15 best movies to watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime before they leave (March 2022)

It’s finally (almost) April! Can you believe it? It’s a beautiful day, it is raining lightly, the flowers are blooming and streaming services have a new wave of releases ready to go. However, before we jump into the new month there are still many amazing streaming outgoing releases just waiting for our attention.

From Tony Scott’s Deja Vu and Charles Laughton’s classicNight of the Hunter You can find more information here Punisher Zone Buckaroo Banzai’s Adventures, there’s something for everyone to watch this weekend, whether it’s Oscar-nominated dramas of ruthless oil barons, body-horror sci-fi, or modern fairy tales.

These are 15 of the best movies to see before they disappear from streaming by March 31st.

Buckaroo Banzai’s Adventures

Image: 20th Century Fox

The 8th Dimension is the latest cinematic adventure of Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, the famed physicist/neurosurgeon/test pilot/rock star who occasionally saves the world. Oh, you’re not familiar?

Peter Weller portrays Dr. Buckaroo Bazai. In this episode, the Earth must be saved from the Red Lectroids. They are interdimensional aliens controlled by John Lithgow. This is one of the greatest, most explosive performances that the 80s ever saw. Banzai is aided by his sidekicks, who are also his band mates, including Jeff Goldblum dressed up as a cowboy named “New Jersey.”

It is one of the greatest joys in life. Buckaroo BanzaiIt is a standalone movie, but it feels like a serial. This can be a great benefit.

W.D. Richter (writer of 1978’s The Invasion by the Body Snatchers, Little China is in Big Trouble and, improbably, Stealth), Buckaroo Banzai It is a cult favorite. Remember, no matter where your travels take you, you will always be there. —Pete Volk

Buckaroo Banzai’s AdventuresLeaf Amazon Prime VideoMarch 30, 2010.

Batman Returns

Warner Home Video

The delightfully Gothic Batman version features deliciously German Expressionist architecture. Danny Elfman’s great score completes the film. Batman Returns The atmosphere is filled with bizarre vibes that overwhelm its strange plotting and give it a feeling of Gotham being a real place.

Bruce Wayne is back with Michael Keaton, who faces off against Max Shreck (Danny DeVito), and the Penguin (Danny DeVito). Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), occasionally helps. The Penguin is a brilliantly cast character with unforgettable moments.), Batman Returns It is Gotham City at its most complete. —PV

Batman ReturnsLeaf HuluMarch 31, 2007.

Deja Vu

Photo: Touchstone Pictures

Long before John David Washington’s leading role in Christopher Nolan’s TenetHis father Denzel Washington was the star in his time-twisting action movie about sci-fi directed by Tony Scott. Washington portrays Doug Carlin, an ATF Agent who joins a government top-secret program following a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of his wife. Carlin is able to use cutting-edge technology to view the world through an experimental headset. He must see the unfolding events as they happen in order for Carlin to identify the culprits and bring them justice. Washington’s second collaboration with Scott following 2004’s Man on Fire is an exhilarating whodunnit packed with explosive action, shocking twists, and frenetic, pulse-pounding cinematography that’s well worth a revisit. —TE

Deja Vu Leaf Amazon Prime Video3:31 p.m.

Florida Project

Image: A24 films

It’s a strange place to grow up in if you come from a poor background. You grow up in the shadow of corporate dreamlands, where people from around the world come to live out a fantasy of a weekend at the “happiest” places on Earth, fueled by workers who historically have made an average of $10 an hour. Sean Baker directs. Florida ProjectThis story is about Moonee, a 6-year old girl (Brooklynn Prince), who lives at The Magic Castle in Kissimmee with her mother Halley. Moonee, who struggles to make ends work, leaves her to her own devices and has to rely on Bobby (Willem Defoe), as her motel manager. Florida Project is one of the best stories about Central Florida and Walt Disney World, a story about childlike wonder and joy a stone’s throw away from its monolithic commercialization, and the economic hardship that keeps the monied dreams of tourists afloat. —Joshua Rivera

Florida ProjectNetflix leaves April 6th

Fly

Image by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Jeff Goldblum stars in David Cronenberg’s 1986 sci-fi horror drama FlySeth Brundle is a bright and ambitious scientist, who goes through a transformation that will chill Gregor Samsa. Fly is a tragic story of science run amok that’s as macabre as it is heart-wrenching, elevated by Cronenberg’s penchant for body horror special effects, gratuitous violence, and explicit sensuality. —TE

The FlyLeaf Amazon Prime VideoOn March 31,

Take the bus

Spike Lee’s drama Take the busThis is the story about 15 Black men, who board a bus bound for Washington D.C. to participate in the Million Man March. The passengers embark on a journey together of self-discovery. They share nothing except their race, gender and destination. This will allow them to discover what brought them each to this pilgrimage. Take the busThis powerful movie dispels the myth that the Black experience is one-dimensional. Instead, it tells a story about strength, solidarity, compassion and hope. —TE

Take the busCriterion Channel will be closed on March 31,

The Killing

Criterion Collection photo

Stanley Kubrick’s The KillingThis is an excellent heist movie, with expert performances that interlock like tumblers in locks. It culminates in a thrilling, riveting finale. Sterling Hayden portrays Johnny Clay who is an ex-convict and forms a group to hold off $2 million on a racecourse. A cast that includes Jay C. Flippen (Jo Sawyer), Elisha Cook Jr. and Joe Sawyer supports Clay. The KillingKubrick himself proclaimed it to be his first feature. Today, it’s a film whose influence can be felt and seen in everything from Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs to 2008’s The Dark Knight. —TE

The Killing Leaf Amazon Prime VideoMarch 30, 2010.

Never-Ending Story

Warner Bros.

Neverending StoryThe classic fantasy film is dedicated to the ability of storytelling to free and enrich young imaginations. The film follows Bastian (Barret Oliver), a young boy troubled by school bullies, who discovers an ancient storybook that draws him into the hero’s journey of a young warrior named Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), who in turn embarks on a journey across the mythical land of Fantasia to save the world from a dark, malicious force known as “the Nothing.” Through the proxy of Atreyu’s quest, Bastian undergoes his own emotional journey: one that emboldens him with the courage and wisdom to confront the challenges of life head on and grow into a mature young adult. There’s a reason why this film is often mentioned in the same breath as 1987’s The Princess Bride; both are quintessential ’80s touchstones that anyone would be remiss to miss out on. —TE

Never-Ending StoryNetflix to Close on March 30

Night of the Hunter

Image by Turner Classic Movies

Charles Laughton was the only actor and director to produce this movie.Night of the HunterIt is widely regarded as the best screenplay ever. At the heart of the movie’s enduring legacy is Robert Mitchum’s iconic performance as Harry Powell, a misogynistic serial killer with a flair for silver-tongued theatricality. Centering initially on Powell’s plot to romance a gullible widow and uncover the whereabouts of a stolen cache of $10,000, the film later unfolds into an odyssey across a rich expanse of stark, silhouetted environments, as the widow’s children desperately attempt to elude the mad preacher’s murderous intent. If you’re looking for a classic thriller with beautiful imagery, a moving score, and memorable performances, Night of the HunterAll of these are in abundance. —TE

Night of the HunterLeaf Amazon Prime VideoMarch 30, 2010.

The Prestige

Buena Vista Pictures Photo

Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film The PrestigeMuch like magic tricks, a film’s three main parts or acts are roughly equivalent to one. The first part is exposition, where we’re introduced to the film’s protagonists in the form of two rival illusionists played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Second is the premise. This part focuses on the events that lead to a disastrous on-stage collision, which leads the film’s protagonists on a long-term collision course. It transforms their profession rivalry into dangerous blood feuds. The third part is the climax, where the film takes everything we thought we knew about these characters and turns those assumptions on their head to pull off the single greatest cinematic twist of Nolan’s career. David Bowie, dressed as Nikola Tesla is also present. Is your attention on the details? —TE

The Prestige Leaf Amazon Prime VideoOn March 30,

Punisher Zone

Lionsgate Image

I’d understand if you missed out on Punisher Zone the first time around — a lot of people did. But Lexi Alexander’s 2008 pre-MCU adaptation of one of Marvel’s darkest anti-heroes is one of the better entries in modern superhero cinema, filled with life and color, an absolutely batty performance by Dominic West as the main antagonist, and plenty of cartoonish violence.

Ray Stevenson plays Frank Castle in this third Punisher film (the 1989 movie starred Dolph Lungren). This version is a quest to find revenge for his family’s murder. Alexander fully embraces the excess of the character’s tone and the violence he employs, highlighted by an unforgettable moment where Castle blows up a parkour-ing bad guy with a rocket launcher mid-rooftop jump. —PV

Punisher ZoneLeaf Peacock March 31, 2007.

Robocop

Image by Arrow Video

Paul Verhoeven’s RobocopIt is one of the best action films of all time, and includes some of the greatest quotable lines. Peter Weller plays Alex Murphy, the Detroit police officer who was killed in his line of duty. A greedy mega-corporation tries to privatize law enforcement. Murphy’s personal journey from an unfeeling implement of state-sponsored violence into a conscious being who rediscovers his humanity and exacts justice on the apparatus of crime and exploitation that created him makes for one of the best sci-fi movies of the late 20th century. Plus, it’s got a scene of a guy getting shot in the dick and another of a man being transformed into a goopy mutant before being mowed over by a van. I’d buy that for a dollar! —TE

RobocopLeaf Amazon Prime VideoMarch 30, 2010.

Ronin

Image from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Ronin isn’t your typical heist movie. John Frankenheimer directed the American action thriller from 1998. Jean Reno and Robert De Niro play the roles of elite mercenaries who are hired by an unknown handler in order to retrieve and intercept a suitcase that is being sold to Russia. While it certainly doesn’t lack for bristling gunfights and nail-biting chase sequences, the strength of RoninIt is the careful and planned setup that leads to its final act. Frankenheimer’s film is as austere as it gratifying; an action film with an emphasis on richly-crafted characters with byzantine alliances and a plainspoken sense of style. —TE

RoninLeaf Amazon Prime VideoMarch 30, 2010.

Running Man

Image: TriStar Pictures

The violent gameshow captivates and dispenses justice in a future dystopian. The In Running Man, “runners” are criminals who run for their lives from armed mercenaries, hoping to gain a pardon from the government. Based on the book by Stephen King in 1982. Running Man Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a cop helicopter pilot who’s accused in a murder he failed to stop. He is then forced to be on the program as the latest runner. The show puts all its efforts into stopping him from getting his freedom when he achieves a lot more success that the cold-blooded, charismatic host Richard Dawson had hoped for.

Running Man was ahead of its time on our television culture and the influence of reality shows, and specifically competition shows — especially when it comes to opportunities for those that don’t have much. This influence continues to be felt today: Running Man South Korea now has a variety (less violent!) show that features the characters of The Wizard of Oz. Edgar Wright will direct a new adaptation. —PV

Running ManHBO Max will be shutting down on March 31,

There will always be blood

Miramax

For a while, Paul Thomas Anderson’s mesmerizing story about the rise and fall of an oil baron was best known for an unfortunate milkshake meme. But it’s been 14 years since its release, so surely by now we can let go of that particular gag and get back to appreciating Daniel Day-Lewis’ typically intense performance and the film’s particularly uncompromising severity. It’s a severe-looking film, all cracked, dry surfaces and angry desperation, and the clash between Day-Lewis’ viciously competitive oilman and a struggling young preacher (Paul Dano) is just as severe. This is not a film about moderation or kindness, and the end is pure Grand Guignol, but it’s a hell of a ride to get there. —Tasha Robinson

There will always be bloodNetflix will cease to exist on March 31,