September Premiere Picks: 8 Action-packed Releases That Bring Fall Into Full Swing

September is the month for high-risk tasks and make-or-break moments. These upcoming releases are jam packed with revenge schemes, psychological mind games, and evidence tampering. EnVi has rounded up these eight new premiers from romantic comedies to suspenseful thrillers that you’ll want to add to your watch list!

Confidence Queen: September 6

Most known for her role in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Park Min Young trades out her secretarial duties to become the ultimate con artist. The series follows Yi-rang as she leads a trio of swindlers on a rampant revenge scheme. The star studded cast also includes Park Hee-Soon (Squid Game) and Joo Jong-Hyuk (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) to round out the chaotic group that works to exploit villainous individuals. 

The Korean series Confidence Queen is a remake of the Japanese drama The Confidence Man JP that was released in 2018. With its own comedic flair, the series releases on Prime Video September 6.

Ratu Ratu Queens: The Series: September 12

This Indonesian series starring Nirina Zubir, Tika Panggabean, Asri Welas, and Happy Salma highlights the misfit friendship of four women living in Queens, New York. The show is a prequel to the original film, Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens directed by Lucky Kuswandi, which follows the story of Ali (Iqbaal Ramadhan), a teenager that embarks on a journey to New York in search of his estranged mother. 

The six episode series, also directed by Kuswandi, showcases the struggles of building a life in a new country after immigrating from Indonesia. Originally side characters in the film, Party, Ance, Biyah, and Chinta’s humble beginnings of their friendship take center stage. The dramedy focuses on filling in the narrative holes of their characters that audiences craved from Ali’s story, while also depicting the bittersweet challenges of love and loss.

731 Biochemical Revelations: September 18

The Chinese film, titled 731 Biochemical Revelations in English, tells the story of the biological warfare conducted by the Japanese Imperial Army’s Unit 731 during the second Sino-Japanese War. This Chinese war thriller delves into the suffering of Chinese victims who were subjected to Unit 731’s bacterial experiments. Writer-director Linshan Zhao details the inhumane violations of international law that took place in Northeast China during World War II. The film stars Jiang Wu and Wang Zhi Wen, and premieres September 18 following the postponement of its original release date.

Same Day With Someone: September 18

The third Thai original film airing on Netflix will be Same Day With Someone, a time-loop, quirky romantic comedy. Hailing from the same director of dystopian romance series Ready, Set, Love, Suea Yangyong Kuruangkura brings to life yet another heartwarming story. When Mesa, a privileged museum curator, finds every aspect of her life turned upside down, she is forced to relive the worst day of her life over and over again. With each reset, Mesa learns to navigate the remnants of her not-so-perfect life in order to break the endless cycle. Jarinporn Joonkiat and Warintorn Panhakarn co-star in the Groundhog Day-like film that premieres September 18 on Netflix.

Him: September 19

Filipino-Scandinavian Justin Tipping directs Him, a horror film that delves into the extremes of the North American sports industry. Tyriq Withers (Tell Me Lies) stars as Cameron Cade, a promising young football player invited to train at an exclusive bootcamp. Known for his roles in White Chicks and The Wayans Bros., Marlon Wayans portrays Isaiah White, the infamous D1 quarterback in charge of the isolated compound. Through Isaiah’s intense training methods, Cameron’s perception of the legendary player he once idolized shifts, and he must decide what he is willing to sacrifice in order to be the best.

Produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us), the movie leans into the psychological thriller genre. The film highlights soft lighting inspired by Nike commercials released in the 90s, and in an interview with Naz Perez, Tipping detailed its parallels to the religious undertones of the sport that is American football. Tipping described the film saying, “There are moments that are really dark and terrifying. Some people want to look away, and that’s okay. Just take a deep breath. It just goes full madness.” 

Alice In Borderland Season 3: September 25

Alice in Borderland returns with a third installment where the games are just as fatal as before. Audience favorites Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya return to the screen, reprising their roles as Ryohei Arisu and Yuzuha Usagi. After Usagi is abducted and transported back to Borderland, Arisu returns to the parallel world of Tokyo that they escaped from in season two for a chance to save her. Now separated in Borderland, the pair must team up with other participants to maneuver through the series of deadly games where the Joker card plays a central theme.

The Savant: September 26

The Savant stars award winning actress Jessica Chastain (Interstellar, Molly’s Game) as a mother and undercover detective who infiltrates online hate groups to prevent terrorist attacks. The limited eight-episode series is based on the Cosmopolitan feature article, “Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?” that was published in 2019. The article, written by Andrea Stanley, tells the story of an investigator, known as the Savant, who takes down America’s most violent men in hate organizations. Starring alongside Chastain is Nnamdi Asomugha, Cole Doman, Jordana Spiro, Trinity Lee Shirley, and Toussaint Francios Battiste. 

Chad Powers: September 30

One of Hollywood’s leading men, Glenn Powell (Anyone But You, Set It Up, Top Gun: Maverick) becomes the new face of football in Hulu’s new comedy series. Co-creators Powell and Michael Waldron (Loki, Rick and Morty and Heels) co-wrote the pilot based on the ESPN+ sketch for Eli’s Places, a show highlighting hidden gems of college football hosted by Eli Manning. Powell stars in the titular role as up-and-coming quarterback Russ Holliday. After Russ’ bad behavior puts a damper on his college career, the All-American player disguises himself as the friendly Chad Powers in order to walk onto the struggling Southern football team. The cast of the half hour comedy series also includes Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Steve Zahn.

Want more film recommendations? Check out our list of South Asian takes on Jane Austen stories here!