The kids are back to school, the evenings are getting shorter and it might be time to think about putting the heating on once in a while. September is here, my favourite month of the year. I’m looking forward to getting to snuggle up under fluffy blankets and watch my shows, without feeling like I should be outside enjoying the sunshine! Here’s what I’m looking forward to getting stuck into this September over on Netflix (blanket at the ready!).
Designated Survivor
I was gripped to the first series of Designated Survivor when it was on Netflix last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what is next for President Jack Bauer Tom Kirkman and co. The current goings on in the White House have been so out of step with reality, that it really won’t be hard to completely get behind the madcap goings on of Kirkman’s White House and their world. It hits Netflix on a weekly basis, like last year, airing the day after it does in the US on ABC. I cannot wait.
The Confession Tapes
I’ve previously written about my love of all things True Crime, so it probably won’t surprise you that I’m really looking forward to checking out The Confession Tapes. This true crime documentary series investigates cases where people convicted of murder claim their confessions were coerced, involuntary or false. For those who were horrified by the footage of Brendan Dassey’s confession in Making A Murderer, this one might be right up your alley and leave you in shock at the audacity of some of the law enforcement involved. I’m really looking forward to seeing how these play out. Check out the trailer for the show, which hits Netflix on 8th September here.
Snowden
I like Joseph Gordon Levitt’s work – 10 things I hate about you and 500 Days of Summer are among my top ten favourite films of all time. So I’m intrigued to see what he does with the based-on-true-story tale of the goings on with Edward Snowden in this 2016 biographical political thriller. Disillusioned with the intelligence community, top contractor Edward Snowden (Gordon-Levitt) left his job at the National Security Agency. He now knows that a virtual mountain of data is being assembled to track all forms of digital communication — not just from foreign governments and terrorist groups, but from ordinary Americans. When Snowden decides to leak this classified information, he becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others and a fugitive from the law. While I know the general gist of the real deal, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out on the screen.
I Am Jane Doe
I thought that the horrors that were revealed in documentaries like Audrie and Daisy, and Hot Girls Wanted weren’t really to be topped. Then along came I am Jane Doe. It’s a documentary chronicling the legal battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school daughters, who were trafficked for commercial sex on Backpage.com, the classified advertising website formerly owned by the Village Voice. The documentary follows the stories and cases of middle school girls from Bost, a 15-year-old from Seattle, and a 13-year-old girl from St. Louis. Their suits against Backpage put them on a collision course with judges, special interest groups, and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.The film is narrated by Jessica Chastain, directed by filmmaker Mary Mazzio, and produced by Mazzio along with Alec Sokolow. 50% of the film’s profits will go to non-profit organizations which serve children affected by human trafficking. This one isn’t for those looking for a light watch, but it’s such an important issue that it needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
The Story of Diana
The whole world and it’s mother seems to be obsessing over Princess Diana at the moment, so it wouldn’t be a complete list without this. The two part docu-series documents the life and death of the woman described as the People’s Princess, the Mother of the future king of England, Diana Spencer. I must admit that I am liking the different angles the coverage is taking from the 20th anniversary, so I’m looking forward to seeing if this shows up anything new.
Strong Island
When filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young black man, it becomes an achingly personal journey since the victim, 24-year-old William Ford Jr., was the filmmaker’s brother. This documentary won the Sundance Special Jury Award for Storytelling. From the trailer alone, I am intrigued and already know it’s set to be an emotional rollercoaster. Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to the memoir documentary, and it’s set to hit our screens on September 15th. Given the recent climate with race relations, this poignant documentary is certainly a timely addition to their collection.
Those are my big picks for over the next month – there’s so much more being advertised, in particular Netflix Original content, for the Autumn/Winter months that I feel I may become a bit of a recluse choosing to stay in and watch instead! What are you most looking forward to getting stuck into? Let me know in the comments, or over on Facebook or Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!
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Disclosure: I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team and received a Netflix subscription and an iPad Mini in return for posting Netflix updates and reviews, however, all opinions are my own, and I already had a personal subscription before joining the Stream Team.