There are some big shows and movies new on Max this September. Thanks to deals with studios like A24 and Studio Ghibli, plus shows, movies and live sports from HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery, it's no surprise that Max regularly adds enough to remain our choice for the best streaming service.
The main attraction this month though, is undoubtedly "The Penguin." This spin-off from Matt Reeves's "The Batman" movie has an unrecognizable Colin Farrell reprising his role as the Gotham crime boss as he rises to power in the city's seedy underworld. But don't overlook the arrivals of "The Boy and the Heron," "Civil War" and "I Saw the TV Glow" to Max this month. Those three movies alone are enough reason to be a subscriber if you're not already.
Here is everything new to Max in September 2024. If you still need more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our guide to the best new movies to watch this week.
"The Boy and the Heron" is the latest film from the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The movie centers around Mahito Maki (Luca Padovan), who moves to the countryside after losing his mother in a hospital fire. When his new stepmother (Gemma Chan) also disappears, Mahito discovers an abandoned tower near his new home, where he meets a mischievous gray heron (Robert Pattinson). Mahito follows the heron into the tower and begins an epic journey through a world shared by the living and the dead.
This movie is up there with Miyazaki's best, taking home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature earlier this year. Of course, it's beautiful to watch, but it also features an incredible voice cast that includes Christian Bale, Mark Hamill and Florence Pugh among others. It's also loosely autobiographical, drawing inspiration from Miyazaki's childhood.
Premieres Sept. 3 on Max
"Civil War" takes place in a dystopian near-future U.S., where a civil war has broken out, dividing the country into five factions. The Loyalist States are led by an authoritarian third-term President (Nick Offerman), but at the film's start are in imminent danger of being overrun by the Western Forces, led by the Republic of California and the Second Republic of Texas.
With an invasion of Washington D.C. imminent, veteran war photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) meet with their mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) to share their plan to interview the isolated president. As they reach the frontline in Charlottesville, Virginia, they're joined by Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring photojournalist who Lee takes under her wing. This movie may hit a bit too close to home, but it's one of the best movies to come out so far this year. Don't miss it.
Premieres Sept. 13 on Max
"The Penguin" is the first follow-up to Matt Reeves' 2022 film "The Batman." The eight-part limited series has Colin Farrell reprising as Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, and chronicles his rise to power in the Gotham criminal underworld in the immediate aftermath of the events of "The Batman"
Aside from Farrell as Gotham crime boss, "The Penguin" also stars Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Sofia is former Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone's daughter and a psychopathic serial killer. After being released from Arkham Asylum, she sets out to fight Oz for control of Gotham's criminal underworld. Farrell is also joined by Rhenzy Feliz as the teenage Victor Aguilar who befriends Oz and becomes his driver.
Premieres Sept. 19 on Max
This Jane Schoenbrun psychological horror movie stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Owen and Maddy, two young friends who become captivated by a mysterious late-night TV show. This show offers them glimpses of a surreal and sinister supernatural world and as Owen becomes obsessed with it, he starts to lose his grasp on reality begins to slip, leading to sinister consequences.
"I Saw the TV Glow" is one of the best horror movies this year so far, receiving praise from critics and audiences alike. It's received praise in particular for its portrayal of transgender themes, with New Yorker critic Richard Brody calling it "a profound vision of the trans experience." It's been dubbed a "must-see" movie by Metacritic, so don't miss it when it arrives on Max this month.
Premieres Sept. 20 on Max
September 3
"On Base with Mookie Bets"
September 10
September 17
September 24
*Telecast will not be available in the local markets
September 7
Georgia Southern vs. Nevada @ 7 p.m. (truTV)
September 14
New Mexico State vs. Fresno State @ 10:30 p.m. (truTV)
September 21
Fresno State vs. New Mexico @ 8:30 p.m. (truTV)
September 1
Moto GP @ 7:30 a.m.
September 7
Moto GP @ 8:30 a.m.
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September 21
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September 28
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September 10
Synopses provided by Max
Sept. 5 — "Coming From America"
Max Original Unscripted Series (6 episodes)
Four African American families pack up all their belongings, risking everything to move to the new land of opportunity: Africa. Enticed by cheap housing and picturesque landscapes, these families travel 5000 miles to find love, jobs and a better life. First, they'll have to survive the inevitable culture shock – but if they can endure the first 60 days, their lives could be changed forever.
The first episode will debut on September 5, followed by one new episode weekly through October 10.
Sept. 6 — "The Boy and the Heron"
After losing his mother in a hospital fire, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world and the truth about himself.
Directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, "The Boy and the Heron" features the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh.
Sept. 7 — "Wise Guy David Chase and 'The Sopranos'"
25 years after the show first debuted, HBO’s paradigm-shifting series “The Sopranos” remains a cultural phenomenon and a touchstone for prestige television. In WISE GUY David Chase and The Sopranos, acclaimed filmmaker Alex Gibney delves deep into the psyche of renowned “Sopranos” creator and writer, David Chase, to illuminate his life and career while offering a unique window into his unparalleled work on the iconic program.
On a replica set of Dr. Melfi’s psychiatrist’s office, Gibney flips the script on David Chase, excavating and analyzing the origins of “The Sopranos,” his creative process, and the intimate connections between his own life and many of his characters. Joined by show writers, producers, executives, and actors, including Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, and Michael Imperioli, the documentary offers insight and inspiration along with a stunning array of clips from the show, early audition videos from many of the cast members, and behind-the-scenes footage to take the viewer into the vibrant “Sopranos” world. From his own upbringing in an Italian American family in north New Jersey, with a complicated mother and a fascination with cinema, Chase details his entrée into Hollywood, where he wrote for a multitude of television shows, and his relationship with HBO as he pitched and developed his anti-hero mobster Tony Soprano. With candor and self-reflection, Chase digs into the challenges of running a successful show, the inevitable “deaths” of some of the show’s favorite characters, and his creative working relationship with the late James Gandolfini. "Wise Guy David Chase and 'The Sopranos'" takes us into the writers’ room, from the inspirational pilot to the controversial final episode, demonstrating how a show about a multi-layered mob boss became a cultural milestone, a beloved fan-favorite, and a revolutionary television sensation.
Sept. 9 — "My Brilliant Friend" season 4
Based on the bestselling novels by Elena Ferrante, "My Brilliant Friend" follows Elena Greco (Alba Rohrwacher) and the most important friend in her life, Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo (Irene Maiorino). After meeting as children in 1950s Naples, their story goes on to cover over 60 years, exploring the mystery of Lila (also Maiorino) — Elena’s brilliant best friend and, in a way, her worst enemy. The fourth installment of the saga, titled “Story of the Lost Child,” delves into the adult lives of Elena and Lila. They find themselves entangled in the turmoil of Italy in the late 1980s, nearing the end of decades of political violence and social unrest. Amid motherhood and career demands, amid betrayals, threats, disappearances, and natural disasters, Elena and Lila once again reside in the same neighborhood.
Season 4 debuts Monday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will debut on subsequent Mondays.
Sept. 13 — "Civil War"
"Civil War" tells the story of a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach Washington D.C. before rebel factions descend upon the White House. Written and directed by Alex Garland, the movie stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman.
Sept. 19 — "The Penguin" series premiere
Starring Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb (aka “The Penguin”), the DC Studios series continues filmmaker Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” epic crime saga that began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster “The Batman.” Developed by showrunner Lauren LeFranc, the series centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.
"The Penguin" stars Colin Farrell (Oz Cobb), Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Michael Kelly (Johnny Viti), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni), James Madio (Milos Grapa), Scott Cohen (Luca Falcone), Michael Zegen (Alberto Falcone), Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo), and Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush). The limited series debuts on Thursday, September 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will debut on subsequent Sundays at the same time, starting with episode 2 on Sunday, September 29.
Sept. 20 — "I Saw the TV Glow"
A24 Film
"I Saw the TV Glow" follows Owen, a teenager who is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show. The TV show, a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own, leads to cracks in Owen’s own view of reality. Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, "I Saw the TV Glow" stars Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, and Helena Howard, with Fred Durst and Danielle Deadwyler.
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Per Max, this list may not be comprehensive and is subject to change