5 best Netflix movies to watch right now before they leave this month

Netflix has gained plenty of worthwhile new movies in July 2024, but to make room for all the fresh additions to the library the streaming service is also removing several firm favorites.

The movies leaving Netflix this month include the entire original “Matrix” trilogy, a crude but classic comedy, the coming-of-age drama a certain George Lucas made before creating “Star Wars” and the biopic that finally won Will Smith his Oscar (let’s just skip past what he did during the ceremony ...). And those are just a few of the Netflix movies that will leave when the calendar moves into August.

Fortunately, you’ve still got a last chance to watch these flicks before they head for the exit door. These are the 5 movies set to leave Netflix this month, you need to watch them right now.

'American Graffiti’ (1973)

Before George Lucas changed the entire entertainment industry by taking viewers on a trip to a galaxy far, far away, he was an upcoming director following up his bizarre dystopian sci-fi debut “THX 1138” with a nostalgia-indued slice of pure Americana. Yes, 1973’s “American Graffiti” will forever be overshadowed in Lucas's filmography by the juggernaut he would create afterward, but it was a critical darling upon release, was nominated for Best Picture, and still merits your attention.

It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (who would go on to direct a Star Wars movie, “Solo”), Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith and Candy Clark. Set in 1962 on the last day of summer vacation after high school graduation, the coming-of-age comedy-drama is told via a series of vignettes. It follows a group of adolescent friends as they enjoy their final day of freedom, cruising the streets of their small-town California home to their favorite music. Tomorrow their grown-up lives begin, but today they’re young enough to make stupid mistakes without a care in the world.

Watch on Netflix until July 31

'Knocked Up' (2007)

Judd Apatow and his frequent collaborators ruled the comedy scene in the second half of the 2000s, and “Knocked Up” is one of the most iconic (and successful) movies from that period. Fair warning, this brash rom-com is extremely foulmouthed, and there’s no denying that some of the gags have not aged especially gracefully, but if you can tolerate crude humor, “Knocked Up” will have you laughing throughout. And it’s extremely quotable, which I consider one of the best metrics for determining the strength of a comedy movie.

Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) are polar opposites. The former is an ambitious news reporter, while the latter is a proud slacker living off an injury compensation fund. However, after a drunken one-night stand turns into an unplanned pregnancy, the two are forced to stick around in each other's lives. While Alison is unconvinced Ben is father material, the immature man-baby attempts to prove he can rise to the occasion. Naturally, much hilarity ensues.

Watch on Netflix until July 31

'King Richard' (2021)

If watching Wimbledon earlier this month gave you the tennis bug, “King Richard” is the perfect watch. This biographical sports movie sees Will Smith play the eponymous Richard Williams, the extremely determined father of Venus and Serena, two professional players who dominated the sport for years, and enshrine themselves in tennis history as two of the best players to ever step onto the court. Smith is exceptional in the role, while the underdog narrative hits all the expected beats, but is still plenty enjoyable and just the right amount of emotional.

The overall tone is one of positivity with Richard’s controlling nature — he developed a 78-page plan for his daughters to become stars before they could even swing a racket — largely presented as a positive trait. However, the film does briefly touch on the darker side of the larger-than-life figure looking at his difficult relationship with his wife, Oracene Price (Aunjanue Ellis). If you’re looking for an engaging, and feel-good, sports movie, this one’s ace.

Watch on Netflix until July 31

'Moneyball' (2011)

Speaking of excellent sports movies, “Moneyball” is one of my favorite in the whole genre. That’s particularly high praise because the first time I watched this 2011 biopic I’d never even watched a single moment of professional baseball (I’ve subsequently become a New York Mets fan after visiting Citi Field myself in 2015). All of this is to say that “Moneyball” is so compelling that even non-baseball fans will find plenty to love here. It’s a heartwarming underdog story with a top-tier cast.

Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s, a middle-market baseball team that is set to lose several of its star players after suffering defeat in the 2001 American League Division Series to the all-conquering New York Yankees. Tasked with replacing these key players, Beane teams up with an Ivy League graduate (Jonah Hill) and the two pioneer a new form of talent scouting that looks to squeeze maximum potential out of players nobody else wants to sign. This new scouting strategy changed not just baseball, but the entire sporting world.

Watch on Netflix until July 31

'The Matrix' (1999)

“The Matrix” is one of those movie that really needs no introduction. This legendary science-fiction thriller changed the game and became a hugely influential phenomenon with cultural touchstones like “bullet time” and the “red/blue pill” still relevant today. Plus, now is the perfect time to rewatch this sci-fi masterpiece as The Wachowskis-directed classic celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year, and even briefly returned to theatres to mark the occasion.

Set in a future that now seems comedically analog by our modern standards (but hey it was released in 1999 after all), Thomas “Neo” Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is an office worker who has one question, “What is the Matrix?” This strange phrase keeps cropping up and Anderson believes that the mysterious Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) may hold the answers. But the sinister Agent Smith (Huge Weaving) is also in pursuit and as the computer hacker gets closer to the shocking truth about the world around him, he's drawn into a conflict between man and machine.

The movie’s two divisive but watchable sequels, “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions”, are also set to leave Netflix this month, so why not binge the whole trilogy this weekend?

Watch on Netflix until July 31

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