All The Great Stuff Coming To Hulu In September 2022

Like an old broadcast network slogan says, Hulu in September is the place to be. There are new seasons of the acclaimed “Abbott Elementary,” “Atlanta,” and “Ramy.” For the film fans, the streamer offers this month a well-received punk-rock romance, the new film from the director of “Portrait Of A Lady On Fire,” and even a seminal anime character’s entrance into the world of computer animation.

So whether you’re playing catch-up with one of 2022’s hottest anime series or watching competitive pizza-making, Hulu this September will have something you’ll want to check out.  

American Rapstar

September 1

10 Things I Hate About You–This teen romance movie delivers a 1990s update of Shakespeare’s “The Taming Of The Shrew.”  Kat Strattford (Julia Stiles) is a prickly high school senior who refuses dates.  Kat’s younger sister Bianca, on the other hand, wants to date the hot and popular Joey.  Kat and Bianca’s father is ok with Bianca dating…after Kat does so first.  Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) convinces Joey that the way to free Bianca up is to pay bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to take Kat out on a date… 

American Rapstar–Meet the new generation of North American rap stars.  Using SoundCloud, they’ve become the most vital and disruptive creative force in hip-hop today.  Equal parts distorted bass, punk energy, facial tattoos, and opioid abuse, they’re taking rap in a direction far different from that of older generations.  Meet such teenage “millionaire SoundCloud rappers” as Lil Pump, Bhad Bhabie, and Smokepurpp.  

Anais In Love–Anais is a young college student who alternates between working on her thesis on 17th century French literature and worrying about her inability to love.  When she becomes the lover of older married publisher Daniel, she soon moves into his apartment.  That’s when Anais finds herself slowly becoming obsessed with Daniel’s wife, the writer Emilie (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi).  To Daniel’s chagrin, Emilie returns Anais’ interest, and a mutual seduction between the two women is underway.

He Got Game–Spike Lee directed this sports drama about an Attica prisoner and his highly talented basketball player son.  Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) is serving prison time for accidentally killing his wife (and his son Jesus’ mother).  The governor offers Shuttlesworth the opportunity to leave prison early if he can persuade Jesus, his sought after high school basketball player son, to sign with the governor’s alma mater Big State.  However, Jesus’ hatred towards his father makes Jake’s task a very hard sell.

September 2

Cuttputlli–In this remake of Telugu hit thriller “Ratsasan,” superstar Akshay Kumar plays Arjan Sethi, a cop trying to bring down an elusive serial killer.  The only links between the murders are that the victims are all school girls and the victims’ corpses are left in abandoned areas.  Can the police figure out in time the childhood incident that set off the serial killer and prevent another death?        

Lupin III: The First

Lupin III: The First–One of anime’s greatest characters seamlessly makes the transition to computer animation in this grand globe-trotting adventure.  In the late 1960s, thief/adventurer Lupin III vies with would-be archeologist Laetitia for possession of the legendary Bresson Diary and the chance to unlock the secret of the Eclipse.  But they’re not the only ones interested in the Eclipse.  The Ahnenerbe, a group of neo-Nazis, want to use the Bresson diary’s big secret to resurrect the Third Reich.

Wasted! The Story Of Food Waste—The late Anthony Bourdain produced this documentary which looks at the horrifying consequences of food waste.  Among other things, the viewer will learn 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually.  Also, environmental problems such as deforestation and excess water extraction can be tied to food production.  Bourdain, along with such celebrity chefs as Mario Battali and Danny Bowien offer solutions to this problem. 

September 3

Active Measures– Jack Bryan’s documentary lays out the decades-long history of Vladimir Putin’s corrupt undermining of other governments.  Through “active measures” (e.g. propaganda, cyberattacks, agents of influence) targeted to the particular cultures they were released in, the Russian leader has been successful in undermining democratic governments around the world.  And why didn’t the Orange Skull step in to stop Putin’s activities?  For one thing, Putin already knew TFG was corrupt as hell (e.g. Trump Towers in the 1980s was basically a “money-laundering paradise”).

September 6

Petite Maman–In the new film from Celine Sciamma (“Portrait Of A Lady On Fire”), 8-year-old Nelly has just lost her grandmother after a long illness.  While her parents pack up her grandmother’s house, she plays in the woods behind the house.  It’s there that Nelly meets an 8-year-old girl named Marion, which also happens to be the name of Nelly’s mother.  The two girls become fast friends.  But why does Marion resemble Nelly, and why does the house Marion stays at resemble that of Nelly’s grandmother?

September 7

The Cove– Louis Psihoyos’ Academy Award-winning documentary is part investigative journalism, part eco-adventure.  It’s the story of a group of activists, filmmakers, and freedivers out to expose a terrible secret hidden in a remote cove in Taiji, Japan.  Every year, Japanese fishermen use sonar to confuse dolphins and eventually trap them in the Taiji cove.  There, the dolphins are slaughtered en masse and their meat is deceptively sold as whale meat.  But the authorities in Taiji aren’t keen on their regular dolphin slaughter becoming public knowledge.

September 8

Wedding Season

Wedding Season–In this British comedy/thriller, Stefan (Gavin Drea) and Katie (Rosa Salazar) meet at a wedding and begin an affair.  However, Katie’s engaged to Hugo Delaney, scion of one of the most powerful and corrupt families in the U.K.  After several months, the affair gets so hot and heavy that Stefan makes a failed attempt to prevent Katie’s marriage to Hugo.  But at Katie’s wedding reception, she’s alive while Hugo and the other Delaney family members have been fatally poisoned.  Stefan thinks Katie did the deed, and vice versa.  But what’s certain is that the duo have to go on the run and try to prove their innocence.

September 15

Alan Partridge (aka Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa)–Steve Coogan reprises his satirical media personality Alan Partridge for film.  Partridge is now middle-aged, divorced, and reduced to working for a really minor radio station called North Norfolk Digital.  But the prospective sale of the station to a bean-counting media conglomerate brings an unexpected opportunity for Partridge.  Co-worker Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) has been fired and he revolts by taking current staff and new management hostage.  Farrell wants the station to stay a public service outfit and trusts Partridge to be his link to the authorities and the public.  But Partridge plans to use his role as Farrell’s spokesman as a means to revive his career.  That’s not surprising given that Partridge originally avoided getting fired by selling out Farrell to the new management.

Red Dog–During the early 1980s Oklahoma oil boom, Grammy-nominated songwriter Luke Dick spent his early childhood at the notorious Oklahoma City topless bar known as the Red Dog.  Dick’s mother Kim Kassen worked there as a stripper, and became friends with such characters as drug addict Nasty Cathy and bouncer Rick The Spic.  Heartwarming stories of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll (helped by a little animation) are recounted.  Your unconventional must-see of the month.

September 16

Atlanta Season 4–It’s the final season for Donald Glover’s acclaimed dramedy.  It’s expected that the series’ central characters will return to the titular city after a season of European adventures that ran the gamut from existential crises to cannibalism.  A hinted more lighthearted and fun approach to the season will be complemented by summertime Atlanta visual porn.  Whether “Atlanta” fan Ryan Gosling will actually make a special guest appearance on the show remains to be seen.      

September 19

Best In Dough–You’ve probably seen cooking competition shows up the yin-yang.  But how about a show dedicated solely to making the best pizza or best pizza component?  Former “Bachlorette” contestant Wells Adams hosts this competition while Neapolitan pizza specialist Daniele Uditi of Pizzana heads the panel of expert judges.  Expect competition among contestants from a dozen different U.S. states ranging from prominent trained chefs to  barbecue specialists.

Best In Dough

September 20

Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat–Sara Driver’s documentary charts the New York City graffiti art scene of the 1980s, of which Basquiat was a prominent member.  The Big Apple’s DIY art scene came out of a combination of municipal impoverishment and anti-establishment fervor.  That scene’s mascot was the mysterious artist known only as SAMO (Same Old S**t).  As it turned out, Basquiat and partner Al Diaz created that pen name to criticize the art world’s predominantly white trustafarian bohemians.

September 22

Abbott Elementary Season 2–It’s the return of the acclaimed comedy about the lives of a group of teachers and staff at a badly underfunded inner-city Philadelphia public school.  But instead of just 13 episodes, this second season will be a 22-episode (i.e. full) season.  Spinning out of Season 1, lead character Janine may have broken up with her longtime boyfriend.  But does that mean a relationship with fellow teacher Gregory is now a thing?  Ava’s now aware her position as principal isn’t secure thanks to the loss of her blackmail card and her making an enemy of Superintendent Collins.  And how next will the other Abbott teachers personally grow?  

Lego Masters Season 3–The American version of this Lego building competition has now officially run longer than the British original.  There are still the same incredible builds under time pressure.  Celebrity cameos this season include series executive producer Brad Pitt, NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon driving a car made out of Legos, and Chris Pratt bringing along one of his prehistoric friends from “Jurassic World.”

Spy X Family Season 1—Haven’t sat down to see one of 2022’s hot anime series?  Here’s your chance to play catch up.  Twilight is a master spy and master of disguise whose undercover missions help maintain the fragile peace between neighboring countries Ostania and Westalis.  HIs new mission to gather information on elusive Ostanian politician Donovan Desmond will prove a challenge.  The only rare public appearances Desmond makes are at events at Eden Academy, where his son goes to school.  Twilight’s cover as single psychiatrist Loid Forger won’t be enough, so he needs to create a family.   Unmarried City Hall clerk Yor Briar will be “Mrs. Forger” while the orphaned Anya becomes daughter Anya Forger, who attends Eden Academy.  The spy doesn’t tell Yor and Anya why he needs a fake family, but that’s ok with them.  Yor’s not telling her “husband” and “daughter” she’s actually the deadly assassin known as Thorn Princess.  And Anya’s not keen on letting her “parents” know she’s an esper with mind-reading abilities.  Despite being a family created out of deceptions, the Forgers gradually learn to love one another.

September 23

Norman Lear: 100 Years Of Music And Laughter–Norman Lear has created such iconic television series as “All In The Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” “One Day At A Time,” and many others.  This year, he turns 100.  To celebrate the occasion, this special pays tribute to Lear’s career with a mix of celebrity guests and musical entertainment.  So far, Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, and Amy Poehler have confirmed their appearances at the special.

September 24

Dinner In America

Dinner In America–Hate MIddle Class American suburbia with a passion and want to burn it all down?  This might be the movie for you.  Awkward and lonely college dropout Patty is stuck in Michigan suburban hell.  She gets sexually harassed at work and treated like a child by her parents.  Her life’s only bright spot is the punk rock band Psy Ops and its mysterious lead singer John Q. Public.  Enter the spectacularly anti-social Simon.  He’s a punk rocker and budding arsonist.  He’s also on the lam from the cops and in need of a hideout.  Patty and Simon meet and an offbeat romance soon flourishes between them, accompanied by a lot of chaotic destruction.

September 27

Reasonable Doubt–The first scripted series from Kerry Washington’s Onyx Collective (“Summer Of Soul”) is a legal drama set in modern day Los Angeles.  To more conservative elements of the justice system, defense attorney Jax Stewart is the epitome of loose cannon behavior.  Between her questionable ethics and her “highly inventive” interpretations of the law, she can be a walking headache.  However, if you’re someone in serious trouble with the law, you’ll definitely appreciate having on your side this walking monkeywrench.

September 28

The D’Amelio Show Season 2–In this reality series, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio are teen TikTok superstars with millions of people watching their every move.  Is it possible for them and their family to keep their online personas separate from the real challenges of adolescence and maintaining family ties?   

September 30

Ramy Season 3–Ramy Yousef is a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim living in New Jersey.  He may frequently clash with his family, but he’s on a spiritual journey to know himself in the era of 9/11.  This season, Ramy’s going to get more heavily involved in his uncle’s diamond business.  Making life more complicated for Ramy beyond the expected family tensions is the recurring presence of a weirdo girlfriend (model Bella Hadid making a scripted-series debut).