17 best movies new to streaming arrive this September

Variety’s September 2026 guide to the best movies new to streaming highlights summer mega-hits hitting platforms this month. Standouts include “Toy Story 5” on Disney+, A24’s “Backrooms” on HBO Max, “Scary Movie 6” on Paramount+, and “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” already streaming on Disney+.

Labor Day closed a record summer driven by blockbusters such as “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” but streaming and TV alerts now shift to fall debuts. According to Variety’s rundown, buzzed theatrical titles are moving online to kick off the fall corridor.

Key Takeaways

• “Toy Story 5” arrives on Disney+ on Sept. 23 after $1.13 billion at the box office.
• A24’s “Backrooms” lands on HBO Max on Sept. 25 following a $394 million worldwide gross.
• “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and “Scary Movie 6” are already available on Disney+ and Paramount+, respectively.
• Other September arrivals span Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max across genres.
• Variety frames September as a major streaming reset after a historic theatrical summer.

Which best movies new to streaming headline September?

Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” is the third highest-grossing film of 2026 so far and should be a Disney+ mega-hit near month’s end. Variety also named it among the year’s best movies so far, praising its escalations of delight and emotional gut punches.

Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” A24’s highest-grossing title ever, arrives on HBO Max on Sept. 25. Critic Owen Gleiberman called it an “extraordinarily effective” atmospheric freakout and praised Chiwetel Ejiofor’s presence at the center.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu,” directed by Jon Favreau and starring Pedro Pascal, earned $345 million worldwide after an $81 million domestic debut. It is now streaming on Disney+ as the studio hopes for a rebound. Paramount’s “Scary Movie 6” is on Paramount+ after $231 million worldwide, with an extended cut also available and returning stars including Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall.

What else joins the September streaming slate?

“Supergirl” soars to HBO Max on Sept. 10, with an ASL version also planned. Netflix adds Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Again?” on Sept. 9, Jacob Tremblay’s “Unabomber” on Sept. 25, and “Call My Agent! The Movie” on Sept. 10.

Prime Video slots Gal Gadot’s real-time thriller “The Runner” (Sept. 2) and Lili Reinhart’s “The Love Hypothesis” (Sept. 23). HBO Max also gets the British crime thriller “Fuze” on Sept. 4. Hulu picks up “100 Nights of Hero” (Sept. 18) and horror tale “The Plague” (Sept. 25).

Further Netflix dates include RuPaul’s “Stop That Train!” (Sept. 20), the AI documentary “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” (Sept. 15), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s “Best of the Best” (Sept. 18), and Chris Smith’s true-crime doc “The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part” (Sept. 30).

Why does this September wave matter for viewers?

After a theatrical summer Variety calls one of the biggest on record, September concentrates the season’s buzziest titles onto major platforms. Families can queue “Toy Story 5,” horror fans can wait for “Backrooms,” and franchise watchers already have “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and “Scary Movie 6” ready to stream.

With Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu all loading new features, the month answers the practical question of where the summer’s biggest movies land next—and which originals fill the gaps between theatrical hits.