September has brought a variety of new releases on streaming services, but sometimes the best of the best can be hard to sift through. Here are some of the highlights from new releases across streaming services.
Netflix has kicked off their fall movie season with a few high-profile original films that will have legs throughout the rest of the year, so be sure to catch up with these titles. It’s been the No. 1 release on the platform for a couple of weeks since its release on Sept. 6, but if you have yet to catch up with Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller “Rebel Ridge,” do so now. Featuring a breakout star turn from Aaron Pierre as a man who seeks revenge on a small-town police department after a civil asset forfeiture during a traffic stop, this slow-burn thriller is an exercise in control and simmering rage. Don Johnson turns in a menacing villain performance, while AnnaSophia Robb has never been better as a gritty legal assistant who teams up with Pierre’s Terry. Stream it on Netflix now.
In a very different vein, Azazel Jacobs’ family drama “His Three Daughters” premiered on Netflix Sept. 20. Starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne, this film, set in a New York City apartment, follows a tense few days as a trio of sisters gather to be by their father’s side while he passes. A lifetime of resentments bubbles to the surface as the sisters try to navigate their emotional needs and responsibilities in relationship to each other and the situation at hand. Coon, Olsen and Lyonne deliver incredible performances, but it’s Lyonne who emerges as the unlikely, and stealthy MVP. Stream it now on Netflix.
Launching today on Netflix is the new documentary “Will & Harper,” which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The documentary, directed by Josh Greenbaum, follows a road trip taken by comedy superstar Will Ferrell and his close friend and collaborator Harper Steele, whom he met at “Saturday Night Live.” During the road trip, the two friends navigate their relationship after Harper’s transition, and explore the America Harper loves so much, though she’s not sure if it still loves her back. It’s a funny, and touching film about friends, transgender identity and contemporary American culture, but it also tangles with the fascinating element of visibility — the visibility as a trans person that Harper is figuring out, and the visibility of Will’s fame that both shields Harper and draws attention to her as well, a conundrum they have to manage during their journey. Stream it on Netflix.
Over on Max, check out the new docuseries from Alex Gibney, “Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos,” about the creation of the iconic HBO series and the creator behind it. Two episodes are available now.
