Netflix is removing 48 movies next week — here are the 5 you need to watch right now
On Friday, Aug. 1, Netflix is set to remove almost 50 movies, and that includes some big hitters, including one of Christopher Nolan's very best efforts, and some of the most iconic features from the legendary Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.
So, before you turn your attention to what's new on Netflix in August, be sure to check out these excellent movies before they wave goodbye to the big red streamer (at least for now, streaming platforms are always rotating content, so perhaps they will return a little way down the road).
Picking Christopher Nolan's best movie is a thankless task, but for me, 'Dunkirk' would most definitely be up there. This ultra-tense war movie boasts some of the director's most stunning camerawork, and the bombastic soundscape will have your entire living room vibrating. Plus, it's all set to a powerful score by the legendary Hans Zimmer.
If there's one area where 'Dunkirk' has proved divisive, it's the core story. Its nonlinear structure won't work for everybody, and there's a lack of truly compelling characters. However, it does a fantastic job of capturing an atmosphere of fear and chaos. Set during World War II, it depicts the evacuation of Dunkirk beach from multiple perspectives and showcases a military operation that saved hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers.
Watch "Dunkirk" on Netflix until August 1
The frozen peak of Mount Everest is pretty much the perfect setting for a survival thriller, and so the creatively-titled 'Everest' proves to be. Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington and Jake Gyllenhaal, it's inspired by a real-life disaster in 1996, which saw eight climbers die when attempting to descend from the summit.
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'Everest' packs plenty of sweeping vistas which showcase the beauty of the world's tallest mountain, but very quickly the picturesque setting becomes anything but pretty, as the destructive force of Mother Nature throws two groups of climbers into a desperate battle for survival. The movie's narrative chops aren't anything truly original, but the cast is packed with talent, and it's very easy to get invested in the climber's plight as you hope they can reach safety before it's too late.
Watch "Everest" on Netflix until August 1
I'm more than a little surprised to see 'Happy Gilmore' playing its final round on Netflix this week. Netflix has just released the long-in-the-making sequel, so you'd have thought the streaming service would have been very eager to keep the original available so fans could marathon both. Of course, streaming rights are a thorny issue, so this is likely a decision out of Netflix's hands rather than anything the platform bosses have opted to do themselves.
If you've never seen, or somehow never heard of, this Adam Sandler '90s comedy classic, it launched at the height of his popularity, and sees the goofball actor play the anonymous Happy Gilmore. Gilmore is an aspiring hockey player who can't quite make the grade due to his subpar skating skills and hotheaded temper. In need of money to prevent his grandma from losing her home, he puts his slapshot skills to use and tries to become a pro golfer.
Watch "Happy Gilmore" on Netflix until August 1
I'm pretty disheartened to see that Netflix is removing the majority of its collection of Hitchcock movies on August 1. This includes 'Psycho,' 'The Birds, 'The Man Who Knew Too Much,' and my personal favorite, 'Rear Window.' This classic thriller has been a must-watch for more than 70 years, and its influence on the mystery genre is still felt to this very day.
The movie marked the second collaboration between James Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock, and sees Stewart play a photojournalist confined to his humid apartment after breaking his leg during an assignment. With little to do other than watch the world go by from his front window, he soon becomes convinced his neighbor has committed a terrible murder. The flick is a masterclass in slowly ratcheting tension, and it plays with perspective in some clever ways. After all, we only see what's happening from Jeff's limited vantage point.
Watch "Rear Window" on Netflix until August 1
'The Lego Movie' was the brickbuster I always wanted as a kid. I spent my youth watching (and making my own) Lego stop-motion videos, so this 2014 animated movie evoked a whole heap of nostalgia the first time I saw it in theaters. But even if you don't have a deep connection with the Danish construction toy, it's still a hugely entertaining family flick that's bursting with zany humor, ridiculous characters and some of the best animation around.
'The Lego Movie' follows the adventures of an average mini-figure called Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt). He lives in the city of Bricksburg and lives an unadventurous life. But this world is shattered when he stumbles upon the mysterious 'Piece of Resistance' and becomes the only hope of saving the entire Lego universe from the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Teaming up with master builders Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), it's now up to the clueless Emmet to save the day without falling to pieces.
Watch "The Lego Movie" on Netflix until August 1
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