To say Netflix’s slate for the month ahead is eclectic would be an understatement.
Case and point – September begins for the streaming service with an epic battle between two champion competitive eaters, and ends with a touching road trip documentary between two lifelong friends after one of them comes out as transgender.
Scattered in between are a glossy new drama starring one of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers, a dystopian teen drama and the return of not one but two of the streaming giant’s most bankable hit shows.
Intrigued? Here are our top picks of what’s coming to Netflix in the next few weeks…
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef (2 September)
Tell me more: The last decade has seen Netflix becoming synonymous for its experimental and boundary-pushing shows, whether it’s the interactive Black Mirror special Bandersnatch, the mind-bending shuffled-up Kaleidoscope, fresh and unique takes on the reality TV and dating formats or its various ventures into live-streaming.
And Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, make no mistake, is something very different. A hot-dog showdown between two of the world’s most prolific competitive eaters isn’t going to be to everyone’s tastes – but if you’re intrigued to see which of these former champions can devour the most meat, this live event could be for you.
Netflix says: “Sixteen-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Champion Joey Chestnut and rival six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Champion Takeru Kobayashi will finally face off live during Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef — the showdown that will determine the ultimate hot-dog-eating champion — in which the competitors will fight to eat the most all-beef hot dogs.”
The Perfect Couple (5 September)
Tell me more: Another collaboration between Nicole Kidman and Netflix after A Family Affair (ummm…) and The Prom (oof), this new mystery drama could well appeal to fans of another of the Australian star’s past works, Big Little Lies.
In the adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name, the Oscar winner plays a novelist and the disapproving matriarch of a wealthy Nantucket family, unhappy about her son’s choice of a bride.
Netflix says: “The perfect life has the most to hide.
“Amelia Sacks is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, has spared no expense in planning what promises to be the premiere wedding of the season – until a body turns up on the beach.
“As secrets come to light, the stage is set for a real-life investigation that feels plucked from the pages of one of Greer’s novels. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.”
Selling Sunset (6 September)
Tell me more: Oh come on, you know what to expect by now.
Now into its eighth season, Selling Sunset is sure to deliver on more of the rows, tears and scandals that have made it such a streaming hit – and there’s also a new addition to the Oppenheim Group who’s sure to bring her own dramas along with her.
Netflix says: “The Selling Sunset agents are back! And this season, the stakes are higher than a penthouse view. Who will rise to the top and who will crumble under pressure?”
Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood With My Father (10 September)
Tell me more: After travelling the globe with his dad, comedian Jack Whitehall is trying something very different with his new father-and-son documentary and exploring parenthood itself.
After welcoming his first child, a daughter, in September 2023, Jack is turning to his old man for some advice when it comes to being a dad. All we can say is: brace yourself.
Netflix says: “The series will see Jack Whitehall embark on one of life’s great journeys as he is about to become a father for the first time. Jack and his father Michael head out on a path of discovery and adventure as they try to crack the answers to parenthood’s endless questions.”
Emily In Paris (12 September)
Tell me more: Yep, there’s more! After leaving fans hanging last month, Emily In Paris is back with the second half of season four.
Again… you probably know the drill at this stage. She’s Emily. She’s in Paris (or, indeed, Rome, in this case). Sometimes she wears a beret. Various fit men fancy her. Et voilà…
Netflix says: “After the dramatic events of Camille and Gabriel’s misbegotten wedding, Emily is reeling: She has strong feelings for two men, but now Gabriel’s expecting a baby with his ex, and Alfie’s worst fears about her and Gabriel have been confirmed.
“At work, Sylvie is forced to confront a thorny dilemma from her past for the sake of her marriage, and the Agence Grateau team navigates personnel shakeups. Mindy and the band prepare for Eurovision, but when funds run dry, they’re forced to get thrifty.
“Emily and Gabriel’s chemistry is undeniable as they work together towards a Michelin star, but two big secrets threaten to undo everything they’ve dreamed of.”
Uglies (13 September)
Tell me more: Love a dystopian drama? Well, get into Uglies, a new movie set in a dark future where everyone receives mandatory cosmetic surgery to become “pretty” when they turn 16. But what happens when a teen resists?
The Kissing Booth and A Family Affair star Joey King takes the lead in a cast that includes history-making Emmy winner Laverne Cox, Chase Stokes, Keith Powers and Brianne Tju.
Netflix says: “In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted.”
Grave Of The Fireflies (16 September)
Tell me more: Alright, this one isn’t strictly a Netflix original, but Grave Of The Fireflies coming to streaming is enough of a big deal that we’ve included it on this must-watch list anyway. And trust us when we say it’s a must-watch.
If you’ve already enjoyed Studio Ghibli offerings My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle or the Oscar-winning Spirited Away on Netflix, this has to be next on your list. But be warned, this devastating story about two orphans grappling with life in the aftermath of World War II packs much more of an emotional punch, and makes for much more of a hard-hitting watch, than some of the past movies you might associate with the iconic anime studio.
Netflix says: “Orphans Seita and Setsuko fight for survival in post-World War II Japan. But society is harsh, and they come to the sombre conclusion that they can neither escape the hardships of war nor find enough food to survive.
“Named the Best Animated Feature at the 1994 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, this film proves that not all anime tales are pixie-dust fantasies or brutal sci-fi standoffs.”
Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (19 September)
Tell me more: Ryan Murphy does love his anthology series, doesn’t he?
After his Dahmer series proved to be a popular, if divisive, true crime exploration when it debuted on Netflix in 2022, the TV super-producer is putting his spin on another headline-dominating case.
This time around, his “Monster” brand is telling the story of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted of murdering their parents in the mid-90s.
It remains to be seen whether The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story will prove as controversial as its predecessor, Dahmer, but from the outlook it has all the hallmarks of a Ryan Murphy show, with its trailer teasing sleek production, shocking scenes and an all-star cast, which this time includes Murphy-verse regulars Chloe Sevigny and Leslie Grossman, Nathan Lane and Javier Bardem, while Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch play the titular brothers.
Netflix says: “Following the massive success of Dahmer, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series returns with Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, chronicling the case of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menendez.
“While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed - and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole - that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?
His Three Daughters (20 September)
Tell me more: Six words: Natasha Lyonne. Carrie Coon. Elizabeth Olsen. Need we say more? No, but we will anyway.
This sure-to-be-tear-jerking drama centres around three sisters, each with their own baggage and reasons for not speaking to the others, who return to their family home to care for their ill father.
Netflix says: “This tense, touching, and funny portrait of family dynamics follows three estranged sisters as they converge in a New York apartment to care for their ailing father and try to mend their own broken relationship with one another.”
Will & Harper (27 September)
Tell me more: Promising big laughs, as well as heartfelt moments, this one-off documentary follows screen legend Will Ferrell and his best friend and collaborator Harper Steele, who recently came out to him as transgender.
Will & Harper already received huge acclaim when it premiered at Sundance at the beginning of this year, and it’s finally available for the rest of us to watch at home.
Netflix says: “When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.”