If you happened to check out our list of August movies or saw the marquee at your local cinema, you know there were a variety of options across genres. Regardless, we prioritized Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey (in IMAX), both which hit theaters in July. The one August release we did see was The End of Oak Street, and I sorely regret it. I can honestly say it was probably the worst movie I’ve seen since not being able to finish Anchorman.
But September holds a little more hope for us with an assortment of comedies, dramas, action features and a heavy dose of thrillers. We haven’t prioritized which we plan to see, but I’m kind of hoping to take in a Cinemark Secret Movie so I don’t have to decide. Here is a pre-cap of the options this upcoming month:
Fall 2: Deadpoint
Release Date: September 2, 2026 Genre: Thriller Cast: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney
From the survival hit that tapped into the fear of heights and left two friends stranded at the top of a tower comes a climb that goes higher, gets deadlier, and hits with next-level adrenaline. In FALL 2: DEADPOINT, two friends take on new heights in Thailand, where unpredictable terrain, extreme exposure, and nowhere to hide push survival further than ever before.
Just Play Dead
Release Date: September 3, 2026 Genre: Crime, Psychological Thriller Cast: Samuel L. Jackson & Eva Green
A criminal mastermind (Samuel L. Jackson) plans to fake his death for insurance money while framing his wife’s lover. His wife (Eva Green) plots to kill him for real and take it all. Both race to outmaneuver each other in a deadly battle of wits.
By Any Means
Release Date: September 4, 2026 Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry with David Strathairn and Giancarlo Esposito
Based on a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur.
When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don’t.
Onslaught
Release Date: September 4, 2026 Genre: Horror, Thriller, Action Cast: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall
When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.
Runner
Release Date: September 11, 2026 Genre: Action, Comedy Cast: Alan Ritchson, Owen Wilson
A former soldier is thrown into a race against time as a medical delivery makes him the target of a ruthless cartel.
The Uprising
Release Date: September 11, 2026 Genre: Drama Cast: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston, Sky Yang
Andrew Garfield stars as the legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. As war burns across England, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice and survival.
Practical Magic 2
Release Date: September 11, 2026 Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sequel Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, with Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing
Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 returns to a world steeped in moonlit mischief and powerful ancestral magic, as the Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all in a must-see cinematic event of fun, magic and mayhem.
Resident Evil
Release Date: September 18, 2026 Genre: Horror, Action Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser
From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
The Weight
Release Date: September 18, 2026 Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Cast: Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe
When Samuel (Ethan Hawke) is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal prison, Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) offers him a high-stakes proposition: smuggle gold out of a remote mine with a dangerous crew of prisoners and he’ll win his freedom.
The History of Concrete
Release Date: September 18, 2026 Genre: Documentary Director: John Wilson
Following the finale of his acclaimed HBO series “How To with John Wilson”, NYC documentarian John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world’s most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to tell this seemingly drab story and increase his movie’s appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble—literally and figuratively—as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
Forgotten Island
Release Date: September 25, 2026 Genre: Animated Adventure Cast: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea Salonga
While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.
Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww (Dave Franco) and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal (Tony winning icon Lea Salonga), the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
Primetime
Release Date: September 25, 2026 Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine
In 2006, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.
The Stunt Driver
Release Date: September 25, 2026 Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama Cast: Jay Baruchel, Ben Foster, Ed Helms, Dan Bakkedahl
The story of daredevil stuntman Ken Carter’s quest to execute a stunt of launching a rocket car, facing absurd challenges along the way.
Heart of the Beast
Release Date: September 25, 2026 Genre: Action, Adventure Cast: Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe
After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.
Runner, Primetime, The Weight and Heart of the Beast are all ones I hope to see on the big screen. We’ll have to work these into the schedule wherever possible because I would hate to have to wait until they are on a streaming service!
How do you decide between seeing a movie in the theater and waiting for it to stream?
