September — the first of the ‘-ber’ months and the start of Jose Mari Chan’s thawing — brings with it a new host of movies hitting Philippine cinemas. While we continue to find ourselves in a post-pandemic streaming slump, there’s still an indescribable feeling that comes from trading in your tiny, smudgey laptop screen for a sleek, big screen at the movies.
But not sure about which movie calls to you? We’ve rounded up a few of the month’s biggest cinematic releases to help you out.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (September 3)
Is this the last we’ll see of the Warrens? For now, it unfortunately seems that way. The latest addition to The Conjuring franchise reunites Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson one last time as the internationally renowned demonologist couple Lorraine and Ed Warren. This final chapter will see the husband and wife tangled in the real-life demonic case of the Smurl haunting.
‘Magellan’ (September 10)
Internationally acclaimed director Lav Diaz‘s latest opus — and the Philippines’ official entry for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards — centers on the Portuguese explorer (Gael García Bernal) and his doomed journey to the Philippine archipelago. Diaz stressed that the film, with its unflinching depiction of violence, is a historically accurate portrayal of Magellan’s attempt to colonize the country.
‘Caught Stealing’ (September 10)
Austin Butler as a washed-up baseball star? Enticing. In director Darren Aronofsky’s latest drama, Butler plays Hank Thompson, who’s more or less living an average life: he and his girlfriend Yvonne are doing alright (Zoë Kravitz), and he’s making a steady living as a bartender in New York. But when his mohawk-sporting punk-rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to catsit for a few days, Hank finds himself caught in the middle of a not-so-friendly spat with a crew of gangsters.
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ (September 10)
The Crawley family and their staff return to the big screen for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Set in the 1930s, Lady Mary (Michelle Suzanne Dockery) finds herself in the midst of a public scandal, the family is on the brink of financial ruin, and the entire household is one stone’s throw away from societal disgrace.
‘Jaws’ (September 17)
For its 50th anniversary, Steven Spielberg’s 50-year-old classic blockbuster about a bloodthirsty shark will be screening starting September 17 in Philippine cinemas, IMAX, and 4DX theaters. Jaws follows local police chief Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and jaded seafarer Quint (Robert Shaw) as they embark on a journey to hunt the massive shark, unleashing chaos on their Long Island community.
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ (September 17)
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell star as Sarah and David, two single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding. Through a strange twist of fate, they are given the gift of reliving important moments in their lives to understand how they got to where they are today.
‘Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc’ (September 24)
Chainsaw Man, for the uninitiated, is truly just that: a man with a chainsaw for a head. If we want to wade into the thick of his origin story, which unfolds in the manga and the anime series, Denji was once a devil hunter trying to pay off his family’s debt, until the yakuza had him killed. As he loses consciousness, his chainsaw-powered devil dog, Pochita, makes a deal with him to save his life; thus, the chainsaw powers are unleashed. The film will pick up where the anime’s first season left off, with Denji caught in a war between devils, hunters, and new enemies, along with a mysterious girl named Reze entering his life.
‘One Battle After Another’ (September 24)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio Del Toro (what a stacked cast) as ex-revolutionaries who must reunite 16 years later to rescue one of their own’s daughter.
‘Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna’ (September 24)
Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach are ready to break some hearts in Jason Paul Laxamana’s latest romance drama. The movie follows Raffy (Muhlach), an introverted high school flower enthusiast, trying to win the affection of visual artist Maria (Olviga).
