September has been a huge month for Netflix, and we're only a few weeks in. The number of new additions has been staggering, and viewers are rallying behind the recent flicks. And some of these winning titles haven't even hit screen yet! We're taking a look at some of the recent knock-outs and highly anticipated releases for this wild month of September. So get your sweats on, order a pizza, and get comfortable -- you've got a lot of work to do.
1. "Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell"
This is a show that has pretty much all of my interests peaked, but it didn't really have to. After my love affair with Downton Abbey, and a more recent appreciation for Sherlock, I'll trust anything from BBC. But once again, they completely blew my expectations out of the water. "Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell" is a miniseries (but maybe more, please?) in seven parts that is based of a book series by Susanna Clark. It tells the story of a different past, a past in which magic is part of daily reality. However, as the first episode opens, it is revealed that practicing magicians have all but disappeared from England, and have been gone for centuries.
Enter Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell, our magicians. These characters blew me away with their complexities and extremely well-developed character traits. My boyfriend and I blew right through this series in a weekend, and stopped only for snacks (because, snacks). I personally love their take on magic, darkness, and the grey areas between good and evil, and recommend it to anyone who loves to get lost in a world of fantasy.
2. "The Little Prince"
God, this movie gave me so many feels. "The Little Prince" is the story told from many angles but focuses on the friendship between a young girl and her older neighbor, which all starts with a story. The long retired pilot tells the young girl about the little prince, and together they embark on a journey to unravel the many complicated parts of life, love and growing up.
This movie was absolutely beautiful, from an animation standpoint alone. Using alternating styles from stop motion to 3D animation, the animators were able to show viewers where the story starts, and the story within a story that is contained within. But this film didn't win merit on beauty alone. The writers and directors were able to masterfully tell a very complex set of vignettes while also creating enough time for the audience to bond with the main characters and plot line. Overall, this film was a wonderful way to explain some very adult topics in a sweet, beautiful and extremely heartwarming way.
3. "The Get Down"
Take a trip through time with this multi-part series about New York City during the 1970's. As a crippled, crime-ridden and nearly bankrupt city, New York somehow managed to give birth to hip-hop, disco and punk. "The Get Down" follows a group of Bronx teenagers with big dreams trying to navigate the complex and, at times, dangerous music scene and find their place within it.
This show does a great job of showing the complex relationship between politics and cultural movements. Mylene balances her dreams of disco queen stardom with her extremely religious family, and Ezekiel tries to finds his passion caught between business and making music with his crew, all while buildings are burning down around them and violent lines are being drawn between people. This show was the perfect balance of coming-of-age fun and honest realities of a broken down community, and I enjoyed every second of it.
4. "Zootopia"
Moving into the near future, "Zootopia" is set to hit Netflix on September 20th. Although most have probably heard quite a bit about this breakout Disney film, "Zootopia" tells the story of Miss Judy Hopps of the ZPD, otherwise known as the first bunny to become a cop. From there, she and Nick, a clever fox, go on a mission to serve a growing case of missing mammals.
Regarded as the best movie of the year, "Zootopia" aims to transport us to a world unlike our own, but yet faces problems that we are very familiar with, such as gender/racial divisions and combating stereotypes. "Zootopia" has proven itself to be a film that audiences young and old can love and learn from.
5. "Luke Cage"
On September 30th, Netflix will bring us the latest superhero original series. And if you're anything like me, this is a big, BIG deal. Netflix has outdone themselves with this genre, bringing us amazing hits like "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones," which has undoubtedly left us on the edge of our seats (and as my friends and I can attest to, occasional screams of victory and/or complete terror). This latest installment, Luke Cage, AKA Power Man, has been set up briefly by his previous interactions on "Jessica Jones." Luke Cage is a super human whose skin cannot by penetrated, burned, or any other form of bodily harm you can think of. Also, he's pretty damn strong and has a heart of gold that has been torn apart by tragedy. And if that doesn't sound like the beginnings of a legendary super hero, I don't know what does!
We'll have to see how Netflix audiences react to the new additions, but so far it's shaping up to be an amazing month for all the binge-watchers out there. So head over to Netflix and get your marathon started. You're sure to find something awesome in the 'recently added' section.