What to watch, what to watch … Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice? We hear you wondering. Wonder no more: here is your ultimate list of what’s on in cinemas this September.
Show local cinema some love by seeing the three Australian films hitting the big screen this month (more on that below).
To find out what’s streaming right now, check out our monthly streaming guide.
For upcoming film festivals in Australia, see our quarterly film festival guide. We also frequently publish handpicked selections from major film festivals all over Australia, so keep an eye out for those.
And remember to check your favourite cinema’s website for details and times on any screenings.
Australian films to watch out for in August 2024
- A Horse Named Winx
- Kid Snow
- Runt
New films in Australian cinemas this August:
5 September
A Horse Named Winx
This horse racing documentary tells the inspirational story of one of our greatest athletes. At the height of her fame, Winx became known as the ‘people’s horse’, an Australian icon who transcended her sport, joining the realms of fellow legends like Cathy Freeman and Sir Donald Bradman.
Director: Janine Hosking
Cast: Chris Waller, Andrew Rule
Classification: CTC
Country: Australia
Runtime: 117m
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife.
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder
Classification: M
Country: US
Runtime: 104m
GOAT
Indian thriller inspired by the 2004 Moscow Metro bombing, where a suicide bomber detonated in a crowded subway, killing dozens. The film delves into the aftermath and pursuit of those responsible.
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Cast: Joseph Vijay, Prabhu Deva
Classification: CTC
Country: India
Runtime: 175m
Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp
After helping a vampire, Reki becomes one of them. To become human again, she must recover the vampire’s limbs captured by hunters.
Director: Tatsuya Oishi
Cast: Takahiro Sakurai, Yui Horie
Classification: CTC
Country: Japan
Runtime: 144m
Land of Happiness
October 26, 1979, a presidential assassination shakes the nation. Taking on the defense of Park Tae-joo, the secretary involved in the presidential assassination, lawyer Jung In-hoo enters what would be South Korea’s most notorious political trial. Despite Park Tae-joo facing a predetermined sentence due to his military status, Jung In-hoo fights tirelessly to ensure a fair trial, enraged by the trial’s unfair proceedings.
Director: Chang-min Choo
Cast: Jo Jung-suk, Jeon Bae-Soo
Classification: M
Country: South Korea
Runtime: 124m
Last Summer
A lawyer, mother of two little girls, welcomes into her home the 17-year-old son from her husband’s first marriage – and soon engages in an affair with the teenager – in this Palme d’Or-nominated taboo-crossing drama.
Director: Catherine Breillat
Cast: Léa Drucker, Olivier Rabourdin
Classification: CTC
Country: France
Runtime: 104m
Thelma
In her first lead role, the great June Squibb stars in this action film as the 93-year-old victim of a phone scam who embarks on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken. Inspired by a real-life experience of writer-director Josh Margolin’s own grandmother.
Director: Josh Margolin
Cast: June Squibb, Clark Gregg
Classification: CTC
Country: USA
Runtime: 97m
6 September
Emergency
Kangana stars as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in this political drama.
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher
Classification: CTC
Country: India
Runtime: 145m
7 September
Aespa: My First Page
Since their debut in 2020, K-pop group aespa has shown impressive growth with the mega-hits of their every album. The first page of the story about aespa’s radiant dream unfolds on the screen, including their new music world, the live recording of their performances, interviews with the four members, and the stories behind the scenes of their first concert in 2023.
Director: Kim Ji-Seon
Cast: aespa
Classification: PG
Country: South Korea
Runtime: 110m
12 September
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Zachary Levi (Shazam!) plays Harold, who embarks on a magical mission with the help of his purple crayon that brings any drawing to life, in this family adventure from the director of Ferdinand, adapting the children’s book by Crockett Johnson.
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Cast: Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel
Classification: PG
Country: USA
Runtime: 90m
Bonnard, Pierre & Marthe
Vincent Macaigne and Cecile de France star in this historical drama about the colourful relationship between the famous post-Impressionist painter and his wife.
Director: Martin Provost
Cast: Cécile De France, Vincent Macaigne
Classification: MA
Country: Belgium, France
Runtime: 123m
Kid Snow
A washed-up Irish boxer named Kid Snow is finally faced with a chance to redeem himself when he is offered a rematch against the man he fought a decade prior, on a night that changed his life forever. When he meets single mother Sunny, he is forced to contemplate a future beyond boxing.
Director: Paul Goldman
Cast: Billy Howle, Tom Bateman, Phoebe Tonkin
Classification: MA
Country: Australia
Runtime: 128m
Neneh Superstar
Born to dance, Neneh is a 12-year-old Black girl who dreams of entering the Paris Opera Ballet School. Despite her enthusiasm, she will have to redouble her efforts.
Director: Ramzi Ben Sliman
Cast: Aïssa Maïga, Maïwenn
Classification: M
Country: France
Runtime: 95m
Speak No Evil
An American remake of the 2022 Danish horror. Centers on a family who takes a dream holiday to an idyllic country house, only to have the vacation turn into a psychological nightmare when their hosts slowly reveal a different side of themselves.
Director: James Watkins
Cast: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis
Classification: MA
Country: USA
Runtime: 110m
Subservience
Megan Fox plays an AI robot assistant in this sci-fi thriller, following a struggling father who purchases a domestic SIM to help care for his house and family. Unaware to him, she will gain awareness and turn deadly.
Director: SK Dale
Cast: Megan Fox, Michele Morrone
Classification: MA
Country: USA, Bulgaria
Runtime: 95m
12 September
Usher: Rendezvous in Paris
In this concert film recorded during Paris Fashion week at La Seine Musicale, Usher performs chart-topping hits from his 30-year career.
Director: Anthony Mandler
Cast: Usher
Classification: M
Country: USA
Runtime: 90m
Will & Harper
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.
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrell, Harper Steele
Classification: CTC
Country: USA
Runtime: 114m
18 September
Jung Kook: I Am Still
Following the ‘personal journey’ of BTS star Jung Kook, this film takes a look into his creative process, unwavering work ethic, and the unique challenges faced by a global superstar using exclusive, never-before-seen footage and interviews alongside concert performances.
Director: Jun-Soo Park
Cast: Jung Kook
Classification: G
Country: South Korea
Runtime: 93m
19 September
Runt
Follows ten-year-old Annie and Runt, her stray dog, as they attempt to win the Agility Course Championship at the Krumpets Dog Show in London in order to save their family’s farm from drought and misery.
Director: John Sheedy
Cast: Jai Courtney, Deborah Mailman, Celeste Barber
Classification: PG
Country: Australia
Runtime: 92m
The Substance
Emmy-nominees Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley (Maid) star in this feminist take on body horror from writer-director Coralie Fargeat (The Sandman). Nominated for the Palme d’Or, co-starring Dennis Quaid.
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Demi Moore, Margarate Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Classification: CTC
Country: UK, USA
Runtime: 140m
The Wild Robot
Family-friendly adventure from Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch) following Rozzum ‘Roz’ 7134, a futuristic robot that washes ashore on a deserted island. A tale of survival and discovery begins when she becomes the unexpected protector to an orphaned gosling, which she names Brightbill. Together they struggle to survive the harsh environment.
Director: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o
Classification: PG
Country: USA
Runtime: 102m
Slingshot
Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne lead this psychological space thriller about an elite trio of astronauts aboard a years-long, possibly compromised mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. As the team gears up for a highly dangerous slingshot manoeuvre that will either catapult them to Titan or into deep space, it becomes increasingly difficult for one astronaut to maintain his grip on reality.
Director: Mikael Håfström
Cast: Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne
Classification: CTC
Country: USA
Runtime: 109m
The Paradise of Thorns
Thongkam and Sek, a devoted gay couple, have worked tirelessly to build a life together, including owning a house and a durian orchard in Mae Hong Son. Tragedy strikes when Sek dies suddenly in an accident, revealling that they were never legally married in Thailand, leaving Thongkam with no rights to their assets.
Director: Naruebet Kuno
Cast: Jeff Satur, Engfa Waraha
Classification: CTC
Country: Thailand
Runtime: 132m
20 September
NT Live: Prima Facie
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) makes her West End debut in Suzie Miller’s award-winning play, recorded from the London stage. Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and winning. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.
Director: Justin Martin
Cast: Jodie Comer
Classification: E
Country: UK
Runtime: 120m
26 September
Megalopolis
The great Francis Ford Coppola assembles an all-star cast – including Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Forest Whitaker and Jason Schwartzman – for this Palme d’Or-nominated sci-fi drama about an architect who wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito
Classification: CTC
Country: USA
Runtime: 138m
My Old Ass
Elliott is forewarned by her future self to not fall in love. Seems easy enough, until she meets the man older Elliott warned her about.
Director: Megan Park
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler
Classification: CTC
Country: USA, Canada
Runtime: 89m
Never Let Go
Halle Berry leads this horror from director Alexandre Aja (Crawl) as the mother of a family that has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and their surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real.
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Halle Berry
Classification: CTC
Country: USA
Runtime: 101m
A Difficult Year
Pio Marmaï and Jonathan Cohen play two compulsive spenders who get much more than they bargained for when they try and scam their way out of trouble in this comedy from the directors of The Intouchables.
Director: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano
Cast: Pio Marmaï, Jonathan Cohen
Classification: M
Country: France
Runtime: 118m
27 September
Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands
Matthew Bourne’s contemporary dance interpretation of the beloved Tim Burton movie, filmed live in March 2024 at the Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff and brought to cinemas worldwide.
Director: Matthew Bourne
Cast: Liam Mower, Ashley Shaw
Classification: CTC
Country: UK
Runtime: 95m
