10 best movies to watch on Netflix, HBO Max before they leave (August 2022)

This month’s list of streaming departures includes some old classics, new favorites, and some underseen gems in between.

To start things off, Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy leaves HBO Max — it’s a good time to catch up with those movies again (unless you are one of the few people who haven’t seen them, in which case I have good news — you get to watch the Ocean’s movies for the first time!).

There’s also Spike Lee’s masterful Do the right thingThe classic mystery thriller, KluteA legal thriller by the showrunner AndorThis includes an action-horror DTV masterclass and many other goodies.

Let’s get into it.

Do the right thing

Universal Pictures

Set over the course of a swelteringly hot day in Bed-Stuy, Spike Lee’s Do the right thingIt is a powerful drama about the simmering racial tensions that exist between an Italian American pizzeria in a small town and the African American community who live next to them. Lee is a star, as well as Danny Aiello and Bill Nunn. The Rosie Perez — in her debut film role, no less — dancing and shadowboxing to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Do the right thingIt is an iconic milestone in American cinemamaking, and it should be celebrated. —Toussaint Egan

Do the right thing Leaves Peacock Aug. 31.

Gattaca

Columbia Pictures

Ethan Hawke stars in Andrew Niccol’s 1997 debut Gattaca as Vincent Freeman, a genetically “inferior” man born in a eugenic caste society who yearns to become an astronaut. Assuming the identity of Jerome (Jude Law), a physically gifted athlete who is paralyzed from the waist down following an automotive accident, Vincent’s dream is almost within his reach — that is, until the administrator of the Gattaca Aerospace program is murdered, causing a swarm of government agents and detectives to descend en masse in their attempt to nab the culprit. It features scenes that were shot within and around San Francisco’s iconic, minimalist architecture. A stirring soundtrack was composed by Michael Nyman. Jude Law and Uma Thurman provide great support performances. GattacaIt is truly a sci-fi gem. —TE

GattacaNetflix to Close on September 1

Klute

Warner Home Video

The best thrillers of an era filled with them. Klute is the first of Alan J. Pakula’s thematic “paranoia trilogy,” followed by the also excellent Parallax View And All the President’s Men Pakula was nominated for one of three Oscars.

Klute, Jane Fonda gives an all-time great performance as Bree Daniels, a call girl who gets pulled into a detective’s (Donald Sutherland) investigation into an executive’s disappearance. This is a tense thriller featuring stunning cinematography by Gordon Willis (from the Godfather films) and an appropriately haunting score by Michael Small, a frequent Pakula collaborator. Klute It is simply too great to pass up. —Pete Volk

Klute Leaves HBO Max Aug. 31.

Michael Clayton

Warner Bros. Pictures

You are excited to Andor? Tony Gilroy (showrunner) co-wrote Rogue OneIn his directorial debut, he directed and wrote one of the most compelling legal thrillers of this century. George Clooney portrays Michael Clayton as a corporate fixer sent by the government to save a lawyer from an episode. Clayton is shocked to discover a deeper conspiracy that could threaten everything he has learned.

One of Clooney’s best performances, the movie also features great supporting turns by Tom Wilkinson (playing the aforementioned troubled lawyer), Tilda Swinton, and the great Sydney Pollack. It’s a tight, tense conspiracy thriller, reminiscent of the work of Alan J. Pakula and other titans of the genre. —PV

Michael Clayton Netflix leaves Sept.

Midnight Run

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

The simple pleasures of a road trip comedy movie with a friend.

Midnight RunRobert De Niro, an ex-cop has taken up bounty hunting since he was thrown out of his corrupt police force. When he’s sent to fetch an accountant (Charles Grodin) who embezzled money from the mob, he has to deal with gangsters, cops, and general hijinks.

A hilarious adventure with two very different people who annoy the piss out of each other, De Niro and Grodin’s incredible odd-couple chemistry elevates the movie to a delightful, memorable romp. De Niro, a cantankerous ex cop, is as good as ever, but Grodin’s effervescent, sensitive and straight-faced accountant, who struggles to get his buddy to forgive him, steals this movie.

Midnight Run Also, it is more complex than your standard buddy comedy. De Niro’s ex-cop quit the force because of a moral conflict, and the movie’s situation forces him to confront his values again. You can have an amazing time watching the films with Danny Elfman’s energetic, playful score. —PV

Midnight Run Leaves PeacockThe Criterion Channel August 31.

The Ocean’s trilogy

Warner Home Video

Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s movies are a lot of things: great hangout movies with a terrific ensemble cast, fun capers with daring heists, and laugh-out-loud funny comedies. Each installment may have its own unique flavor, but they are all solid entertainment. —PV

The Ocean’s trilogy Leaves HBO Max Aug. 31.

Day of Reckoning for the Universal Soldier

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Polygon regulars will be familiar with this movie as it is my top 10 favorite. If you’ve delayed checking it out, now’s your chance.

It was added to HBO Max on July 31, as I had written:

Day of Reckoning for the Universal Soldier It was a wake-up call for me. I had not (and still haven’t) seen any of the other movies in the franchise, and at the time I was unfamiliar with its young star, Scott Adkins. But something about John Hyams’ twisted sci-fi/horror/action story got its hooks into me and never let go.

Scott Adkins plays a soldier who wakes up in a coma and is haunted by the horrific murder of his daughter and wife. He desires nothing more than to track down the perpetrator… Luc Deveraux (JeanClaude Van Damme), who is the hero from the Universal Soldier movies. With influences from filmmakers like Gaspar Noé combined with the grimy aesthetic of a direct-to-video action-horror flick, Day of Reckoning The movie, which combines genres and talent in a singular way, is one of my favorites. Note: This movie is extremely violent and not recommended for those with a weak stomach. —PV

Day of Reckoning for the Universal Soldier Leaves HBO Max Aug. 31.

Unstoppable

Image: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Tony Scott’s final film is also one of his best, a down-to-earth blue collar drama ripped from the headlines and dramatized Just There are enough people to bring a true story that is hard to believe into an exciting cinematic experience.

Unstoppable This movie tells the story about the CSX-8888 accident, in which a train carrying dangerous materials ran riot and was stopped by a crew aboard a second train. In the movie’s version, Denzel Washington is veteran engineer Frank Barnes, while Chris Pine is the rookie train conductor Will Colson. Unstoppable quickly sets up the tension between the two characters — Frank and his pals see Will as an example of young new hires given senior positions so as not to pay the experienced employees higher wages.

This movie is notable for its relationship with Frank and Will. Pine and Washington give them depth and insight. You get to see these two men figure each other out in real time, especially when they’re in crisis mode. The train sequences are also electrifying — Scott borrowed trains from three different railroads for the movie, and the tension is palpably gripping. —PV

Unstoppable Leaves Hulu Aug. 31.