10 finest films to look at on Netflix, HBO Max earlier than they depart (August 2022)

This month’s checklist of streaming departures contains some previous classics, new favorites, and a few underseen gems in between.

To begin issues off, Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy leaves HBO Max — it’s a great time to meet up with these films once more (except you might be one of many few individuals who haven’t seen them, during which case I’ve excellent news — you get to look at the Ocean’s films for the primary time!).

There’s additionally Spike Lee’s masterful Do the Right Thing, the traditional thriller thriller Klute, and a authorized thriller from the showrunner of Andor, in addition to an action-horror DTV grasp class and a lot extra.

Let’s get into it.

Do the Right Thing

Image: Universal Pictures

Set over the course of a swelteringly scorching day in Bed-Stuy, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is a masterful drama that traces the simmering racial tensions between an area Italian American pizzeria and the African American group dwelling beside them. With spectacular performances by Danny Aiello, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Lee himself, to not point out a implausible opening sequence that includes none apart from the Rosie Perez — in her debut movie position, no much less — dancing and shadowboxing to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Do the Right Thing is an important milestone of American filmmaking that can not be missed. —Toussaint Egan

Do the Right Thing leaves Peacock Aug. 31.

Gattaca

Image: 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 turn into an astronaut. Assuming the id of Jerome (Jude Law), a bodily gifted athlete who’s paralyzed from the waist down following an automotive accident, Vincent’s dream is nearly inside his attain — that’s, till the administrator of the Gattaca Aerospace program is murdered, inflicting a swarm of presidency brokers and detectives to descend en masse of their try to nab the wrongdoer. With an inimitable retro futuristic type, scenes shot in and round among the most iconic minimalist structure of San Francisco, a stirring rating by composer Michael Nyman, and trio of terrific supporting performances by Jude Law, Uma Thurman, and the late, nice Gore Vidal, Gattaca is an absolute sci-fi treasure. —TE

Gattaca leaves Netflix on Sept. 1.

Klute

Image: Warner Home Video

One of the most effective thrillers from an period completely crammed with them, Klute is the primary of Alan J. Pakula’s thematic “paranoia trilogy,” adopted by the additionally glorious The Parallax View and All the President’s Men (which resulted in one among three Oscar nominations for Pakula).

In Klute, Jane Fonda offers an all-time nice efficiency as Bree Daniels, a name lady who will get pulled right into a detective’s (Donald Sutherland) investigation into an government’s disappearance. A tense thriller with attractive cinematography from Gordon Willis (the Godfather films) and an appropriately eerie rating from frequent Pakula collaborator Michael Small, Klute is just too good to overlook out on. —Pete Volk

Klute leaves HBO Max Aug. 31.

Michael Clayton

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Excited for Andor? Showrunner Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, wrote and directed one of many finest authorized thrillers of the twenty first century in his directorial debut. George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a company fixer who is shipped to straighten out a lawyer affected by an episode. When Clayton discovers a a lot deeper scheme at play, it threatens every thing he is aware of.

One of Clooney’s finest performances, the film additionally options nice supporting turns by Tom Wilkinson (enjoying the aforementioned troubled lawyer), Tilda Swinton, and the good Sydney Pollack. It’s a decent, tense conspiracy thriller, paying homage to the work of Alan J. Pakula and different titans of the style. —PV

Michael Clayton leaves Netflix Sept. 1.

Midnight Run

Image: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Ah, the straightforward joys of a buddy comedy highway journey film.

In Midnight Run, Robert De Niro is an ex-cop who has turned to the lifetime of bounty looking after being chased out of a corrupt police division. When he’s despatched to fetch an accountant (Charles Grodin) who embezzled cash from the mob, he has to take care of gangsters, cops, and normal hijinks.

A hilarious journey with two very totally different individuals who annoy the piss out of one another, De Niro and Grodin’s unimaginable odd-couple chemistry elevates the film to a pleasant, memorable romp. De Niro is nice as at all times as a cantankerous ex-cop, however Grodin steals the present because the delicate, straight-faced accountant attempting to persuade his new buddy to let him go.

Midnight Run additionally has extra depth than your common buddy comedy. De Niro’s ex-cop give up the pressure due to an ethical battle, and the film’s state of affairs forces him to confront his values once more. Add a playful, energetic rating from Danny Elfman, and you’ve got an exquisite time on the films. —PV

Midnight Run leaves Peacock and the Criterion Channel Aug. 31.

The Ocean’s trilogy

Image: Warner Home Video

Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s films are lots of issues: nice hangout films with a terrific ensemble forged, enjoyable capers with daring heists, and laugh-out-loud humorous comedies. Your mileage might range with every installment because the profitable franchise balloons, however all three are strong popcorn leisure. —PV

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

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

Image: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Regular Polygon readers will know that is one among my favourite films of all time (critically, high 10-type stuff). If you’ve delayed checking it out, now’s your probability.

As I wrote when it was added to HBO Max in July:

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning was an awakening for me. I had not (and nonetheless haven’t) seen any of the opposite films within the franchise, and on the time I used to be unfamiliar with its younger star, Scott Adkins. But one thing about John Hyams’ twisted sci-fi/horror/motion story acquired its hooks into me and by no means let go.

A soldier (Scott Adkins) wakes up from a coma, haunted by recollections of the brutal homicide of his spouse and daughter. He desires nothing greater than to seek out the person accountable… Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), the protagonist from the unique movies of the Universal Soldier franchise. With influences from filmmakers like Gaspar Noé mixed with the dirty aesthetic of a direct-to-video action-horror flick, Day of Reckoning is a singular mixture of genres and abilities and one among my favourite films ever made. A observe: This is a very violent film, and isn’t for the squeamish. —PV

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning leaves HBO Max Aug. 31.

Unstoppable

Image: twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Tony Scott’s ultimate movie can also be one among his finest, a down-to-earth blue collar drama ripped from the headlines and dramatized simply sufficient to make a hard-to-believe true story an exciting cinematic occasion.

Unstoppable retells the story of the CSX 8888 incident, when a runaway practice carrying hazardous supplies was stopped by a crew in a second practice. In the film’s model, Denzel Washington is veteran engineer Frank Barnes, whereas Chris Pine is the rookie practice conductor Will Colson. Unstoppable rapidly units up the strain between the 2 characters — Frank and his friends see Will for instance of younger new hires given senior positions in order to not pay the skilled workers greater wages.

The relationship between Frank and Will, and the depth given to those characters by Washington and Pine, is a serious motive why the film works. You get to see these two males determine one another out in actual time, particularly after they’re in disaster mode. The practice sequences are additionally electrifying — Scott borrowed trains from three totally different railroads for the film, and the strain is palpably gripping. —PV

Unstoppable leaves Hulu Aug. 31.