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\n Cruel Intentions is one of several classics that were just added to the streaming service.
\n Photo: Columbia Pictures\n <\/p>\n
Netflix is about to unleash three months of Oscar contenders with the forthcoming drops of original films like La Bola Negra, Possible Love, and The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. But what does that mean for September? Old movies! Netflix\u2019s September 1 refresh is one of its most classics-heavy of the year, filled with beloved hits, some from long before the year 2000. Get nostalgic with us and watch one of these action, comedy, and family films; there\u2019s even a great new doc that you almost certainly haven\u2019t seen.<\/p>\n
Year: 1979
Run time: 1h 57m
Director: Ridley Scott<\/p>\n
This one changed everything<\/a>. Alien didn\u2019t just launch a mega-franchise or create an iconic character in Sigourney Weaver\u2019s Ripley, it shifted the entire sci-fi\/horror landscape<\/a>. And what\u2019s even more stunning about it almost a half-century later is how much it still rips. From beginning to end, this is one of the rare movies that could be called perfect. (Note: The James Cameron sequel Aliens returned to Netflix this month as well. Watch both and fight over which one is better.) \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 1980 One of the most beloved comedies of all time, this 1980 musical classic stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues, characters they developed together on Saturday Night Live\ufeff. The humor in this John Landis classic has held up, but the music really holds it together, including appearances from James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and Chaka Khan. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 1999 We knew this was a future cult classic the minute it dropped. It was a film that capitalized on the rising fame of three stars \u2014 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon<\/a> \u2014 in its updating of Les Liaisons Dangereuses for Gen X. This sexy thriller got mixed reviews on its release but became a pretty big hit anyway, propelling its stars higher and even launching a franchise. It\u2019s not commonly on streaming services, so check it out while you can. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 2006 One of the best Aardman Animation films that doesn\u2019t star Wallace, Gromit, or Shaun the Sheep is this 2006 animated film that left behind its stop-motion style for computer animation. Hugh Jackman voices a pet rat named Roddy St. James who gets flushed down the toilet and meets the \u201ccity rats\u201d who live in the sewers, including characters voiced by Kate Winslet, Jean Reno, and Ian McKellen. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 2025 This is such a lovely documentary, and it\u2019s never been available on a streaming service until this month. It\u2019s the verit\u00e9 telling of teenage life at a high school in Norway, a place where young people are taught alongside training sled dogs. Directors Ewing and Grady give their troubled teens space to express themselves comfortably, revealing how important it can be to not just have an unusual responsibility like animal training but be present in nature. It can help you find yourself. Don\u2019t miss this one. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 1975 The movie that ushered in the blockbuster era is often viewed more in terms of how it changed the industry<\/a> than the fact that it\u2019s, well, perfect. Seriously, you don\u2019t need to change a single frame, line reading, or edit in Jaws, a film that works to raise tension from its very first scene<\/a>. There\u2019s a reason people are still writing books about Jaws. (Note: All four of the films in this franchise are now on Netflix. Shark-athon!) \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 2007 Its gender politics seem shakier than when it came out, but Judd Apatow\u2019s biggest hit still works because of the intelligence of its screenplay and commitment of its cast, especially Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. The story of a man forced to grow up when his one-night stand gets pregnant errs a bit too much on the side of the male view, but one can\u2019t deny the pure laughs-per-minute ratio and a truly underrated Rogen performance. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 2017 Daniel Day-Lewis stars<\/a> in this period piece from one of the most popular working American directors. The Oscar winner plays a dressmaker in 1950s London who becomes attached to a waitress, played by Vicky Krieps. First, she\u2019s his muse, inspiring him to create, but their relationship becomes warped by his manipulation until she ends up turning the tables. A character study of codependence with PTA\u2019s unmatched craftsmanship<\/a>, it\u2019s one of the best films of the 2010s. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 2024 It\u2019s very rare for a sequel to be better than the original, but that\u2019s the case here as writer-director Parker Finn builds on the ideas of the first Smile in a manner that\u2019s ambitious and accomplished. Naomi Scott gives one of the best performances of 2024 as a pop star who becomes attached to the smile demon, sending her down a terrifying roller coaster to one of the most memorable horror-movie endings in years. Finn has said he\u2019s working on a third film, but the bar is now remarkably high. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Year: 1974 What\u2019s so stunning about this horror masterpiece is what it doesn\u2019t show. So many people remember this flick as a gore-filled nightmare, but Hooper actually lets your mind do most of the work, rarely showing as much as the film\u2019s reputation. It\u2019s still an unforgettable film, one that changed the indie horror landscape forever. \u27bd Streaming now.<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up for Streamliner<\/p>\n An entertainment newsletter for the pop-culture obsessed.<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n
Run time: 2h 12m
Director: John Landis<\/p>\n
Run time: 1h 37m
Director: Roger Kumble<\/p>\n
Run time: 1h 25m
Directors: David Bowers, Sam Fell<\/p>\n
Run time: 1h 46m
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady<\/p>\n
Run time: 2h 4m
Director: Steven Spielberg<\/p>\n
Run time: 2h 8m
Director: Judd Apatow<\/p>\n
Run time: 2h 10m
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson<\/p>\n
Run time: 2h 7m
Director: Parker Finn<\/p>\n
Run time: 1h 23m
Director: Tobe Hooper<\/p>\n