16 best movies to watch on Netflix, HBO, Amazon before they leave (Nov 2021)

November is almost over. The leaves have fallen, the frosty chill of winter is nipping at our necks, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has thoroughly infiltrated every storefront and public area imaginable. You know what that means … that’s right, there’s a whole bunch of new movies coming to Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video in just a few short days! Before that though, you won’t want to miss out on the best movies leaving streaming at the end of month, including Martin Scorsese’s Mean streets, Richard Linklater’s School of Rock, 2015’s TangerineAll of it!

Here are 16 top movies that have left major streaming sites by August 1st, after poring through all of the films.

500 Days of Summer

Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Zooey deschanel is well-known for his role as Manic Pixie Dream Girls. Summer: 500 Days seems to paint her as a quirky, love interest there to fill the main character’s heart with love, it actually does the opposite. Marc Webb directs (The Amazing Spider-ManScott Neustadter and Michael Weber wrote this article.Now, the Spectacular), the film completely dismantles the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, repeatedly reminding Tom, the male lead (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), that just because a pretty girl likes the same stuff he does and does some quirky things doesn’t mean that she’s his soulmate. The film explores the 500 days Tom knows Summer, jumping back and forth between various points of time, as his feelings for her change from complete adoration to contempt to finally accepting that she isn’t his dream girl but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a person of her own.

Like the narrator promises, it’s not a love story, but a story about love. —Petrana Radulovic

500 Days of SummerLeaf Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 30,

The Fifth Element

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Luc Besson’s cult sci-fi action thriller The Fifth Element stars Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas, a former special forces commando-turned-cab driver in 23rd century New York City, who finds himself smack dab in the middle of a century’s long conflict between the forces of good and evil. Leeloo, a mysterious and powerful woman played by Milla Jovovich crashes into Korben’s taxi. Vito Cornelius, a wise space-priest (Ian Holm), orders him to defend Leeloo against the intrigues of Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (“Gary Oldman), who thinks Leeloo is the secret to an ancient weapon with untold powers. Features creatures, costumes, and designs by legendary French comic artists Jean “Moebius” Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières, The Fifth ElementIt is full of character and a memorable, action-packed film. —TE

The Fifth ElementLeaf HuluOn Nov. 30,

A Knight’s Tale

Columbia Pictures

Inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale,” Brian Helgeland’s semi-anachronistic medieval adventure comedy A Knight’s TaleHeath Ledger plays William, a young peasant with an aptitude for jousting. He pretends to be a knight while embarking on a journey for glory and fame along with Roland (Mark Addy), Wat and Alan Tudyk. The trio also meet Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany), who is a talented writer and performer that aids William in his quest for fame and fortune. An oddball comedy filled with surprising needle-drops, colorful characters, and a smoldering romance plot featuring Shannyn Sossamon as William’s love interest, A Knight’s TaleAlthough it was critically acclaimed when it first premiered in 2001, the film has become a fan favorite and a beloved classic among loyal fans. —TE

A Knight’s TaleLeaf NetflixOn Nov. 30,

Lincoln Lawyer

Lionsgate Photo

Based on Michael Connelly’s 2005 novel, Brad Furman’s 2011 legal thriller Lincoln LawyerMatthew McConaughey plays Mickey Haller. This charismatic defense attorney does his business practically from the backseat of his Lincoln sedan. Don’t get it twisted though; working-class Cosmopolis this is not. Haller, who had a long career defending small-time criminals gets his break with Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), an aspiring Beverly Hills playboy charged with beating a prostitute. It seems that this is a simple case with a quick paycheck, but it quickly turns into a deadly conspiracy that threatens Maggie Tomei’s life and the young daughter of Louis Roulet. Lincoln Lawyer marks the beginning of what many at the time characterized as the McConaissance, a period in McConaughey’s career in which the actor embraced a string of captivating dramatic roles which ultimately culminated in winning the Oscar for best actor in 2014. The Lincoln Lawyer While it wasn’t the best performance that earned him the award, it was a solid foundation for future success. —TE

Lincoln LawyerLeaf Netflix Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 30,

Mean streets

Warner Bros.

Martin Scorsese’s 1973 crime drama Mean streets stars Harvey Keitel as Charlie Cappa, a young Italian-American man torn between his sense of duty to his Mafioso uncle Giovanni, his loyalty to his roughneck gambler friend “Johnny Boy” (Robert De Niro), and his devout Catholic faith. When Johnny ends up on the wrong side of loan sharks without the means to pay them back, Charlie takes it upon himself to save his friend’s life as a means to his own personal redemption. De Niro & Keitel make for an electrifying pair on screen. A chaotic agent pursuing his own destruction and his faithful friend trying to find a way between temptations and righteousness, Keitel is captivating. This film is both a New York crime thriller and a story of moral failure. Mean streetsThis is an absolute must-see. —TE

The Mean StreetsLeaf HBO MaxOn Nov. 30,

Minority Report

Image by 20th Century Fox

Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story introduced audiences to the idea of hand gesture-assisted augmented reality and wall-scaling automobiles. Minority Report stars Tom Cruise as Pre-Crime captain John Anderton, leader of a police organization dedicated to apprehending criminals before they’ve even committed a crime using a trio of psychics who invasively pore over the unconscious minds of every hapless American in the future. Anderton, who is accused preemptively of murdering his wife, must run from the same system to which he had devoted his entire life and discover the dark truth behind its existence. —TE

Minority ReportLeaf HuluOn Nov. 30,

Orange County

Colin Hanks is the star of this 2002 young adult comedy Orange CountyShaun Brumder is an intelligent, but underachieving, teenager from California. His life changes when Marcus Skinner (an English professor at Stanford University) discovers a novel. Aspiring to become a writer, Shaun devotes the remainder of his high school career to applying to Stanford — only for his dreams to be dashed by a guidance counselor who mistakenly sends the wrong transcripts under his name. Shaun sets out to rectify this error by embarking on a roadtrip to Stanford with Ashley (Schuyler) and Lance (Jack Black), Shaun’s supportive girlfriend. With supporting performances by John Lithgow and Catherine O’Hara as Shaun’s romantically volatile parents, and a particularly memorable performance by Kevin Kline as Professor Skinner himself, Orange CountyThis is a hilarious comedy that’s raucous and has genuinely funny jokes. It remains as entertaining today as it was twenty years ago. —TE

Orange CountyLeaf HBO MaxOn Nov. 30,

The Prestige

Buena Vista Pictures

Nolan’s 2006 The PrestigeThe film is similar to a magic trick in that it has three acts. 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 vie to become the greatest living magician of their time. Part two is about the premise. Things turn sour after a terrible on-stage incident that sends the men into an endless collision course. This leads to a dangerous blood feud and a long-lasting professional rivalry. We are now at the end of the third section, the finale. Know about these characters and turns those assumptions on their head to pull off the single greatest cinematic twist of Christopher Nolan’s career. David Bowie here, looking like Nikola Tesla. Do you keep an eye on your surroundings? —TE

The PrestigeLeaf HuluOn Nov. 30,

The Princess Bride

Image by Twentieth Century Fox

The Princess Bride has it all — swashbucklers, epic adventures, incredibly quotable humor, Cary Elwes, and a lovely romance that ties it all together. It’s a fairytale fantasy that plays with familiar tropes and breathes new life into them. It is hard to believe how many pop culture quotes and references have been spawned by this film. Witty and funny. Also deeply romantic. The Princess BrideIt’s a fantasy-themed romp that features a charming framing device: a grandfather reading a story to his grandson at bedtime. This preserves William Goldman’s narrative a lot better than any simple adaptation. —PR

The Princess BrideAmazon Prime ends on November 30,

School of Rock

Image by Paramount Pictures

Richard Linklater’s 2003 comedy School of RockJack Black plays Dewey Finn (a struggling rock guitarist) who takes a substitute teaching job at an elementary school so he can earn rent money. Dewey discovers that his students are playing their instruments at music classes and creates a scheme for them to start a new group. He also enters the Battle of the Bands competition to earn $10,000. Powered almost entirely by Black’s infectious charisma and eccentricity, School of Rock is raucous and heartwarming comedy about a man who grows as both a musician and a person through his relationship to students he mentors, aligning his love of rock in a new direction that spurs him to find his true calling in life. Jack Black described the 2019 GQ video interview as “a very interesting and inspiring story.” School of Rock as the movie he’s most proud to have been a part of. If that’s not a stirring endorsement, I don’t know what is. —TE

School of RockLeaf NetflixOn Nov. 30,

Sneakers

Universal Pictures Photo

SneakersThis is the 90s feel-good comedy about crime. The cast is second to none Ocean’s 11Robert Redford and Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsleys, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier are among the many who have teamed up with hackers to find a Thing. But the Thing an the plot machinations aren’t really the hook here — Sneakers is like a big, ’90s hangout movie full of retro tech and a dash of cynical Cold War sentiment. It’s funny, it has elaborate plans, and the Republican National Committee will be completely discredited by the end. If you’ve seen every heist movie masterpiece, it’s finally time to open your heart to the chill alternative of Sneakers. —Matt Patches

SneakersLeaf HBO MaxOn Nov. 30,

The State of Play

Universal Pictures Photo

The State of PlayRussell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Della Fyre star as Cal McAffrey (Maria Thayer), and Della Fyre (Ben Affleck), two investigative reporters who are working together to unravel the truth behind Sonia Baker’s murder. As the two reporters’ butt heads with regard to their respective approaches to pursuing the case, their investigation points to a shadowy corporation whose machinations threaten the lives of all those involved— McAffrey and Fyre included. —TE

The State of PlayLeaf NetflixOn Nov. 30,

Speak to her

Image: Sony Pictures Classics

Pedro Almodóvar 2002 drama Talk to her follows the story of Benigno (Javier Cámara) and Marco (Darío Grandinetti), two men who by a quirk of fate meet at a private clinic following a chance encounter at a theater months prior. The two men are united in tragedy as they tirelessly take care of the women they love, both who are currently in a coma. While Benigno and Marco share this inexplicable circumstance in common, the differences in their respective views on life, love, and relationships will divert the course of these men’s lives along starkly different trajectories. A touching performance, beautiful music and stunning imagery by Alberto Iglesias make this a poignant and unforgettable show. Speak to herIt is a remarkable movie about the meaning and persistence of love in all its forms. —TE

Speak to herLeaf Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 30,

Tangerine

Magnolia Pictures

Filmed entirely with iPhone cameras, Sean Baker’s 2015 comedy-drama Tangerine follows Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), two trans sex workers who set out to find Chester (James Ransone), Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp and get to the bottom of a salacious rumor that he cheated on her while she was serving a 28 day stint in prison. The film was filmed on Los Angeles’ streets during Christmas Eve. TangerineIt is raw, shocking, touching, heartbreaking and deeply engrossing. This film offers a glimpse into the emotions of sexwork while painting a picture of Los Angeles in its multi-splendored chaos. —TE

TangerineLeaf Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 29,

The Warriors

Paramount Pictures Photo

Based on Sol Yurick’s 1976 novel of the same name, 1979’s The Warriors is a gripping urban action thriller and darkly whimsical interpretation of the real-life gang violence that gripped New York City throughout much of the mid-to late ’70s. Inspired by Xenophon of Athens’ Anabasis, the film follows the titular Warriors gang who, after being framed for the murder of a beloved gang elder known as Cyrus, must journey from the heart of North End of the Bronx back to their home turf of Coney Island in southern Brooklyn. Despite an initially lukewarm critical reception and plagued with controversy in the immediate wake of its release, The Warriors has gone on to achieve cult status as a touchstone of ’70s pop culture. —TE

The WarriorsLeaf Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 30,

Young Frankenstein

Twentieth Century Fox Photo

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s Gene Wilder stars in Mel Brooks’ cult comedy horror spoof film Young FrankensteinFrankenstein, the mad scientist Frankenstein Fronk-en-steenHe was determined to revive his misbegotten creation Peter Boyle from the dead. —TE

Young FrankensteinLeaf Amazon PrimeOn Nov. 30,