It's hard to believe the end of another month in the seemingly neverending year that is 2020 is drawing to a close. September will be over in a matter of days, and while we're thrilled to usher in the fall season, and super-psyched for Halloween, we are not so happy that another spate of movies will be disappearing from Netflix next month. Like, what are we even paying for anymore? (Kidding.) Films leave Netflix every single month, but they're always replaced with just as many movies or even more.
Still, we don't want to miss our chance to watch or re-watch some of the films we might not be able to find on the streaming service again for a while. It actually seems fewer films than usual will leave Netflix in October, so subscribers might still have enough time to watch quite a few of them before they're gone — especially since we've already compiled a list of the best movies leaving Netflix next month to make it easier for our readers to catch the ones they're really interested in.
Sadly, but somewhat unsurprisingly (gotta make room for those holiday movies), there are a bunch of films from the horror and thriller genres making their exits, and a few action flicks and dramas as well.
Check out the list below.
'2012'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
This epic action flick, starring John Cusack, Thandie Newton, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, came out in 2009, but it's about an end-of-days scenario that occurs in 2012. A series of major catastrophes is set off by global warming, leaving scientists desperate to save the world from complete annihilation.
'40 Days and 40 Nights'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Starring Josh Hartnett in his prime, 40 Days and 40 Nights is just the sort of rom-com that defined the genre in early 2000s. It's about a guy takes a vow of celibacy for the 40 days and 40 nights of Lent, but inevitably ends up falling head over heels for the perfect girl during that time.
'A Knight's Tale'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
A Knight's Tale, starring a young Heath Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon, is a quirky take on author Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. It's about a young squire who fabricates a new identity for himself when his master dies, and begins competing in jousting competitions as a knight — eventually capturing the eye of a princess.
'Dear John'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Dear John, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, is about an Army special ops soldier who returns home on leave to visit his father and winds up meeting and falling in love with a college student … only to be deployed after 9/11. The couple maintains their relationship via letters while he serves for seven years.
'Despicable Me'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
This animated family favorite follows villain Gru as he plots the ultimate heist in his underground suburban hideout, aided by an army of tiny minions. Things change, though, when he meets three little orphaned girls who get in his way — because, well, they see his potential as a dad.
'Donnie Brasco'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
The iconic mob film Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, is about an undercover FBI agent working in a mob faction. He ends up in far too deep, and his real life starts to fall apart as he becomes more and more enmeshed in the crime organization.
'House of the Witch"
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Be sure to catch this Halloween flick before it's gone. It's a bone-chilling movie about a group of teenagers who realize they are in for more than they bargained for when they arrive at an abandoned house to execute a Halloween prank, and a demonic witch makes them her victims instead.
'Inside Man'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Inside Man is an edge-of-our-seats action flick about a high-stakes bank heist that ends up in a hostage situation. It stars A-listers Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jodie Foster, and Willem Dafoe and is so well-acted that it is somehow subtle and intense at the same time.
'Insidious'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
This mind-bending horror film, starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, has something of a cult following that has spurned multiple sequels. It's about a young boy in a coma who is living an alternate realm inside his own mind. As his parents try to save their son, they begin to realize that something paranormal is going on under the surface.
'Jurassic Park' Films
Leave Netflix: October 1
The first three films in the Jurassic Park film franchise — Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Jurassic Park III — are all being taken off of Netflix at the same time. Then again, all three of the sci-fi dinosaur films have been added and removed from the streaming service again and again, so they'll likely be back at some point.
'Menace II Society'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Menace II Society chronicles the story of a recent high school graduate and gang member in violence-ridden Watts, California, in the early 1990s, as he seeks and strives to find a way out of the world of crime and poverty that has surrounded him his entire life before it's too late.
'Million Dollar Baby'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Million Dollar Baby, starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman, won best picture at the Academy Awards in 2005, and for good reason. It's a unique story about an aspiring female boxer who convinces a reclusive but renowned trainer to train her, sparking an unlikely friendship.
'Mortal Kombat'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
This 1990s cult favorite — based on the video game of the same name — may not be prime cinema, but it's nostalgic and something '90s kids might want their kids to see before it disappears from Netflix. It's about three different martial artists, who travel to a far-off island to compete in a tournament with insanely high stakes.
'Mud'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
In 2012's Mud, a rugged, sun-kissed Matthew McConaughey stars as a fugitive wanted for murder who's discovered hiding out on an island in the Mississippi River when two boys stumble upon him. He convinces the boys to help him remain hidden while he figures out a way to reunite with his lover, played by Reese Witherspoon.
'Resident Evil: Afterlife'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
The fourth film in this zombie apocalypse franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife , heroine Alice (Mila Jovovich) teams up with a group of fellow survivors who have set up camp in an abandoned prison, while they plan a way to get to the supposed safe haven called Arcadia.
'Schindler's List'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Another Academy Awards best picture winner, Schindler's List — starring Liam Neeson — quickly became required viewing after it premiered in 1993. The film is based on the true story of businessman Oskar Schindler, who becomes an unlikely advocate for his Jewish factory workers in Nazi-occupied Germany during World War II.
'Seabiscuit'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
Seabiscuit is the true story of a man who gets involved in horse racing after the tragic death of his son, and an eventual divorce from his wife. He winds up with an undersized horse that no one expects much of, but hires a jockey that is able to turn things around, helping "Seabiscuit" become a racing sensation.
'Sinister'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
This horror flick, starring Ethan Hawke as a down-on-his-luck crime writer, is super creepy. Ethan's character ends up finding a box full of Super 8 movies that lead him to believe the horrific crime he is currently writing about was actually the work of a serial killer whose been murdering people for decades.
'The Devil's Advocate'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
The Devil's Advocate is a seriously disturbing film with an all-star cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, and Charlize Theron. This 1997 film is about a lawyer who lands a dream job at the biggest law firm in the country, but shortly after accepting the job — and moving to New York City with his wife — strange events begin to occur and end up linking back to his new boss in the most unexpected way.
'The Social Network'
Leaves Netflix: October 1
The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield tells the story of how Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg created the social media platform the entire world now knows as Facebook while he was a student at Harvard University. The film focuses on the challenges Zuckerberg faced, particularly, the multiple lawsuits claiming he stole someone else's idea.
