Hunter Killer – Picture: Lionsgate
As we approach the halfway point of November, we thought we’d look at the movies that should be on your watch list before we move into December. Below, we’ve hand-picked eight movies that are scheduled to depart the streamer as we enter the final month of the year.
While we’ll feature just a handful of titles below, please go and check out the full list in case we’ve missed any of your favorite movies or series that are due to depart. Now, let’s get into our picks:
Ali (2001)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
We must confess, after the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight, we’re in a boxing mood, which is why it’s a perfect time to revisit the 2001 (yes, it’s 23 years old this film) biopic on the all-time boxing great that was Muhammed Ali with Will Smith playing the late champion. Smith puts in a fierce performance here, capturing Ali at the height of his prowess and fame with great detail alongside some excellent performances by Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, and Mario Van Peebles, among others. Just a caution, though, because this is a Sony Pictures movie, you can only watch it with a Netflix premium tier as it’s blocked on Netflix’s ad tier.
Cat Burglar (2022)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
Picture: Netflix
In case you missed the news, Netflix is removing the majority of its interactive specials as the streamer begins phasing out the functionality that it first introduced in 2017. 20 specials and series are leaving altogether, but if you’ve only got time to try one, then try Cat Burglar. It comes from the team behind Black Mirror and is a perfect blend of the technology that Netflix pioneered and an old-school animation style akin to that of the 1960s synonymous with Looney Tunes. The entire thing lasts about an hour and 15 minutes and has you answering trivia to progress the story. RIP Netflix Interactive Stories.
The Little Things (2021)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
Denzel Washington is back in theaters right now with the release of Gladiator II, and by most accounts, he carries the movie. If you want to watch another one of his movies where he put in a sterling performance and was released relatively recently, look no further than The Little Things. Released back in 2021 as part of Project Popcorn, the movie didn’t quite get its time in the spotlight but did perform quite well when it dropped on Netflix in April.
Starring alongside Jared Leto and Rami Malek, Washington plays the role of a small-town police detective who travels into Los Angeles as part of his inquiries on a murder which leads him to get sucked into a wider investigation. It’s not going to blow your mind by any stretch, but what’s here is a solid crime drama that’s very much worth watching.
To Leslie (2023)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
Although the story about how this movie got nominated for the Oscars for Hollywood nerds like me perhaps overshadowed this Andrea Riseborough movie, that shouldn’t diminish just how good this movie is. It was added to Netflix back in June 2023 (the first time it’d been on a streaming service in the US), but now its time is up. “Years after a lottery win, a West Texas single mother is alone, living hard at the bottom of a bottle. Nowhere left to go, she is forced to come home and confront her past,” reads the official synopsis of the movie, which, as we mentioned, netted Riseborough a Best Actress nomination.
Frances Ha (2012)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
Is there any filmmaker right now as a hot as Greta Gerwig? I’m not sure and she’s been dominating the news over the past couple of months regarding her upcoming project with Netflix: The Chronicles of Narnia. While that movie seems pretty far out, there’s a little more pressure to watch Frances Ha if you haven’t done so already or need a rewatch as the IFC Film departs Netflix having now streamed for well over a year.
The whimsical, black-and-white film sees Gerwig front and center in front of the camera which beautifully captures the messy, bittersweet journey of a young woman navigating friendships, dreams, and self-discovery in New York City with a quirky, infectious charm.
Hunter Killer (2018)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
The movie we picked out for our main image this month is Hunter Killer, a 2018 miltiary war thriller directed by Donovan Marsh and headlined by Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. First added to Netflix back in December of last year, the movie is leaving after a full year stint so if you haven’t come across this or have it on your queue, it’s last orders.
Hunter Killer takes place predominantly in submarine which is playing a central role in proceedings after the Russian president gets kidnapped in a coup and war looking like it could break out at any minute. It’s a tense affair and while this particular film isn’t either Butler’s or Oldman’s best, it’s still a solid watch.
Good Deeds (2012)
Leaving Netflix on December 1st
Not only is Netflix home to a growing number of exclusive Tyler Perry projects with Beauty in Black being particularly successful in recent months, it’s also regularly the home to some of his older works at various other distributors. Sadly, three of his movies will be leaving on December 1st alone: Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counsellor, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and Good Deeds which was distributed by Lionsgate 12 years ago.
Perry writes, directs and stars in this romance alongside Thandiwe Newton and Gabrielle Union that’s about a wealthy businessman who finds himself torn between a high-maintenance future wife and a hard-working single mother who needs his help to get her life back on track.
Living (2022)
Leaving Netflix on December 5th
One movie not leaving Netflix at the turn of the month but rather a few days in will be the Sony Pictures Classic movie Living starring Bill Nighy who is on a roll with Netflix right now having starred in two Netflix Originals this year: The Homeless World Cup and most recently, JOY. Another movie of his that’s very much worth your time is Living, a period drama about an ordinary man, reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful. It’s an inspiring tale and sadly didn’t quite hit the charts in the way I hoped when it first dropped back in June of last year. The movie will be moving to Hulu following its Netflix departure.
Will you check out any of these films before they depart Netflix at the end of the month? Let us know in the comments.
