Technically, the fall season won’t begin until September 23, but as far as the movie industry is concerned, summer is over. While we still have a few high-profile movies on the horizon this month, this means we’ve officially entered that time of the year when worthy choices at the cineplex feel fewer and farther between. That said, a little horror sequel about a killer clown dominated our social polls on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and earned the most Want-to-See votes on RT by a wide margin. But fans still had room for a sci-fi mystery starring Brad Pitt, the return of an ’80s action icon, and a couple of period dramas based on a book and a popular TV series, respectively. Read on to find out the five most anticipated movies of September, as voted by Rotten Tomatoes users and our fans on social media.
4,955 Want-to-See Votes
#1 pick by our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter fans
Opens September 6
The Losers Club is back to contend with the shapeshifting evil that haunted them mercilessly as children 27 years ago. (Or was that just two years ago?) James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader lead the ensemble cast of grown-ups, while Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, and Jaeden Martell reprise their characters in a series of flashback sequences. Oh, and let’s not forget about Bill Skarsgård’s take on Pennywise the clown, which is officially a contender to enter the pantheon of all-time greatest horror villains. It: Chapter Two garnered the top spot across all of our social polls for September and earned the most Want-to-See votes of any film this month, and the critics who have seen it already have weighed in to the tune of 71% on the Tomatometer.
1,368 Want-to-See Votes
#2 pick by our Instagram and Twitter fans, #3 pick by our Facebook fans
Opens September 20
Originally slated to open in January of this year — and then in May, before it was pushed back again — Ad Astra‘s production delays initially inspired some skepticism, but the release of the film’s trailer seems to have assuaged most fears. Brad Pitt stars as an astronaut who embarks on a journey to the farthest reaches of space in search for his father, who made the same journey decades earlier. Director James Gray mined somewhat similar territory in his last film, The Lost City of Z, which earned a Certified Fresh 86% on the Tomatometer, and after its Venice Film Festival premiere, Ad Astra has earned similar acclaim, also at 86%.
#2 pick by our Facebook fans, #3 pick by our Instagram and Twitter fans
Opens September 20
Back in 2008, Sylvester Stallone attempted to revive John Rambo in the pop culture consciousness with Rambo, and while that movie had its defenders, it didn’t find the same success that Stallone would later achieve with Rocky Balboa. Nevertheless, more than a decade later, the franchise brings us a new installment, which took almost as long to make it to the big screen. This time around, Rambo takes on a Mexican drug cartel when, in a fantastic display of cinematic bad judgement, they kidnap his niece. It should make for a perfect little popcorn movie for anyone who gets their kicks from occasional ultraviolence.
903 Want-to-See Votes
#4 pick by our Facebook and Instagram fans
Opens September 13
This movie has “presumptive awards contender” written all over it. It’s based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel; it’s directed by John Crowley, whose previous film Brooklyn was nominated for three Oscars; and it stars a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, and up-and-comer Ansel Elgort. The story revolves around a young boy who, after his mother is killed in a terrorist bombing, goes on to live an extraordinary life, all while hiding a secret. The film seems to conjure comparisons to Great Expectations, but it hasn’t gotten a lot of marketing love, which is somewhat a cause for concern and might be a reason to temper any high hopes.
1,122 Want-to-See Votes
Opens on September 20
Lastly, we have the film based on the wildly popular TV series Downton Abbey. In other words, this one will have a built-in audience, and honestly, if you didn’t follow the show, there’s little reason to think you’d be interested in this film, which sees the return of Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, and the rest of the remaining cast return to the Abbey to prepare for a visit from the King and Queen themselves. This one didn’t rank at all on any of our social polls, but it was the film that scored the third most Want-to-See votes on RT, which was enough to get it into the top five in what looks to be a slow-ish month.
