David Farnor | On 19, Feb 2016

January’s annual streampocalypse may have been and gone, but those Netflix rights just keep on expiring, with everyone from Hollywood A-listers to Swedish detectives getting the chop this month.

Need something to watch this half-term? Some of these should be moved to the top of your watch list.

Here’s what’s leaving Netflix UK in February and March 2016:

Spike Island – 21st February

Who ever thought the 90s would be something to be nostalgic about? If you’re not looking wistfully back at the decade, though, Matt Whitecross’ film will soon have you gazing at the past. Following the Stone Roses, a band once tipped for insanely great things after their first album (before diving off a cliff with their second), Spike Island – a film about their legendary show of the same name – fell under the radar upon its UK cinema release, but deserves to have its moment in the spotlight.

The Next Three Days – 23rd February

“I’m Russell Crowe’s Wife, Get Me Out of Prison!” doesn’t sound like a film with much credibility. Indeed, Paul Haggis’ remake of French thriller Pour Elle occasionally lacks it in the script department, but The Next Three Days is a surprisingly believable (and gripping) drama about a prison break-out. You know, if you can accept Russell Crowe as an English teacher.

Stories We Tell – 23rd February

“When you are in the middle of a story, it isn’t a story at all, but only a confusion.” Sarah Polley’s documentary was released simultaneously in cinemas and on-demand through Curzon Home Cinema. It does what some of the genre’s best films do: blurs the line between fact and fiction. Turning the camera on her own family, the result is a fascinatingly personal piece of filmmaking – and that’s the truth.

A Hijacking – 27th February

Captain Phillips made waves in cinemas, but attention spans were also held hostage in 2013 by Tobias Lindholm’s thriller, which delivers the story of a company trying to negotiate the release of its cargo and crew with gut-churning realism. Its quiet, natural approach suggests a fly-on-the-wall documentary, rather than a piece of fiction, making powerful points about globalisation, while never losing sight of the personal stakes.

Gossip Girl – 1st March

Gossip Girl, based on the book series of the same name and starring Leighton Meester amd Ed Westwick, ran for six seasons until its finale in 2012, but it has been a perennial favourite of Netflix subscribers – even as the streaming site becomes home to other teen dramas, such as Pretty Little Liars and Shadowhunters.

Grimm: Season 1 – 1st March

Some eagle-eyed readers – and one of our writers – have spotted warning messages from Netflix that Season 1 of Grimm will be removed at the beginning of March, so if you’re halfway through, try to make sure you’ve binged to the end of the first run of Detective Nick Burkhardt’s Buffy-like adventures hunting down nasty monsters. (Given that Season 1 and 2 are both leaving Amazon Prime Video on the same day, Season 2 may also be about to depart.)

Dallas Buyers Club – 2nd March

Matthew McConaughey puts in an Oscar-winning performance in this moving true tale of one man’s fight against AIDs – and the pharmaceutical industry’s lack of treatment for it. Jared Leto impresses even more as his friend, Rayon.

The Invisible Woman – 2nd March

Felicity Jones steals the show from Charles Dickens in Ralph Fiennes’ biopic, which shines a light on his secret affair with young mistress Nelly and confirms the actress as one of the best British talents around.

Wallander (2009) – 4th March

Swedish people killing other people is so in right now. But if you’ve seen Kenneth Branagh’s BBC series and read Henning Mankell’s fantastic books, seize the opportunity while you can to watch the original Swedish adaptations starring Krister Henriksson as the troubled, weary detective.

Houdini – 7th March

As awards season continues drives full steam ahead, don’t miss a chance to catch Adrien Brody’s Emmy-nominated performance as the famous illusionist in the History channel’s miniseries.

Other titles leaving soon

20th February
The Rise and Fall of a White Collar Hooligan 2: England Away

23rd February
Mean Girls 2

26th February
The Emperor’s New Groove
Out of the Furnace

29th February
In Our Name

1st March
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation
The Dark Matter of Love
The Brady Bunch Movie
The Browning Version
Bio-Dome
The American Scream
Chinatown
The Chronicles of Riddick
The Corporation
Wuthering Heights (1992)
Friday the 13th: Part 5
Friday the 13th: Part 6
Friday the 13th: Part 7
Friday the 13th: Part 8
The Genius of Marian
Good Ol’ Freda
IQ
Jimmy Hollywood
Katyn
Mad Money
Morning Glory
The Other Man
Parallels
Paul Williams: Still Alive
Robotech: Love Live Alive
Snatch

2nd March
Machine Gun Preacher

3rd March
Samurai Flamenco
The Santa Clause

9th March
Project Wild Thing
Iran: The Forgotten Game

10th March
The Conspiracy

11th March
Batman: The Movie
DC Cab
The Final Girl
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Hard Target
Kiss of the Dragon
Plunkett & Macleane
Stand
Street Fight
The Three Musketeers
The Wipers Times

12th March
Obsessed

13th March
eCupid
Jackass 3.5: The Unrated Movie
Promised Land
Blood Lad

15th March
TED Talks: The Best of TEDx
TED Talks: Life Hack
TED Talks: Life Hack 2: The Next Level
TED Talks: Sex, Secrets & Love
TED Talks: Ancient Clues
TED Talks: Artistry and Illusion
TED Talks: Beasts, Bugs & Bio-wilderment
TED Talks: Body by Design
TED Talks: Brave Neuro World
TED Talks: Building Wonder
TED Talks: Chew on This
TED Talks: Cyber Awe
TED Talks: Hot Buttons
TED Talks: Defying Disease
TED Talks: Global Villages
TED Talks: Head Games
TED Talks: How to Start a Movement
TED Talks: Humanity’s Future
TED Talks: Inexplicable Connections
TED Talks: Into the Abyss
TED Talks: Let Your Mind Wonder
TED Talks: Life Lessons & Confessions
TED Talks: Love, No Matter What
TED Talks: Music Revolution
TED Talks: Numbers Speak Louder than Words
TED Talks: Rad Invention
TED Talks: Rebel Design
TED Talks: Machinations
TED Talks: Smart Laughs
TED Talks: Space Trek
TED Talks: The Capitalism Paradox

 

With thanks to Newonnetflix.info for helping to provide some information.

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