Last Chance to Stream: 30 must-see titles leaving Netflix UK in January 2015
David Farnor | On 30, Dec 2014
It’s the New Year, which means a ton of new releases on Netflix UK. Sadly, it means a ton of films and TV shows will be leaving Netflix UK too. In fact, almost 200 titles will be removed from Netfix UK in January 2015.
Of course, this is nothing unusual for Netflix. Because the streaming service’s licences for titles only last a certain amount of time, things come and go on an almost daily basis, as rights expire for one movie, freeing up more money for Netflix to spend on a TV series the next week. (It’s always worse at the beginning of the year, presumably because so many contracts are signed then.) So, while The Blues Brothers, Die Hard with a Vengeance and There Will Be Blood leave in the coming days, they’ll effectively be replaced by Locke, Blue Ruin and Les Miserables.
So far, we’ve confirmed 64 new releases arriving on Netflix UK in January 2015 – a load more will no doubt be added, as new deals are made. With roughly 190 titles departing in the first week, that means Netflix UK is currently set for a net loss of around 126 films and TV series in the coming 30 days. That doesn’t sound like a great start to a year, until you look through the list of things up for the chop. From Holiday in Handcuffs to Scary Movie 2, there are a lot of things we won’t be sad to see the back of.
There are, however, some gems that we will be sad to wave goodbye to, be it A Fish Called Wanda (one of the funniest films of all time) or Some Like It Hot (the actual funniest film of all time) or Nic Cage masterpieces Face/Off and The Rock, both of which have been on Netflix UK for yonks.
Some may well return, we should point out – in the past, Netflix has lost the rights to classic films and Channel 4 shows, only to renew their licences again within a matter of days – while others may turn up on other streaming services, such as NOW and Amazon Prime.
For more information or to keep up to date on where you can watch things online in the UK, stay tuned to VODzilla.co, the UK’s only video on-demand magazine. From regularly updated lists of new releases, to a detailed rundown of everything coming soon to VOD in the UK – not to mention news, interviews, reviews and warnings about what’s being removed from Amazon Prime too – we’re the most comprehensive source of video on-demand news and listings in the country. And we’re always expanding to cover more services. (For a quick update on upcoming removals, follow our #lastchancetostream hashtag.)
For now, though, this is your last chance to stream all of the below.
Here are 30 must-see films and TV shows leaving Netflix UK in January 2015:
The Blues Brothers – 31st December
A pair of two-bit crooks go on a quest to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised by reuniting their former band for a charity gig.
Amelie – 1st January
When impish Amélie finds a long-hidden trove of toys behind a baseboard in her apartment, she’s inspired to return the items to their original owner. This is the one French film that everyone’s seen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing a second time.
Die Hard with a Vengeance – 1st January
Bruce Willis is back and kicking bad-guy butt as New York detective John McClane in the third instalment of this action-packed series.
La Vie en Rose – 1st January
This poignant drama centers on legendary Parisian singer Édith Piaf, whose passion for music saw her through a life filled with tragedy.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – 1st January
In this groundbreaking blend of animation and live action, Bob Hoskins plays a gruff gumshoe, who agrees to take on the case of a cartoon star who’s been framed for murder. Wonderful.
Y Tu Mama También – 1st January
Alfonso Cuaron’s breakthrough road movie stars Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal as rich teens Tenoch and Julio, who meet the alluring, older Luisa and try to impress her with stories of their road trip – before convincing her to join them.
Zulu – 1st January
In this fact-based drama, a group of British soldiers in South Africa defends their outpost against attack by an overwhelming force of Zulu warriors.
Some Like It Hot – 5th January
When two musicians accidentally witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, they get out of town the only way they know how – dressed as women. Never seen Billy Wilder’s comedy classic? Well, nobody’s perfect.
There Will Be Blood – 5th January
Paul Thomas Anderson strikes gold with this tale of capitalism, greed, religion and oil. Daniel Day Lewis is astonishing as ambitious prospector Daniel Plainview, who turns a simple village into a booming business, stoking the ire of a charismatic young preacher (Paul Dano). Best accompanied by a milkshake.
The Usual Suspects – 5th January
Who is Keyser Soze? Kevin Spacey’s Verbal Kint spills the beans when he’s arrested following a heist gone wrong. It all starts when five unacquainted crooks are hauled into a police station to appear in a lineup… Bryan Singer’ low-budget thriller is a textbook piece of filmmaking.
A Fish Called Wanda – 5th January
A crooked quartet commits the heist of the century, but one gets arrested. Can the others persuade their friend’s lawyer to reveal the loot’s locale? Jamie Lee Curtis seducing a straight-laced John Cleese keeps you hooked, but it’s Kevin Kline’s Oscar-winning performance as her idiot brother, Otto, that makes you laugh every time.
Face/Off – 5th January
Nic Cage and John Travolta swap faces. That’s all you need to know to watch John Woo’s high-concept, slow-motion action flick, which is arguably the pinnacle of daft 90s blockbusters. Perfectly ridiculous. Ridiculously perfect.
Air Force One – 5th January
“Get off my plane!” Harrison Ford plays the US President defending his aircraft from a hijacking by Gary Oldman’s Russian villain in this enjoyably trashy piece of nonsense that plays everything with a wonderfully straight face.
The Rock – 5th January
Nic Cage. Sean Connery. Alcatraz. Made before Michael Bay’s Transformers phase, this odd couple action comedy – about two men breaking into the island prison to stop a chemical terrorist attack – sits alongside Con Air and Face/Off in Nic Cage’s near-flawless action trilogy.
Man on Wire – 5th January
This documentary explores Philippe Petit’s preparations for historically walking across a high wire between New York’s Twin Towers. The feat itself is gripping to watch – but even more mind-blowing is director James Marsh’s ability to show you what happened that day without using a single piece of video footage.
The Lookout – 5th January
It’s hard to know which is better: the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays someone called “Chris Pratt” in this smart indie thriller about a janitor with memory problems, or that Matthew Goode is the smooth-talking bad guy. Low-key, intelligent and gripping.
Blue Velvet – 5th January
An innocent man gets mixed up in a small-town murder mystery involving a kinky nightclub singer and a kidnapper with a penchant for snorting helium in David Lynch’s seminal, surreal satire.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – 5th January
No matter what, the Coen brothers can always be relied upon to make movies for themselves rather than anyone else. This take on Homer’s Odyssey – which sees three convicts (led by George Clooney) break out of a Depression-era Mississippi jail, only to form a barbershop triplet – is the perfect example. But O Brother, Where Art Thou? also proves that the Coen brothers’ movies never fail to entertain the rest of us too.
Bridge to Terabithia – 5th January
New classmate Leslie unlocks a mesmerising world of fantasy and imagination for fifth-grader Jesse in this poignant adventure based on the best-selling novel.
Carrie (1976) – 5th January
An outcast teen with telekinetic ability lashes out with her deadly power when the high school popular kids torment her with a sick joke.
Donnie Brasco – 5th January
When FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) goes undercover to infiltrate the mob, he starts to identify with the made men he’s charged with taking down. Featuring a stellar turn from Al Pacino, Mike Newell’s gangster flick is one of the genre’s best.
The English Patient – 5th January
Ralph Fiennes stars as a horribly burned pilot who recounts a tale of doomed romance to the nurse tending to him in Antony Minghella’s ravishing World War IIdrama.
Gone Baby Gone – 5th January
Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan impress as two cops investigating the disappearance of a 4-year-old girl from a rough Boston neighbourhood – but Gone Baby Gone’s most impressive star is behind the camera, as Ben Affleck proves his directorial skills with a tense debut.
High Fidelity – 5th January
When a record store owner gets dumped by his girlfriend, he revisits his top five breakups of all time in an attempt to figure out what went wrong. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby and played with charisma by John Cusack, this psuedo-coming-of-age anti-rom-com is a treat.
Office Space – 5th January
Mike Judge’s tiny little comedy was barely seen by anyone in the UK, but its off-the-wall silliness, spot-on satire of corporate bureaucracy and winning cast make this conspiracy between one guy and his cubicle cohorts to embezzle money from their boss a winning, wee gem.
The Others – 5th January
While awaiting the return of her soldier husband from World War II, a devout Christian mother of two (Nicole Kidman) begins to suspect the family house is haunted. This horror movie might be most famous for its final act, but the rest of it more than worth watching too.
X-Men (animated series) – 5th January
There’s yellow spandex galore in the 1990s animated X-Men series. All three volumes will sadly fly off Netflix this January, including Wolverine, Cyclops and a fantastic adaptation of the comic book classic Phoenix Saga, featuring telekinetic Dr. Jean Grey.
RoboCop Trilogy – 5th January
The RoboCop remake may be underrated, but it will soon be the only franchise entry left on Netflix UK, with the original trilogy set to expire in a few days’ time. So if you’v never seen the Peter Weller-starring, Paul Verhoeven-directed tale of a monolithic corporation who transform a dead cop into a cybernetic law-enforcement unit in a crime-riddled Detroit, get on it.
The Insider – 5th January
When a TV producer coaxes a researcher to speak about his former employer’s knowledge of tobacco’s dangers, the corporations try to silence them. Russell Crowe. Al Pacino. Michael Mann. Enough said.
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit – 5th January
Sister Act isn’t going anywhere, but what about the sequel? Now that singer Deloris Van Cartier is out of the witness protection program, Mother Superior wants her help saving an ailing parochial school – and the ensuing antics are great fun, not least because of the rousing on-stage finale.
Annie Hall
From its winning performance by Diane Keaton and self-aware subtitles, Woody Allen’s perfect romantic comedy sees the director at the height of hilarity.
Once
Two singer-songwriters find themselves falling in love in Dublin in this charming, heart-breaking musical that is worth seeing just for its soundtrack.
Starship Troopers
Giant bugs. Big guns. Chunky helmets. Paul Verhoeven’s science fiction movie is a laugh-out-loud blockbuster that makes up for its dumb acting and unsubtle plot with lots and lots of gore. For some, it’s a no-brainer piece of entertainment; for others, it’s a military satire of a fascist government with an army of propaganda videos and a shoot-first-ask-questions-later foreign policy. Would you like to know more?
Star Trek: The Next Generation – 9th January
Decades after the adventures of the Enterprise crew, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard leads the new Enterprise on missions of discovery in this sci-fi series. Too much brilliance to list.
Films and TV shows leaving Netflix UK in January 2015
Thursday 31st December
Andromeda
The Blues Brothers
Friday 1st January
The 13th Warrior
The 51st State
The Accidental Husband
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Alone in the Dark
Amelie
Black Sheep
Boogeyman 3
Bottle Shock
Brooklyn’s Finest
Brotherhood
Californication
Casanova
The Cleaner
Creation
Dead Silence
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Diminished Capacity
Georgia Rule
The Good Son
Habitation of Dragons
The Horse Whisperer
La Vie en Rose
The Last Kiss
The Life Before Her Eyes
MacGyver
Magicians
Numb3rs
O Christmas Tree
Sydney White
Waiting for Superman
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Y Tu Mama También
Zulu
Friday 2nd January
Holes
Sea Purple
The Wedding Song
Sunday 4th January
People Like Us
Monday 5th January
1984
8MM
A Fish Called Wanda
A Lot Like Love
A Very Brady Sequel
The Accidental Spy
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Air Force One
Alien Visitor
Along Came a Spider
Along Came Polly
Alpha Dog
And Now… Ladies and Gentlemen
Annie Hall
Apocalypto
Army of Darkness
Armageddon
Baby Boy
Be Cool
The Beautician and the Beast
Bebe’s Kids
Best Shot
Blue City
Blue Velvet
Boys and Girls
Bridge to Terabithia
Bringing Down the House
Carrie
Chasing Amy
Children of the Corn & Fields of Terror
Chocolat
Cinderfella
Clear and Present Danger
Clockstoppers
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Cursed
Daltry Calhoun
Dan in Real Life
Dead Presidents
Dear God
Deception
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
Distant Thunder
Donnie Brasco
Double Impact
Down to You
Dragonfly
Enemy of the State
The English Patient
Equilibrium
Everest
Face/Off
The Faculty
Fallen
Fallen II: The JOurney
Fallen III: The Destiny
Fantastic Four: A Legend Begins
Fools Rush In
Funny About Love
Funny Face
The Glass House
Gone Baby Gone
The Great Raid
Gung Ho
Hackers
Half a Sixpence
Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies
Heller in Pink Tights
Hellraiser VII
Hellraiser V: Inferno
Hero and the Terror
Hidalgo
High Fidelity
Holiday in Handcuffs
The Hot Chuck
How the Toys Saved Christmas
I Got the Hook Up
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
Impostor
In the Bedroom
The Incredible Hulk (animated series)
The Insider
Iron Man (animated series)
It’s a Boy Girl Thing
Kate & Leopold
Keeping the Faith
Kinky Boots
The Ladies Man (1961)
The Ladies Man (2000)
Leap of Faith
Leatherheads
The Legend of Drunken Master
Lifeforce
The Little Vampire
The Lookout
Lust, Caution
The Man in the Moon
Man on Wire
Manchester United: Beyond the Promised Land
Martin Lawrence Live
McLintock
Midnight Cowboy
Milk Money
Mimic 3: Sentinel
Misery
Mission to Mars
Mostly Martha
My Boss’ Daughter
My Fake Fiance
My First Mister
The Naked Prey
Necessary Roughness
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Nothing to Lose
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Office Space
Once
Ordinary Decent Criminal
The Original Latin Kings of Comedy
The Others
Our House
Overboard
Pearl Harbour
The Phantom of the Opera
Pinocchio
Pontiac Moon
Pootie Tang
Powder
Princess: A Modern Fairytale
The Queens of Comedy
Quigley Down Under
Raising Helen
Red Dawn
Reservation Road
Return to Me
Ride
Rio Grande
Rob Roy
RoboCop
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 3
The Rock
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
Rounders
Rumble in the Bronx
Scary Movie
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 4
The Secret of Nimh
Serendipity
Shadow Makers
Shall We Dance?
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Sling Blade
Soapdish
Some Like It Hot
Spy Hard
Starship Troopers
The Strangers
Street Fighter
Striking Distance
Superstar: Dare to Dream
Talent for the Game
Teen Witch
Texas Rangers
There Will Be Blood
Thief
The Third Wheel
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Till Human Voices Wake Us
Trekkies
True Confession
The Usual Suspects
View from the Top
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Where’s Marlowe?
The Whoopee Boys
Wild Chid
X-Men (animated series)
Friday 9th January
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Enchanted
Big Red
Bodyguard
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mum
Saturday 10th January
Renaissance Man
Thursday 15th January
Justified (Seasons 1 to 4)
Sunday 18th January
Dollhouse (Seasons 1 to 2)
With thanks to Netflix.maft.uk for spotting most of these.