As we head into September, it’s getting colder, the sun is setting earlier, and we’re forced to reckon with the inevitable passage of time. Thankfully, we’re also coming up on the best season for sitting in the darkness watching TV. And what service has shows that can be hard to watch when you have any natural light in your room? Yep, I’m talking about HBO Max.
While I unfortunately do remember the final season of Game of Thrones, HBO Max is still a personal favorite and probably the service I watch the most. Whether you’re already subscribed, considering a new subscription, or honestly don’t remember what you’re paying for anymore, here’s a look at everything coming to the service in September.
I’ve picked out some highlights for the audience here at IGN, but feel free to jump to the very long bulleted list of the full September lineup.
New Deal With GKIDS Kicks Into Gear (September 1)
A series of highlights this month stems from HBO’s recently announced deal with GKIDS. A spread of otherwise hard to find live-action and anime movies from Japanese directors are joining the streamer’s existing slate of Studio Ghibli movies. The following films will all make their North American streaming debut on September 1:
- Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
- Ghost Cat Anzu
- Lonely Castle in the Mirror
- Love & Pop
- The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. will also be making its 4k streaming debut on the service, though keep in mind 4K streaming is limited to Premium HBO Max subscribers.
Rick and Morty Season 8 (September 1)
The latest season of Rick and Morty aired on Adult Swim earlier this year. IGN’s review describes a slow start, but that “things do get markedly better as the season progresses, culminating in two all-time banger episodes.”
Unlike most animated shows in the modern era, Adult Swim decided against streaming new episodes after the live premieres. Instead, the full season is coming to HBO Max several months after its finale.
The Fate of the Furious: Director’s Cut (September 1)
Fast and Furious is one of those franchises where it’s impossible to find every movie on one service. The eighth installment, The Fate of the Furious is just one of the several movies in the series that is only available to rent or buy on digital. Well, until now. Both the theatrical and director’s cuts are landing on HBO Max on the first of the month.
Friendship (September 5)
If you’re a fan of Tim Robinson or cringe comedy in general, you have to watch Friendship. The comedian stars alongside Paul Rudd as neighbors, one of which is certainly on the quirkier side. (Take a guess on who plays who.)
Katie Rife’s review for IGN goes so far as to say it’s “an absurdist take on the buddy comedy that plays like a loosely connected series of sketches from Robinson’s Netflix hit I Think You Should Leave.” Which, again, I truly think is a good thing. The directorial debut from Andrew DeYoung hits HBO Max on September 5.
Task (Premieres September 7)
From Brad Ingelsby, the creator of Mare of Easttown, Task is a new crime drama that follows a Philadelphia detective assembling a task force to take on a local criminal. The series stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Belphrey, and Emilia Jones, and will take HBO’s prime time spot, streaming new episodes at the same time they air live on Sundays at 9pm ET.
Warfare (September 12)
The latest from Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza hit theaters this past April, and while it arrived on digital within a few weeks, the movie is coming to HBO Max around five months later.
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