting Netflix as well.

While those two Netflix Originals have big names behind them, Nowhere (premieres September 29th) is itself coming out of nowhere. The Spanish feature is a survival thriller about a young pregnant refugee who hides in a shipping container to escape her violent homeland, but when the container goes overboard in the middle of the ocean her struggle for survival really kicks into gear. Of course, it gets even tougher when she has the baby. Director Albert Pinto has been in the business since 2008, but this looks to be his most high profile effort yet. Here’s hoping he can keep the single location thrills cooking for the full 109-minute running time.

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

Inspired by my pick of the month above, here are three more comedies worth chuckling along with this September. First up is Amy Heckerling’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Cameron Crowe wrote it, and it stars Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and many more familiar faces, and while it’s definitely a product of its time there’s no denying the laughs that come with its look back at the halcyon days of high school. Worth noting, though, that it’s a comedy with some very dark story beats — it’s no The Last American Virgin (1982) in that regard, but then again, what is.

Sandra Bullock may be sticking closer to dramas these days, but back in the late nineties/early 2000s she was one of two queens of the romantic comedy. My heart belongs to While You Were Sleeping (1995), but there’s plenty to love about Miss Congeniality (2000) as well. Bullock plays an F.B.I. agent who goes undercover in a beauty contest to stop a criminal, and she’s pitch perfect as the fish out of water, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, and Ernie Hudson join in on the fun.

Finally, like the Anchorman films above, Greg Mottola’s Superbad (2007) is just a steady stream of funny people being very, very funny. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are best friends, and their attempt to crash a party leads to all manner of shenanigans and realizations. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, Joe Lo Truglio, Kevin Corrigan, and more bring the laughs with jokes both scripted and riffed on the day. The film remains a hilarious comedy, but it succeeds in part because it also finds the heart of these guys’ friendship.

The Oldest New Arrival to Netflix for September 2023

Netflix earns scorn for numerous reasons, but one of their most egregious issues is the lack of “older” cinema on the streamer. Go ahead and look for movies made before the 90s, and you’ll see the pickings are slim. To that end, we’re here to celebrate the oldest titles hitting the streamer, and this month the winner is Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). Maybe you’ve heard of it? Anyway, Netflix is also dropping in the rest of the franchise, and I’d argue that all three are worth a watch even if they can’t touch Spielberg’s original. Jaws 2 (1978) is a legitimately good sequel finding more suspense and shark terror alongside a tough and even tanner Roy Scheider. Jaws 3 (1983) starts to get a bit ridiculous as it exists mostly as an excuse to milk fans of 3-D, but it’s still a fun time as Chief Brody’s kids are all grown up and still being stalked by a shark. Finally, last and least, Jaws the Revenge (1987) sends the widow down to the Caribbean only to find a shark is still on her tail. It’s dumb but fun, and the best thing about it is knowing that when asked about it, Michael Caine’s only comment is that he has no regrets as the film paid for a new house.

The Complete Netflix List for July 2023

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