Ryan Reynolds in LIFE – Picture: Sony Pictures
As we’re beyond the midway point in October 2024, we’re just a couple of weeks from seeing a big shuffle in Netflix’s movie library, given that’s what always happens on the first of the month as movie licenses run out. There’s over 50 movies leaving on the first of the month so we’re here to sift through them to tell you which ones are worth your time before they leave.
For the complete list of what’s leaving Netflix in November 2024, we’re tracking all those departures here. We’re updating it every few days with newly uncovered removals planned, so keep it bookmarked. Now, let’s get into some movies that should be on your Netflix Queue between now and the end of October:
Life (2017)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
You’ve no doubt seen clips of this sci-fi movie featuring the huge talents of Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson going viral on TikTok over the past few months, and I was somewhat surprised to see the movie not actually perform that well on Netflix when it rejoined back in July. Mixing a slew of genres, the movie follows a team in space who discover a new organism that begins to evolve rapidly and cause quite a ruckus. It’s a thrilling watch, as evidenced by the millions of likes and views on TikTok, and although the story ends a bit ham-fisted, it’s still a compelling watch.
Soft & Quiet (2023)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
Time really does fly—it was in April 2023 when we exclusively reported that Netflix had landed the streaming debut of this Blumhouse thriller, which will be available for subscribers in the US on May 1st, 2023. Written and directed by Beth de Araújo, the overlooked horror thriller has some really cool (albeit f’d up) moments, not least the fact the entire thing is edited to look like it’s been shot in a single take. You won’t recognize any of the cast, but that’s kind of the point as you follow an elementary school teacher hosting a group at her home, which ultimately resorts to madness. Perfect for a Halloween watch.
Room (2015)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
Sticking with thriller themes, we come onto our first of two A24 movies, which will depart Netflix US when we tick over to the first of November. Featuring Brie Larson, the movie follows her character Ma and her son (played by a very young Jacob Tremblay) trapped in a small room since birth, but an opportune moment arises, and they manage to get out. It scooped an Oscar a few years back, and rightfully so, as it’ll have you on the edge of your seat the entire way through.
Dark Waters (2019)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
Mark Ruffalo put in the best performance of his career in this superb legal drama that dropped into theaters five years ago and tells the story of a lawyer taking on a seemingly unwinnable case of a company that’s been polluting local water streams for many, many years. Inspired by the true events, the team behind the movie previously worked on The Post and Spotlight, which are fantastic expose-style movies.
The Spectacular Now (2020)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
Re-added to Netflix on August 1st, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley lead this romance adaptation that tells the story of a hard-partying high school senior whose philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.”
While this is the second movie from the distributor to leave Netflix, on the bright side, Netflix will still retain many brilliant A24 movies for a while longer and, on November 1st, will also be picking up the rights to The Whale, which scored an Oscar.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
It’s crazy to think that Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of Paramount’s most bankable IPs recently, with the first movie appealing to fans of the classic Sega video game franchise and newcomers alike. The third movie is just around the corner, introducing fan favorite Shadow, so this is a perfect time to rewatch the first movie that kicked everything off.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
In case you missed the news, Netflix is set to see the entire Monty Python collection leave the service globally on the first of the month. Yes, that includes all the series and movies, which equates to 15 titles in total. If you’ve only got time or want just a taste of what Monty Python is all about, Life of Brian is definitely regarded as the most popular of all the titles. Directed by Terry Jones, the cult classic follows Brian growing up to join a group of anti-Roman zealots.
World War Z (2013)
Leaving Netflix on November 1st
For whatever reason, the internet is still rather sour on Brad Pitt’s big foray into the zombie genre, which is now 11 years old if you can quite believe it. Pitt plays the role of a U.N. employee who is racing against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly zombie pandemic. While the internet can snipe from the sidelines, I’ll die on the hill saying this remains one of the best mainstream zombie movies in modern times.
The Man Called Otto (2022)
Leaving Netflix on November 5th
As you may know, Netflix has been receiving new Sony movies for the past few years following their theatrical release, and our data guy, Frederic, recently told me that the biggest viewership from all those movies came from The Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks. As a result, many of you will have already watched this feel-good drama, but if you haven’t checked it out, it’ll soon be departing for Hulu.
Like Life above, you’ll need a premium Netflix subscription to watch The Man Called Otto as it’s completely blocked on Netflix’s ad tier. Unlike all of the movies above, you’ll have a few more days into November to watch this movie, but definitely catch it before it’s gone.
Those are our picks for what you need to watch before they leave – let us know in the comments what you will be watching. For all the new movies coming up on Netflix for November 1st, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.
