A Haunting in Venice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot among September’s must see movies

September offers up a plethora of options for Kiwi film fans.

For those who prefer to do their viewing in cinemas, new titles include fresh installments of noughties rom-com smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding (No.3 is out on September 7) and beloved animated series Paw Patrol (September 21’s The Mighty Movie) and a pair of horror sequels in The Nun 2 (September 7) and Saw X (September 28). Returnees from the New Zealand International Film Festival include Theatre Camp and Building Bridges (both September 7), while there are also a couple of French Film Festival favourites in the form of crime-caper The Innocent (September 7) and rom-com The Tasting (September 28).

Those titles debuting online include Prime Video’s romantic-dramedy Sitting in Bars with Cake (September 8), Netflix’s long-awaited Spy Kids sequel Armageddon (September 22) and Haley Lu Richardson-starring drama Love at First Sight (September 15) and Disney+’s Kaitlyn Dever-headliner No One Will Save You (September 22).

However, after looking through the schedules, Stuff to Watch has come up with this list of the 12 movies we believe are most worth checking out (and where you can watch them).

Blue Beetle (September 14, Cinemas)

The 14th and potentially penultimate instalment of the much-maligned DC Extended Universe, this follows the fortunes of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), who finds himself “gifted” a suit of armour capable of extraordinary powers, by an alien scarab.

“Both scrappy and tailored, poignant and breezily amusing,” wrote Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson. “Pitched from a new angle and guided by talented hands, Blue Beetle is a rarity in these superhero end-times: a genuine pleasure to watch, reviving tired old formula with brio.”

Cassandro (September 22, Prime Video)

Gael Garcia Bernal delivers a fabulous performance in Roger Ross Williams’ (Life, Animated) smart, sensitive, inspired-by-a-true-story tale about a gay amateur Mexican wrestler who is determined to shake up the sport by taking off his luchador mask and creating an “exotico” persona that will not only win over crowds, but also fights.

“[An] entertaining biopic, which doubles as a gorgeous depiction of mother-son love and an exhilarating exploration of fearless queer identity in a macho environment,” wrote Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney.

The Creator (September 28, Cinemas)

Set in a future blighted by a war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Gareth Edwards’ (Monsters, Star Wars: Rogue One) latest sci-fi adventure focuses on an ex-special forces agent (Tenet’s John David Washington) who is recruited to hunt down and kill the eponymous “creator”, who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war – by destroying mankind.

The impressive ensemble also features Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Ralph Ineson and Allison Janney.

Flora and Son (September 29, Apple TV+)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Mr. Corman) stars opposite Eve Hewson (The Luminaries, Bad Sisters) in this Dublin-set musical dramedy from the creator of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street – John Carney.

Hewson plays a single mother struggling to stay sane, while raising her tearaway teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan). However, salvation – and inspiration – may come in the unlikely form of a guitar that she rescues from a dumpster.

“This beautiful film will make your heart sing,” wrote Harper’s Bazaar’s Tomris Laffly.

A Haunting in Venice (September 14, Cinemas)

Kenneth Branagh returns for a third outing as Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

Based on the author’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, it sees the now retired sleuth forced to solve a murder at a seance.

The potential suspects include Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Yeoh.

It Ain’t Over (September 13, Rentals)

Billed as “an intimate portrait of a misunderstood American icon”, director Sean Mullin’s 2022 documentary aims to take viewers beyond the caricatures and catchphrases of legendary baseball player and coach Yogi Berra.

”[He] lived the kind of life we wish our heroes to have: filled with love, respect, and integrity,” wrote veteran film critic Leonard Maltin. “This is a film fans can embrace and younger generations can learn from. I loved it.”

It Lives Inside (September 21, Cinemas)

Never Have I Ever and Missing star Megan Suri headlines this supernatural horror about an Indian-born, US high school student who is forced to come to terms with her heritage when a demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend.

“[Director Bishal] Dutta uses a familiar framework of teen horror as an accessible introduction to underexplored mythology exacerbated by a cultural divide,” wrote Bloody Disgusting’s Meagan Navarro. “The gnarly new demon and the complexities of the characters mark this director as one to watch.”

A Million Miles Away (September 15, Prime Video)

Inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández (played here by Michael Peña) and his decades-long journey, from a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico, to the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to more than 200 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station.

With the unwavering support of his hard-working parents, relatives and teachers,José’s unrelenting drive and determination culminates in the opportunity to achieve his seemingly impossible goal.

Also starring Rosa Salazar and Garret Dillahunt, the film is written and directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (September 21, Cinemas)

The eponymous 15-year-old girl (To All the Boys’ Lana Condor) is the protagonist of Dreamworks’ latest animated adventure.

Struggling to fit in at Oceanside High, she accidentally discovers she is a direct descendant of battle-hardened krakens who have protected the land and sea from evil mermaids for generations.

The vocal talent on display also includes Toni Collette, Jane Fonda and Annie Murphy.

“Beautifully designed and voiced, this has a solid message at its heart,” wrote Empire magazine’s Helen O’Hara.

Stylebender (September 28, Cinemas)

Kiwi director Zoë McIntosh (Dark Tourist) helms this intimate look at Nigerian-born, New Zealand-based MMA champion Israel Adesanya.

Promising to go beyond the octagon and delve deep into the fighter’s journey, it explores his experiences of masculinity, bullying, mental health and the healing power of dance.

It had its world premiere in competition at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in June.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (September 14, Cinemas)

Sausage Party’s Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and others reboot and reimagine Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s near four-decade-old “heroes in a half-shell” for this animated-adventure.

It sees the quartet go on a hunt for a mysterious crime syndicate. However, trouble arises when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

Listen out for cameos from Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Rose Byrne, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Paul Rudd and Post Malone.

“A messy, loud, confusing, joyfully chaotic, over-too-soon gift,” wrote Washington Post’s Kristen Page-Kirby.

A Thousand and One (September 20, Rentals)

Winner of the US Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, writer-director A.V. Rockwell’s debut feature is an emotion-filled drama about the relationship between ex-con Inez (Coming 2 America’s Teyana Taylor) and her young charge Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola/Aven Courtney/Josiah Cross).

Like Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Moonlight, it’s a story told across three specific points in time, beginning with the moment Inez decides to “kidnap” the then six-year-old to “save him” from the foster care system.