Culture

August may have had some interesting releases, but September promises to knock your socks off with a few opening bangers. From sci-fi kings like Ridley Scott to comedy queens like Katherine Ryan, there’s definitely something for everyone to give a shot at and that’s not even the full month. 

Heres whats’ cracking for you to catch on your weekends or days off. 

Raised By Wolves 

Even though many Scott fans are bitter about the way Alien Covenant went down and not too happy with Prometheus, there may still be hope for this one. Helmed by the screenwriter of Prisoners 2007, Aaron Guzikowski, the show picks up on androids, in particular, an obsession of Scott’s that is clear from previous movies. 

Parental figures – a Mother, played by Amanda Collin and Father, Abubakar Salim androids are sent to an empty land to raise human children the way the androids wish too. Of course, there are humans with religion, that oppose this notion. 

A simple counter-point that will question the motivations of Mother as from the trailer she seems to be the more emotionally attached of the two. As we’ve seen with previous androids, the human-robot line is fine and very difficult to discern.

Out on HBO Go 3 September. 

The Duchess 

What can be discerned from the trailer of this new show is that is whacky. Taking all the punches is this dramedy where Katherine Ryan plays a single mother navigating her relationship with daughter Olive Byrne as well as her ex-boyfriend and former boy band member Shepard Keenan. 

In a twist that seems to throw everyone for a loop and in retaliation to her ex’s new beau, Ryan wants to have another baby. Not just any baby, but another one with Keenan. The show’s humour seems sharp and visceral, a bit on the edge sometimes, very much in your face. Be prepared for a loud ride through the messy life of Ryan. 

Out on Netflix 11 September. 

Away 

Another space film, because we are all now obsessed with the outer rim. This time it’s Hilary Swank stuck in the great beyond, floating around and missing the connections that she has on earth. Different from Gravity, The Martian and Lost in Space, Away reads more like a family drama with real work-life complications, except it’s not just a plane ride, long distance. 

Sitting on the moon, ready to go to Mars for the next three years, Commander Emma Green has to make a difficult decision when faced with family complications. What might seem like a simple problem becomes infinitely more significant when the implications of her actions also affect others greatly. The series also stars Josh Charles from The Good Wife and Ray Panthaki from Marcella. 

Out on Netflix 4 September. 

The Boys 

If you haven’t already seen the first season of Amazon Prime’s answer to the superhero phenomenon, then now is the time to catch up. The Boys is loud, different, violent and filled with snark from a burly Wolverine looking Karl Urban. 

In a world where superheroes are a corporate capitalistic commodity, things are much more than just saving kittens from trees. Corruption, sexual harassment and collateral damage (by which they definitely mean just straight-up murder) there doesn’t seem to be anyone to keep these superheroes inline and anyone the wiser is silenced. 

Follow Billy Butcher (Urban) as he inducts Hughie Campbell into his merry band of boys to stand up to the terrifying set of superheroes who care more about the big bucks than anything else. If anyone does psycho eyes better than Christian Bale in An American Psycho then it’s definitely Anthony Starr as The Homelander.  Season two will answer all your burning questions when you finish season one. 

Season 2 out on Amazon Prime 4 September. 

The Third Day

Jude Law was supposed to grace our screens much earlier than this but like many other things, The Third Day got delayed and lost to the wind for a while. Starring Law and Naomie Harris in two segments, Summer and Winter, all that we can say about this show at the present is that it’s about their separate journeys to an island off the British coast. 

From the trailer, this seems to mix horror, drama and thriller all together into one mad wild ride on an island filled with what seems to be like nutters. But of course, things aren’t that simple and the show alludes to questions about dealing with pain and loss. Crazed villagers, night time trailer burnings, and Law covered in blood and grime is what awaits you in The Third Day.

Out on HBO Go 15 September.