The 7 Best New Movies Streaming on Netflix in September 2026

If you're not making it to Venice, Toronto, or Telluride this month, there's plenty to stream at home.

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Stream ItThe 7 Best New Movies Streaming on Netflix in September 2026If you're not making it to Venice, Toronto, or Telluride this month, there's plenty to stream at home.By Christian ZilkoChristian ZilkoMore stories by Christian ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ Trailer: William Greaves’ Portrait of Harlem Renaissance Luminaries Is a Living Piece of HistoryRead more

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One of the busiest stretches of the annual film calendar is upon us. With many of the major fall festivals now underway, we’re about to get our eyes on the remainder of the 2026 film slate before jumping into another award season.

But if you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer and focus on the fall movie season — or if you just need a break from the madness — there is plenty to enjoy from the comfort of your own home this month. Netflix’s September slate is heavy on rewatchable genre classics from the likes of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Ridley Scott. There’s never a bad time to throw on “Jaws” or “Alien,” but Netflix is also adding a few recent indie gems that might have slipped your mind.

Keep reading for our seven favorite movies coming to Netflix in September 2026.

“Alien” and “Aliens” (Streaming now)

Even when a new Ridley Scott movie doesn’t quite land, his press tour inevitably produces a new set of viral quotes that remind cinephiles why he’s such a treasure. If the rollout for “The Dog Stars” has you itching to revisit Scott’s filmography, Netflix is adding his first mainstream hit, “Alien.” The Sigourney Weaver star vehicle enjoys an undisputed seat in the upper echelon of both the sci-fi and horror genres, and each rewatch offers a reminder of the elegant simplicity that powers so many great blockbusters. James Cameron’s classic sequel is also available, setting you up for a perfect double feature.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (Streaming now)

Tobe Hooper’s original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” might not have spawned the same sequel and merchandising opportunities of its early slasher peers, but it achieved something far greater: elevating the subgenre into genuine art. The film never makes light of its gory subject matter or laughs at its killer’s or victims’ expense. Hooper paints a picture of a reclusive rural family and their violently disabled son that’s gut-wrenching in its psychological realism. The unprecedented amounts of gore and images unfolding in endless shades of red, orange, and brown turn the horrifying story into something perversely beautiful.

“Phantom Thread” (Streaming now)

Paul Thomas Anderson has graced us with ten feature films, each one worthy of remembrance and study in its own right. Whenever one of his works makes its way to a streaming service, it’s likely to be one of our top picks of the month. Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” is an immaculately crafted and deeply felt portrait of obsession and the sacrifices that we make for both our life’s work and our relationships.

At the time, much of the discourse surrounded the parallels between the obsessive dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and the personal costs that star Daniel Day-Lewis paid for his own acting process throughout his life. That’s still a valid lens through which to view the film, but years of distance (and Day-Lewis’ subsequent un-retirement from acting) invite a broader read about the lives of artists in general. The craftsmanship also continues to stun, with Anderson capturing some of the most beautiful images of his career while serving as his own cinematographer.

“Jaws” (Streaming now)

If the end of summer blockbuster season has you down in the dumps, you might enjoy the chance to revisit the film that started it all. Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” needs no introduction, and it’s the kind of movie that never fails to impress no matter how many times you throw it on. From Spielberg’s smooth camera movements and masterful use of perspective to a John Williams score that solidified one of the great collaborations in Hollywood history, “Jaws” is a film that has earned its legendary status a dozen times over.

“The Blues Brothers” (Streaming now)

It’s not necessarily a tragedy that Hollywood doesn’t make movies like “The Blues Brothers” anymore. The loosely-connected collage of car chases, musical numbers with blues legends, and comedy sketches is far from a repeatable formula for success. But for whatever reason, “The Blues Brothers” just works. John Landis’ film milks Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi’s infectious chemistry for all it’s worth, and the story of two Chicago brothers on a mission from God remains a rewatchable classic with great throwback vibes.

“The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” (Streaming September 15)

Daniel Roher never claims to have AI figured out, which is partially why his film “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” is worth watching. The Oscar-winning “Navalny” director and new father set out to make a film about AI to calm his anxieties about bringing a child into a world with such a massive change on the horizon. By his own admission, he didn’t know much about the topic, so he starts from the very beginning by asking engineers to explain what AI actually is.

(You’d be surprised how long it takes him to get a straight answer.) From there, he talks to the bleakest pessimists, the cheeriest optimists, and ultimately works his way up to some of the most important CEOs shaping the future of AI. The documentary is an admirably balanced intro to our era’s defining topic that never shies away from the gravity of the worst case scenarios or the opportunities that could await if humans find a way to use it correctly.

“LifeHack” (Streaming September 25)

A heist movie that unfolds entirely over FaceTime and Discord might sound like a nauseating pandemic-era novelty, but Ronan Corrigan’s “LifeHack” distinguishes itself with with the joy and energy that it captures in its polymath characters. To Kyle and his band of thieves, the internet isn’t an isolation chamber, it’s the place where they truly feel the most at home. Zippy editing and an energetic score ensures that the film never stalls for long enough to feel like doomscrolling, and the characters’ lack of life experience allows them to turn even the most serious of topics into a big joke.

It turns out to be infectiously entertaining, sucking you into an addictively rhythmic crime spree that unfolds against a backdrop of thousands of Reddit tabs and JPEG thumbnails.

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