Flavorwire

September is kind of a peculiar month for movies. Summer blockbuster season has faded, and though the Oscar hopefuls are rolling out at the prestige fall festivals (Toronto, Venice, Telluride), most of them won’t hit theaters until at least October, to accommodate the notoriously short memories of Academy voters. So it’s a perfect month to check out some of the mid-level indies (many of them first seen at Sundance and other, earlier fests) that will hit arthouses this month; we’ve got some recommendations for you after the jump.

Detropia
RELEASE: September 5
DIRECTOR: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
CAST: Documentary

Directors Ewing and Grady are responsible for 2006′s excellent Jesus Camp (forever remembered by anyone who sees it as “that movie where the crazy lady asks God to bless the PowerPoint presentation“), and their documentary portrait of Detroit’s decay is of the same ilk; they observe and record, but seldom explicitly comment. But they’ve clearly established a familiarity with the area and its (remaining) citizens, and as a result, the film feels lived-in, vibrant, and alive — while simultaneously presenting a terrifying snapshot of a city falling to pieces.