Kelly Lawler
USA TODAY
Published 7:00 AM EDT Sep 7, 2019
Summer’s over, school has begun, and there’s a fresh crop of movies and TV shows ready for you to binge-watch in September.
Now that we are properly into the first month of fall, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have new TV series and films available for you to enjoy from classic action and fantasy films to modern horror TV hits.
To stop you from mindlessly scrolling on your Roku or Apple TV, we picked out the five best films and TV series newly available this September, whether you are in the mood to be terrified, thrilled or quite literally tickled pink.
If you’re ready for horror movie season: ‘American Horror Story: Apocalypse’
Fall is a wonderful season for fans of thrills and chills, both at your local theater and on TV. And there’s a new season of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” waiting for you this September, “Apocalypse.” The genre-blending anthology series combined characters and mythology from multiple seasons (“Murder House” and “Coven”) for the end-of-the-world story. The result is new and old favorite characters and plenty of horrors from all corners.
Stream on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon.
If you are jonesing for some royal gossip: ‘Victoria’
Will, Kate, Meghan and Harry may drive our obsession with the British royals now, but they’ve got nothing on the courtier drama of the monarchy of old. PBS’s drama about the early years of Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman, “Doctor Who”) is a reliable fountain of royal intrigue, and the series gets better every season. Season 3 is finally available to stream this month, following the many revolutions and fallen monarchies of the 19th century as Victoria and Albert (Tom Hughes) learn how to rule in a new era of beheaded kings and queens.
Stream it on Amazon.
If you want a (sort of) quick dose of great fantasy: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’
Watching the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy on a given weekend (or within a week or a month) is a huge commitment, especially if you’re going with the extended DVD editions. If you are excited to have access to Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trilogy on Netflix but also have other obligations in your life, we suggest having an afternoon or evening of “The Two Towers,” the best among the three films. Sure, “Fellowship of the Ring” kicked it off and “Return of the King” won best picture, but “Two Towers” is the tightest written and has the best battle scene (Helm’s Deep). Plus it has the Ents, and who doesn’t love a talking tree?
Stream it on Netflix.
If you have forgotten how to bend and snap: ‘Legally Blonde’
Allow Elle Woods (and little pup Bruiser) to ease your transition from the dog days of summer to the crisp days of early fall. Star Reese Witherspoon recently announced a new “Legally Blonde” movie will be hitting theaters on Valentine’s Day 2020, which means now is the perfect time to catch up on the pink and bubbly original. In spite of a few fashion choices (we’re very sorry to see that pleather pink suit), the movie mostly holds up, and still celebrates friendship, ambition and choosing your own destiny.
Stream it on Amazon September 30.
If you’re super excited about choosing between a red and blue pill again: ‘The Matrix’
Keanu Reeves is getting his Neo on all over again as a fourth “Matrix” film was recently confirmed to be in the works. That means it’s the perfect time to revisit the original, which not only is a stunning, incredibly smart action film but also a film that changed Hollywood and moviemaking forever. If you are a loyalist and a completist, Hulu also has the two other movies in the trilogy, “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions,” but they pale in comparison to the original, and might dampen the experience. Let’s hope the fourth film learns from the second two’s errors.
Stream it (and the sequels if you dare) on Hulu.
Even more TV: The 10 best new shows coming to TV this fall, from ‘The Politician’ to (yes) ‘High School Musical’
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