As is the case every year, September remains a notable film month mainly because so many overlapping and concurrent film festivals are taking place. As Venice, Telluride, and the Toronto International Film Festival begin and come to a close, with others such as Fantastic Fest and the New York Film Festival upcoming, there’s plenty on the horizon for exciting films even if they won’t be playing theatrically, for a few months. Aside from the festival madness, there are plenty of new releases worth seeking out, with a considerable number of premieres of titles that first played at Sundance earlier this year, such as “Cassandro” and “Fair Play.” 
READ MORE: Fall 2023 TV Preview: Over 35+ Most Anticipated Shows To Watch
It also might not be the month we associate with horror movies. Still, the genre is making a big play this month, from major studio releases to independent features premiering on Shudder bookending the month. While there aren’t many big tent pole-style releases, the month offers an eclectic offering of genre and size of the film, with several noteworthy releases from first-time female filmmakers. And to be a completist, you could still consider Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua‘s “The Equalizer 3,” which opened last Friday on September 1.

“Perpetrator”Written and directed by Jennifer Reeder, “Perpetrator” is a horror film that follows a teenage girl living in a town where young women continue to go missing mysteriously. Kiah McKirnan, Melanie Liburd, Ireon Roach, Casimere Jollette, Tim Hopper, Josh Bywater, Chris Lowell and Alicia Silverstone star. Our critic writes, “Oozing, gooey blood and messed-up school uniforms, secrets whispered in high school bathrooms, glitter dresses, and uncanny face masks all meld together to create a film rich in atmosphere and artifice.”Release Date: Streaming September 1 via Shudder.

“My Animal”Director Jacqueline Castel makes her feature debut with “My Animal,” starring Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Amandla Stenberg. Menuez plays Heather, a young woman tormented by a family curse, who falls for Stenberg’s Johnny, their relationship threatening to unravel Heather’s inner desires. Our critic praises the two performances, writing, “…the sizzling chemistry that Menuez and Stenberg effortlessly conjure up is also worth noting, given that “My Animal” is at its strongest when it has both of them onscreen.”Release Date: In theaters September 8 via Paramount Global Content Distribution.

“Rotting in the Sun”Sebastián Silva directs “Rotting in the Sun” starring Jordan Firstman, Silva, and Catalina Saavedra. Co-written by Silva and Pedro Peirano, the film is a meta-comedy that aims at the business of filmmaking. The film follows Silva as a version of himself who meets an Instagram influencer who pitches an idea that they collaborate together on an upcoming project (read our review).Release Date: In limited theaters, September 8, then streaming on Mubi, September 15.

“Cassandro”Gael García Bernal is one of today’s finest actors, a chameleon able to disappear into his many eclectic roles. In “Cassandro,” he plays Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler who rises to international stardom as Cassandro, dubbed the “Liberace of Lucy Libre.” Roger Ross Williams directs the film, which, along with Bernal, stars Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, Raúl Castillo, El Hijo del Santo, and Bad Bunny. Our critic wrote that “…director Roger Ross Williams has drop-kicked the shackles of conventional biopic filmmaking in an intoxicating fashion.”Release Date: September 15 in limited theaters, before streaming via Prime Video on September 22.