As summer slowly draws to a close, it’s time to embrace the season of spine-tingling films. Ahead lies a selection of movies that will set your heart racing and create the perfect atmosphere for chilly autumn nights
1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
One of the modern masters of horror, Tim Burton, returns to his first cult character in this sequel to the 1988 film. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara also return to their roles, joined by Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe. The film promises a mix of horror and humor, familiar to fans of the original.
The plot follows the Deetz family as they return to their old home in Winter River after the death of a family member. Lydia and her daughter Astrid discover an old model of the town in the attic, which reopens a portal to the afterlife. As expected, the ghost Beetlejuice’s name is said three times, and chaos ensues.
Release date: September 6
2. Speak No Evil
Scottish actor James McAvoy will try to charm audiences ahead of Halloween in this psychological horror-thriller. He plays Paddy, who, along with his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and mute son Anto (Dan Hough), invites the Dalton family (Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis, and Alix West Lefler) to their home in the idyllic British countryside. Unsurprisingly, things soon take a dark turn.
Release date: September 13
3. Wolfs
In this action-comedy by John Watts, which will have a limited release, best friends George Clooney and Brad Pitt reunite again. Clooney plays a professional fixer tasked with erasing evidence and covering up a serious crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) unexpectedly arrives, the two “lone wolves” must work together. The situation spirals out of control, leading to unexpected consequences.
Release date: September 13, with streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 27
4. My Old Ass
Maisy Stella stars as 18-year-old Elliott, who, during a mushroom trip, encounters her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). Her older version begins dispensing life advice to her younger counterpart. Initially excited to learn where she’ll go wrong in life, Elliott soon realizes that she must make her own decisions rather than rely on her future self. Judging by the trailer, the film will appeal to indie fans and anyone who wants to see Plaza in another comedic role.
Release date: September 13
5. Lee
When Anthony Penrose (Josh O’Connor) discovers long-forgotten photographs of his mother, Lee Miller (Kate Winslet), in the attic of his parents’ home, he begins to delve into her past. The more he uncovers, the more he realizes how extraordinary her life was. Along with her close friend and colleague David E. Sherman (Andy Samberg), Lee Miller was one of the first in Germany to document the crimes of the Nazis on the day of the liberation of the Buchenwald and Dachau camps. After the war, no one wanted to publish her testimonies of horror. Traumatized and disillusioned, she destroys the negatives and leaves the photos in the attic, but the memories of what she experienced never let her go…
This biographical drama is based on true events. The idea for the project was born when cinematographer Ellen Kuras was in a bookstore in New York and came across a book about war photographer Lee Miller. Kuras noticed the resemblance between Miller and actress Kate Winslet, with whom she worked on the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and sent Winslet a copy of the book, keeping another for herself. Years later, Kate began developing the project for the film about Miller, and Kuras was invited to direct.
Release date: September 20
6. The Wild Robot
Lupita Nyong’o, known for her role in Black Panther, will bring the main character, Roz, to life in this beautiful animated film, which seems to be yet another incredibly touching project from DreamWorks Animation.
Robot assistant Roz is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, and at first, the local flora and fauna do not accept her. But soon, the animals realize how kind, innocent, and helpful Roz is. She learns the languages of the animals, makes friends, and finds purpose in life.
Release date: September 20
7. Never Let Go
Halle Berry will appear in this psychological thriller horror from Lionsgate, which tells the story of a family’s survival in the wilderness. In a post-apocalyptic world where danger lurks around every corner, the only hope for survival for a mother (Berry) and her young twin sons is a physical tether—using the longest ropes you’ve ever seen—to their forest refuge. However, when one of the boys begins to doubt the reality of the threats lurking in the shadows, the close bond of the family begins to unravel, leading to a terrifying struggle for survival.
Release date: September 20
8. Transformers One
After several films, the Transformers franchise is hoping to gain a much-needed boost with a new animated film directed by Pixar alumnus Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Inside Out).
The story will explore the conflict that began on Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons, as well as the friendship and eventual rift between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Marvel stars, including Chris Hemsworth (the Thor films), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), and Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals), as well as other celebrities like Jon Hamm, Keegan-Michael Key, and Laurence Fishburne, will lend their voices to these famous robots.
Release date: September 20
9. The Substance
This feminist film in the unusual genre of body horror, starring Demi Moore, tells the story of a Hollywood superstar facing ageism and sexism in an industry that is rapidly forgetting her. A mad scientific experiment allows her to occupy the body of a younger woman for a few days. But things quickly get complicated and even stranger when a battle of wills ensues between the two bodies.
Directed by Coralie Fargeat, who brought creativity and infectious enthusiasm to the film Revenge, and starring the brilliant Demi Moore, this is an unforgettable mix of high style, horror, and dark comedy.
Release date: September 20
10. Megalopolis
The great Francis Ford Coppola wrote, directed, and produced this sci-fi drama, an idea he first conceived in 1977. Active work on the film began in 1983, but constant delays prevented him from presenting it to the public.
Megalopolis is a Roman epic, set in an imagined Modern America. The city of New Rome must change. This provokes a conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a brilliant artist who seeks to leap into a utopian and idealistic future, and his rival, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to the regressive status quo. Caught between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter. Due to her love for Caesar, she must go against her father and discover what humanity truly deserves.
Release date: September 27
