New Disney+ movies have dropped more regularly throughout September than other months in 2025 – and, with the spookiest time of the year almost upon us, I'm hoping there'll be new movies of the horror variety to enjoy on Disney+ in October.
Until the antepenultimate month of the year arrives, though, you'll have to make do with September's offerings. There's plenty – well, plenty from Disney+'s perspective, anyway – to be entertained by, too, so read on to see which new films have been released on one of the world's best streaming services over the past few weeks.
New Disney+ movies: September
Swiped
Release date: September 19 (available on Hulu in the US)
Runtimes: 112 minutes
Age rating: 16+ (US and UK)
Director: Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Main cast: Lily James, Jackson White, Myha'la Herrold, Ben Schnetzer, and Pierson Folde
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 42% (critics); 57% (audiences)
A biographical drama, Swiped tells the story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, who revolutionized the dating app industry with Bumble. The matchmaking service's calling card was – until recently, anyway – that, after matching with a potential romantic partner, women had to make the first move. While Swiped covers the creation of Bumble, it also focuses on Herd's life and career, plus the challenges of devising a women-first dating app in an industry dominated by male-first matchmaking services. Unfortunately, despite a solid performance from lead star Lily James, it sounds like this is one film you can pass – or, to use some dating app jargon, swipe left – on.
Elio
Release date: September 17
Runtimes: 103 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); 6+ (UK)
Directors: Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina
Main cast: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, and Shirley Henderson
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 83% (critics); 90% (audiences)
Despite receiving glowing reviews from critics ahead of its initial theatrical launch in mid-June, Elio was a box office flop. Nonetheless, now that it's available to watch at home, you should give it a go. Not only does it look absolutely gorgeous – Pixar films will never not look good – but its story about a boy who just wants to belong somewhere (which, you know, leads to him purposefully getting abducted by aliens) is packed with heart-warming themes about family and finding your place in the universe. A space-faring adventure that kids are bound to love and adults will likely enjoy, too.
Lilo & Stitch
Release date: September 3
Runtimes: 112 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); 6+ (UK)
Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp
Main cast: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Adudong, Chris Sander, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Jason Scott Lee, and Courtney B Vance
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 72% (critics); 92% (audiences)
The latest in a long line of live-action remakes of classic Disney animated films, the 2025 retelling of Lilo & Stitch is one of this year's most popular movies. Indeed, it was the first film of the year to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, so it's clearly done something right compared to other recent remakes that have been critical and commercial duds. It's not a perfect film – some fans have equally raged over the live-action adaptation's altered ending and why an animated film that's less than 20 years old needed to be remade. Nonetheless, with its heart-warming story about family and a furry blue, maniacal critter front and center of its funny and sentimental plot, Lilo & Stitch 2025 had all of the ingredients to be a big-screen hit that can now be enjoyed at home.
New Disney+ movies: coming soon
As of September 25, there are only two new Disney+ movies set to arrive in October. Depending on where you live, there'll only be one new film to check out, too, with one of the pair listed below either debuting on Disney+ in the US or internationally.
If Disney announces more films that'll be released on its primary streamer in the days and weeks ahead, I'll update this section. For now, though, here's what you've got to look forward to:
- The Balloonist – October 3 (US only)
- The Hand that Rocks the Cradle – October 22 (international)
For more Disney+ coverage, see if a free Disney+ trial is available, read our Disney+ review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney+ price points.
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