8 Movies We’re Looking Forward to This Month

September is upon us, bringing a lot of great — or if not great, at least fun — new movies to theaters.

If you’re planning your cinematic schedule this month, here are the films we’re looking forward to seeing in theaters this September. Mark your calendars!

No Good Deed

Releases September 12th. Stars: Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson. Director: Sam Miller.

This home invasion thriller doesn’t look like it breaks from the expected tropes, with Elba playing an escaped criminal who charms his way into Terri’s (Henson) home and proceeds to terrorize her and her family. However, Elba and director Sam Miller have worked together before to great results in Luther, and there’s a chance this could hit some of those same fantastically creepy notes.

The Drop

Releases September 12th. Stars: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini. Director: Michaël R. Roskam.

Bartender Bob Saginowski (Hardy) finds himself in the middle of a robbery gone awry when someone holding up his bar takes money destined for the mob. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, who also brought us Mystic River and Shutter Island, this could be a solid crime drama. Plus high-caliber talent like Hardy, Rapace, and James Gandolfini in his last role are likely to make it worth watching even if the story does fall flat.

The Maze Runner

Releases September 19th. Stars: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Director: Wes Ball.

Based on the James Dashner novel by the same name, think of this as a kind of Hunger Games but without the female protagonist. Thomas (O’Brien) wakes to find himself in a community of boys trapped in the heart of a maze… and the only way to find out just what’s going on is to dive into the maze itself. It’s a sci-fi premise with plenty of promise… but with a director and cast who are mostly an unknown quantity (O’Brien you may know as “that guy from Teen Wolf“) and Fox keeping quiet on details, it’s hard to say how this will pan out. Still, we’re curious to see just how this story goes.

The Zero Theorem

Releases September 19th. Stars: Gwendoline Christie, Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, David Thewlis, Mélanie Thierry. Director: Terry Gilliam.

Chances are you already know whether you love or hate Terry Gilliam’s eccentric moviemaking style. If you love it, you’ll probably love The Zero Theorem, too — but if not, it’s probably best to steer clear. The story follows programmer Qohen Leth (Waltz) as he attempts to uncover the zero theorem in a bizarre, dystopian world. Though this flick has been out overseas for some time, it’s only just now getting a stateside release. If you can’t find it in a theater near you, it should be showing up on video on demand services this month — so keep your eyes peeled.

Tusk

Releases September 19th. Stars: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez. Director: Kevin Smith.

The latest from Kevin Smith is also, almost certainly, the strangest film we’ve ever seen him make. Is it comedy? Is it horror? Is it a straight-up psychological thriller? Signs point to all of the above. The film follows our hero, the podcaster Wallace (Long) as he travels to Canada to interview eccentric seafarer Howard Howe (Parks)… who apparently wants to turn Wallace into a walrus. No, really, we’re fairly certain that’s the actual plot.

A Walk Among the Tombstones

Releases September 19th. Stars: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, Sebastian Roché. Director: Scott Frank.

This is another of the recent string of Liam Neeson movies where he plays a total badass — this time, an unlicensed private detective hunting down who killed the wife of a mobster. If you’re tired of Liam Neeson: Action Hero, this will probably disappoint. But come on! It’s Liam Neeson: Action Hero!

The Equalizer

Releases September 26th. Stars: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz. Director: Antoine Fuqua.

Yes, it’s another in a long stream of tough guy movies coming out in September (and since the dawn of time), but this particular take on the trope at least looks like a decent one. The film follows Robert McCall (Washington), who’s ex-special forces and not okay with injustice, which, unfortunately for his retirement plan, is everywhere. And when injustice happens? McCall takes matters into his own hands. We’re not saying this one’s an original work of cinematic genius or anything, but it looks to be a fun action flick.

The Boxtrolls

Releases September 26th. Stars: Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, Simon Pegg, Toni Collettez. Director: Graham Annable.

If you’re familiar with Laika’s stop-motion animation efforts, which includes ParaNorman and Coraline, you know the studio doesn’t seem to know how to produce movies that aren’t neigh-impossibly charming — and The Boxtrolls isn’t likely to change that. The premise is a Jungle Book-style story about a boy named Eggs (Hempstead-Wright) who’s been raised by Boxtrolls. When he meets Winnie (Fanning), she attempts to introduce him to human society for the first time… to mixed results.

Anything you’re looking forward to seeing in September? Let us know about it in the comments!