As all of the best streaming services give their libraries a refresh, there’s plenty of new Netflix movies to watch this month – however, ‘in with the new’ also means ‘out with the old’, with a host of content set to leave the streamer in the coming weeks.
While plenty of the best Netflix movies will be around to stream for a while yet, some flicks don’t make the cut, so to keep you ahead of the game, we’ve picked out three movies that you’ll want to make sure you catch before the service bids them farewell.
From superhero action, to gangster epics and moving romance, there’s something for all tastes, so if you’re looking to make the most out of your Netflix subscription, we’ve got you, with these three classic movies that you’ll want to catch before they’re gone.
The Dark Knight (2008)
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Leaving Netflix: Sunday, June 1
Runtime: 152 minutes
Main cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan
The middle chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight is considered by many to be among the greatest superhero movies ever made.
The films follows the efforts of Batman (Christian Bale), Gotham PD lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to crack down on organized crime, that is until the Joker (Heath Ledger) surfaces and begins to create anarchy across the city, kicking off a chain of events that have personal ramifications for all three men.
The film was released to huge acclaim back in 2008, particularly for Ledger’s Academy Award-winning portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime which critics have called “one of the best performances of the last twenty years.” But while that performance in particular dominated review headlines back in 2008, Little White Lies point out “as gigantic as it was, it is only one important feature of an intricately wrought canvas.”
The Independent echoed much of the critical sentiment regarding the deft way the film grounds a big superhero movie in an realistic setting, saying “Among the great strengths of The Dark Knight is the way it combines hardboiled naturalism with the kind of stunts and set-pieces you expect in summer blockbusters.”
Taken as a whole, Nolan’s trilogy is a masterclass in blockbuster cinema and perhaps the director’s best work, but as a stand alone film, The Dark Knight requires little foreknowledge and will have you gripped from opening titles to closing credits.
Goodfellas (1990)
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Leaving Netflix: Sunday, June 1
Runtime: 146 minutes
Main cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
Director: Martin Scorsese
Another epic film about male angst from a legendary filmmaker, Goodfellas sees Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi adapt Pileggi’s book, Wiseguy.
Often brought up in the same conversation as The Godfather, Goodfellas is perhaps the magnum opus of Scorsese’s gangster film output. The film charts the rise and fall of Mafia member Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) along with his associates, including Robert De Niro’s Jimmy Conway and Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito.
Starting in 1955, the film follows Henry’s journey from his rundown Irish-Italian neighborhood in New York, to his rise through the ranks of an organized crime syndicate, ending in 1980 with his entry into the FBI’s witness protection programme.
Critics have praised the nuance of the film and its realistic portrayal of a world many movies depict as glamorous. Screen Rant called it “a sobering cautionary tale warning against a life of crime,” while The Telegraph commented that “seldom has violence been portrayed less glamorously or with more moral effectiveness.”
Other critics have noted its importance among Scorsese’s body of work, with The Times calling it “the one towards which all his subsequent films have been reaching,” while Film4 says the film is “arguably Scorsese’s finest hour.”
If you’re in the mood for an epic journey through the moralities, the lure and the consequences of a life of crime, you could do a lot worse than one of the godfathers of gangster cinema.
Carol (2015)
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Leaving Netflix: Tuesday, June 17
Runtime: 119 minutes
Main cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler
Director: Todd Haynes
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s book The Price of Salt, Carol is a beautiful portrayal of forbidden love between two women in 1950s New York.
Cate Blanchett plays Carol, a woman going through a divorce, struggling to find happiness in the world around her. Entering a department store to buy her daughter a toy train for Christmas, she lays eyes on store assistant Therese (Rooney Mara) and finds herself instantly in love. Conspiring to meet Therese again via a toy delivery and a missing pair of gloves, Carol insights a friendship that soon blossoms into a captivating romance.
Drawing favorable comparisons to Brief Encounter, Carol wowed critics on release, while earning Academy Award nominations for both Blanchett and Mara, whose performances Herald Sun called “Achingly precise (and unexpectedly poignant).”
Many reviews praised the cinematography and direction from Todd Haynes, with Flickering Myth saying “there isn’t a single scene that is anything less than stunning to look at,” while RTÉ called it “a sensuous, enchanting piece of work.”
A gorgeous and moving romance, you’ll want to catch the film Next Best Picture called “a timeless love story” on Netflix while you still can.
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For more Netflix TV show-based coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, One Piece season 2, Squid Game season 3, and Knives Out 3.
