The Netflix movie library is always shuffling and June 2024 is no exception to this rule. While this month has offered a host of must-watch new movies, these come at the expense of a few old favorites waving goodbye to the streaming service.
I’m particularly disappointed that not one, not two, but five movies in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise are departing alongside a compelling historical drama, a Denzel Washinton-fronted thriller and one of Quentin Tarantino's best (alongside its sequel). Netflix is certainly losing some heavy hitters, but you’ve still got time left to watch them before they're removed.
These are the 5 movies set to leave Netflix at the end of the month that you need to watch right now. And to see what’s replacing them, here’s a roundup of all the new Netflix movies.
'The Imitation Game' (2014)
While “The Imitation Game” is not nearly as epic as “Oppenheimer (which was just added to rival streamer Amazon Prime Video this week), it’s another World War II drama that is well worth watching. It sees Benedict Cumberbatch play Alan Turing, the much-celebrated British mathematician who led a team of very intelligent people at Bletchley Park, England on a mission to crack a German cipher code.
As the team struggled to break the German code used to send hidden messages, Turing built an early precursor to the modern-day computer and formed a deep bond with Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), a Cambridge graduate who helped Turing hide his homosexuality, which was illegal at the time. What’s most impressive is that “The Imitation Game” manages to strike the perfect balance between being an exceptional character study of a truly brilliant man and also a deeply compelling wartime thriller that will hook you from the very start.
Watch on Netflix until June 25
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
The Elm Street franchise is one of my guilty pleasures. I’ll admit that most movies in the slasher series are questionable at best, with some like “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” being utterly bizarre. However, I will always go to bat for the first movie. 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” built a horror dynasty for good reason, and to this day remains a delightful chilling horror movie that mixes scares with pulpy fun.
This classic Wes Craven flick sees a group of teenagers haunted in their sleep by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured man with knives for fingers. However, Freddy isn’t just costing these teens their beauty sleep, they soon discover that if he kills you in your dreams, you never wake up at all. Soon enough, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp), one of the tormented youths, discovers that a dark secret buried in the past could be key to unraveling Freddy’s motives. This horror also marks the film debut of Johnny Depp.
Watch on Netflix until June 30
“Kill Bill Vol. 1” (2003) and “Kill Bill Vol.2” (2004)
I wouldn’t usually combine multiple movies into a single entry in a list like this but Quentin Tarantino has repeatedly stated that he views both “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” as a single movie, and who am I to disagree with one of the most accomplished directors in cinema history? My favorite is “Volume 1”, but both movies ooze style, and once you’ve watched the first, you’ll want to stream the second straight after.
In “Kill Bill”, a retired assassin, referred to as The Bride (Uma Thurman), awakens from a coma after her impending nuptials were brought to a bloody end by a cabal of former colleagues led by the eponymous Bill. Fueled by an all-consuming need for vengeance, The Bride sets out on a quest to bring those responsible for the attack to a bloody end. Tarantino’s love letter to martial arts cinema, “Kill Bill” is all about the style, and while it lacks the narrative chops of the filmmaker's best work, its non-linear structure is novel.
Watch on Netflix until June 30
'Inside Man' (2006)
One of my most vivid childhood memories is watching “Inside Man” on late-night television. Not only was it way past my bedtime, but I was far too young for this twisting crime thriller. Even if I didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of the plot, I was enthralled all the same. And having returned to the movie in my adulthood, I can confirm that it’s a real nail-biter with one of Denzel Washington’s best performances at its core, which is some praise considering Washington is amazing in everything!
“Inside Man” sees Washington play Detective Keith Frazier, a New York City cop assigned to negotiate with a group of Manhattan bank robbers led by Dalton Russell (Clive Owen). The criminal mastermind believes he’s plotted the perfect heist, but Frazier believes he holds all the cards. Further complicating matters is a mysterious power broker, Madeline (Jodie Foster), who adds her own agenda to the volatile mix.
Watch on Netflix until June 30
'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' (2006)
When you pair together Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly with director Adam McKay the result is always going to be hilarious, and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is every bit as quotable as the trio’s most celebrated effort, “Step Brothers”. This is the type of comedy you’ll need to pause regularly to catch your breath between jokes.
Set in the high-speed world of NASCAR racing, Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a superstar, but his status as the top racer on the track is challenged when a French champion, Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), starts to work his way up the podium with an eye on taking Bobby’s title. With the support of his loyal best friend (John C. Reilly), Ricky Bobby needs to pull himself out of his tailspin and restore his reputation as the best racer around.
Watch on Netflix until June 30
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