september

September is an odd time in the cinematic schedule, no longer part of the summer blockbuster season but still too early for the prestige awards bait of later months. It doesn’t even have a particularly well-known holiday like Halloween to gear towards programming. With that being said, the September slate is a mixed bag of some very promising films, most of them original (only two sequels and one remake in the bunch). Can “Blair Witch” live up to the original and the hype that’s been steadily building for it? And what about true-life stories like “Sully,” “Snowden” and “Deepwater Horizon?” Is there enough in each of those to tell a gripping tale? Only time will tell.

“Morgan”

Who: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Brian Cox
What: A corporate risk-management consultant has to decide and determine whether or not to terminate an artificial being’s life that was made in a laboratory environment.
When: September 2nd
Why: Made by Luke Scott (music video director and son of Ridley), this sounds like an intriguing, original sci-fi film that will be both entertaining to watch and actually grapple with some heavier, headier stuff. Also, the cast is pretty much stacked with talent, including Anya Taylor-Joy, who has proven to be an incredible actress at a young age with her performance in “The Witch” and whose role as the AI in question should be suitably captivating. This may be a retread of “Ex Machina,” but considering that was a brilliant film, that’s no knock on “Morgan,” which looks to be a mix of Alex Garland’s thriller, Luc Besson’s “Lucy” and an especially engrossing episode of “Black Mirror.”

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