There should be a word for the reliance we having on streaming services. We just expect that our favorite movies will always be available to us whenever we need a dose of humor or sadness or swoon-worthy romance, but that’s just not the case. Movies leave streaming all the time. Case in point, there are a handful of bangers on their way out of the Netflix queue on August 31, 2023. I’ve hand-picked the best of the best. If you wanted to watch any of these movies, now’s your last chance.
Young Jonah calls a radio show for advice on how to set up his sad, widowed father. It’s such a classic rom-com that it’s a travesty if you haven’t seen it. Sure, the parasocial relationship maybe didn’t age well, but you really can’t deny the chemistry between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. That’s why our parents and grandparents were so obsessed with them.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) isn’t the only Heath Ledger rom-com that should be in your rotation. In this non-serious take on old-timey England, Ledger pretends to be a knight so he can win the hand of a pretty girl. Goals. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and it has a great modern soundtrack reminiscent of Moulin Rouge (2001).
We should all be lucky that there’s no such thing as VHS tapes anymore, huh? That’s because anyone who watched the tape in this 2002 spook-fest would die in seven days. If you’re not sure if this is for you, just watch the opening five minutes. That increased heart rate and newfound fear of closets? That’s your sign to keep watching.
There’s always a little room for a heist. This ensemble heist movie doubles as a paid-for advertisement for the Mini Cooper (for which I fell hook, line, and sinker). Because why steal something if you can’t do it in a fleet of getaway Mini Coopers? This is actually a remake of the 1969 film, but I’d recommend this version for Jason Statham alone.
It’s almost 20 years old and Mean Girls still hasn’t gotten stale. It spawned a generation who won’t stop saying “You go, Glen Coco!” and “Get in loser, we’re going shopping,” and “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” Tina Fey wrote this movie and subsequently killed it. You’ve probably already seen this a million times, but what’s one more for the road?
The whole shaky-cam/found-footage horror subgenre became a bit of a joke, especially after so many sequels to the 2007 original Paranormal Activity, but if you go back and watch this one, you’ll realize how great it really was. Who knew watching grainy video of a couple’s bedroom would be so spooky and gripping?
This breathtaking film follows a woman as she tries to clear the name of the man she loves, who’s also the father of her unborn child. And wouldn’t you want a love so intense that you would do anything for them? Or they, you? Regina King won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and you’ll totally understand why.
