September is About Survival at good.film
From an AI future war to biospheres and blue zones, there’s a distinct survival theme to September’s best impact cinema and streaming. Come with us if you want to live, as we explore all that’s coming up in our September preview.
good.film
2 years ago
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Ever since Fritz Lang’s stunning Metropolis nearly a century ago, we’ve been fascinated by tech replicas of ourselves on screen - the appearance of man, yet the heart of a machine. This month sees a new entry in The Creator: the Thai-shot, sci-fi thriller about a global AI-war. But this ain’t no Terminator… just take a glimpse at that beautiful concept art.
Helmed by British director Gareth Edwards (the guy behind the best of the Star Wars spin-offs, Rogue One) and starring John David “son of Denzel” Washington, The Creator plonks us in a near-future battleground. Still grieving his wife's disappearance, ex-special forces op Joshua dives deep into enemy territory to take down the AI brain behind a unique future war.
The twist? This “Creator” made a doomsday weapon that Joshua seeks to defuse, and it’s no uranium-enriched missile: it’s just a little girl. But, yeah, she’s definitely cyber-enhanced (check the trailer to see what we mean).
Our movie mouths are watering here for a “humanity vs. machine” tale that stands out as something different than your Dad’s daggy 80’s robot movie. The Creator’s underlying themes of grief and family - alongside Washington’s gravitas and Edwards’ jaw-dropping visual style - have shot this one into prime position on our Want to See list.
If you like your future-settings with a little less war and a little more “WTF?” then Biosphere might be more your speed. You’ve heard of ‘a cast of thousands’, now try a cast of two: inside this Biosphere, This is Us Emmy-winner Sterling K. Brown and The Morning Show’s Mark Duplass play the last two men on Earth.
It’s not as bleak as it sounds. For her debut feature, writer-director Mel Eslyn has crafted a thoughtful, funny and endearing comic drama, touching on themes of hope, gender roles, male friendships and yep, even the meaning of life. Well, that’s bound to come up when you’re living out your existence in a sealed ecosystem and your last female fish dies.
With their life support no longer self-sufficient, the men know their days are numbered - until a mysterious green light appears above their glass shelter, and one of the pair undergoes an unexpected transformation. As online commentators have noted, to say much more about what happens next in Biosphere would be giving the truly unique game away.
Summed up by Mashable as “the best 2023 movie you just might overlook”, we’re not going to make the same mistake. Sign us up for a hermetically-sealed entry to the Biosphere, thanks!
Happier on the couch? Our mates at DocPlay are offering a 14-day free trial to stream their outstanding catalogue of global documentaries - including the fascinating climate change film The Endangered Generation? from award-winning Aussie director Celeste Geer.
Fire it up and you’ll soon learn that gold was a sacred way for Indigenous cultures of South America to contact the supernatural… that a species of native palm can “walk” up to 20 metres a year from shade to sunlight… and that New Zealand’s Whanganui River was granted the status of “personhood”, and the same legal rights as a human being.
As we wrote in our guide to the film, The Endangered Generation? is much more than a nature documentary. It’s an environmental thinkpiece, a meditation on connection, and a rallying cry for urgent action rolled into one - and yes, the question mark in the title is very intentional.
Biosphere breaks into cinemas on September 7.
The Creator arrives in theatres on September 28.
The Endangered Generation? is exclusive to DocPlay from September 14.
Keen to enjoy the latest in cinemas, but cheaper? Grab a Good Tix - easy eVouchers for cheaper movies with a donation to charity built in. The best bit? You choose where the donation goes. Pick up a Good Tix and save - the donation’s on us!
Social Impact Streaming in September
- What if we could reverse-engineer longevity? The Blue Zones may hold the secrets. Travel around the world with explorer and New York Times-bestselling author Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people - from Japan to Greece to Costa Rica - live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.
- No, it’s not another Arnie jungle-hunt: Predators is a thrilling natural history series following five apex predators, from cheetahs and lions to pumas and polar bears. British actor Tom Hardy narrates as these fierce creatures face the ultimate test of survival: their drastically changing global environments.
- Is it a horror story, a parenthood fable, or a perilous, death-defying odyssey? Answer: all three. Oscar-nominee Lakeith Stanfield heads up The Changeling, AppleTV’s new fantasy drama series set in an alternate New York City, where a Black father and husband searches a magical world for his abducted son and missing wife.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones is available on Netflix now.
Predators: Series 1 is new to Netflix on September 6.
The Changeling: Season 1 hits AppleTV+ on September 8.
Too Much To See? Our Guides Have Got You.
Hey, we’re all short on time. Should you really give up 3 hours to see Oppenheimer? Or shell out for that new racing movie that’s probably all screeching tyres, no substance? Get a deeper insight into the newest releases with our good.film Impact Guides.
Keep your eyes on your inbox. Your next Impact Guides to meaningful new films like Biosphere, The Creator and Celine Song’s intimate and heartfelt Past Lives will all be heading your way in September.
Trailer Unveilers
Put your feet up, rotate that mobile and check out the latest trailers for stuff you won’t want to miss. There’s the legendary Ridley Scott’s lavish Napoleon epic, Aussie director Garth Davis’ intriguing new future-set romance, and the DC property that’s pulling raves for featuring the big screen’s first ever Latino superhero.
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