Small movies with big stars like Tilda Swinton, Sam Neill and Susan Sarandon are your best video-on-demand choices this month. All titles are available on all cable and satellite systems.
"A Bigger Splash" (premieres Tuesday). Tilda Swinton plays a debauched rock star _ a bit Chrissie Hynde, a bit David Bowie _ caught between her serious young lover (Matthias Schoenaerts) and her manic former manager (an astonishing Ralph Fiennes). This offbeat thriller-romance may not completely add up, but every moment is memorable.
"The Meddler" (Tuesday). An overbearing mother follows her grown daughter (Rose Byrne) to Los Angeles. This indie comedy, inspired by the real-life mom of writer-director Lorene Scafaria, glows with love for its wonderful, maddening heroine, played to perfection by Susan Sarandon. The great J.K. Simmons rounds out the cast.
Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" (Sept. 13). What started as an uncommonly artful and romantic comic-book franchise has become another slickly oiled gear in the Marvel machine. But it serves its function well with plenty of crunching action sequences, a host of superhero cameos (hi, Spidey!) and the right amount of humor.
"Free State of Jones" (Sept. 20). Matthew McConaughey plays Newt Knight, a real-life Southerner who left the Confederacy and started his own country during the Civil War. It's a fascinating story, though writer-director Gary Ross takes way too long to tell it. (The film lasts 139 minutes.) Gugu Mbatha-Raw does a fine job in the tricky role of Rachel, a slave who becomes Knight's common-law wife.
"Central Intelligence" (Sept. 27). A surprisingly good buddy comedy featuring two actors in fine form. Dwayne Johnson shines in the role of Bob Stone, a CIA superspy who still feels like a chubby adolescent inside, while Kevin Hart plays Calvin Joyner, a former high-school superstar reduced to suburban anonymity.
"Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (Sept. 27). One of the best coming-of-age films in recent years arrives from New Zealand with a quirky sense of humor and a clear-eyed view of human nature. It's the story of a chubby foster kid (Julian Dennison) and his new guardian (an Oscar-caliber Sam Neill) who strike out on their own in the bush. Recommended for tweeners who have already exhausted all the obvious rental choices.
"Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates" (Sept. 27). With a title like that, how funny could this movie possibly be? Actually, very. The magic comes from the cast: Adam Devine and Zac Efron as two hard-paryting brothers, plus Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza as the "nice" girls who turn out to be even wilder. With a bonus gag reel.
