Netflix: The Best Movies And TV Shows Leaving In August
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Ready, set, binge! We’ve got your picks for the best in TV and film leaving Netflix in August. Be sure to watch your favorites while you still can.
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This month, Netflix seems intent on making us all miserable by removing quite a few beloved animated series and comedies. Young Justice, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited are all getting pulled in anticipation for DC’s new streaming service set to debut next year. And speaking of other streaming services, Hulu seems to have inherited quite a few FOX shows that left Netflix in the past few months, including American Dad’s later seasons. Now it appears that the rest of American Dad will move to Hulu as well, leaving Netflix with just Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.
Two of Seth Rogen’s most hilarious films, Superbad and Zack and Miri Make A Porno, won’t be sticking around past August 4th either. Ironically, you’ll have to get your fill of him from his raunchy animated comedy, Sausage Party, instead. If nineties teen dramas are more your thing, you’ll be sad to know that one of Heath Ledger’s first films, 10 Things I Hate About You, won’t be sticking around for much longer either. While there are around sixty titles leaving Netflix in August, we’ve saved you the trouble of figuring out what you need to watch ASAP by creating this handy list. Settle in to binge, because these are The Best Movies And TV Shows Leaving In August.
15 Justice League Unlimited (Seasons 1-2)
A spinoff of the original Justice League animated series (which is also sadly leaving Netflix in August), Justice League Unlimited had to have been one of the best superhero shows ever. A must watch in anticipation for the live action Justice League film coming out this November, Justice League Unlimited’s episodes are like mini movies, where both internal and external conflict are a constant threat. By utilizing so much of their source material, Justice League Unlimited feels like a fully fleshed out universe with tons of characters to write for beyond the headliners like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
There’s no denying that Bruce Timm’s prolific vision for the DC universe made this show, and other similarly-styled series before it, fan favorites among comic book fans. It really feels like you’re watching a comic book come to life, because it not only has tons of over the top action and good vs. evil scenarios, but the characters are all so engaging in a way that simply isn’t commonplace among most other cartoons (besides maybe Batman: The Animated Series, which Timm was a lead producer on). Do yourself a favor and binge watch all thirty-nine episodes on Netflix ASAP, before they disappear from the streaming world until DC’s (paid) service debuts next year.
14 Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star in Kevin Smith’s romantic comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. In the same vein as Knocked Up (although significantly less funny and with the main characters starting off as friends and then having sex), the film follows the struggles of a pair of roommates who are in desperate need of some cash. While the title seems to imply that you’re in for a raunchy sex romp, the porno is only a secondary element to the plot. It becomes their solution to getting out of debt after Miri unintentionally ends up all over the internet in a viral video.
Although it has all of the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from a Kevin Smith film—while technically existing outside of his View Askewniverse—Zack and Miri has something that his other films don’t: romantic chemistry. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play off each other comedically, but also share an extremely intimate moment that’s surprisingly authentic for one of Smith’s films. It’s a testament to both actors, but also to the fact that the polarizing filmmaker still has occasional moments of directorial brilliance.
13 American Dad (Seasons 1-4)
Seth McFarlane’s political comedy American Dad makes fun of practically every cliche regarding family and country in the United States, exposing us to our own hypocrisy and stupidity. Main character Stan Smith goes to great lengths to keep up appearances, which often leads to hilarity since his “nuclear family” also includes a talking goldfish and an alien named Roger. In fact, it’s Roger who often steals the show, an unapologetic diva who hides in plain sight using one of his many elaborate disguises.
Seasons six through ten of American Dad were pulled from Netflix in April and May, but now they’re finally getting rid of the rest. Seasons one through four leave the streaming service on August 15th, just when we need it the most. With all that’s going on right now in the news, America could use a little more animated political satire, especially when it’s manufactured in the mind of McFarlane. Pro-tip: if you’re not sure which season to watch, or don’t have time to watch all four, season four has some of the best pop culture references, including an episode where Roger convinces Steve he’s been accepted to Hogwarts.
12 To Kill a Mockingbird
Highly regarded as an American classic, the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird consistently ranks as one of the best films ever made. Even if you associate the novel with high school English class—where it was often required reading—the film deserves a watch for Gregory Peck’s performance alone. Peck stars as Atticus Finch, a white lawyer representing a black man named Tom Robinson accused of rape. Despite the strong feelings of the townspeople about Robinson’s guilt, Finch is determined to examine all the facts without jumping to conclusions based on the man’s race.
Aside from Peck’s favorable portrayal of Finch, the film expertly translates the novel’s themes of discrimination, justice, and morality on screen as we see each of the story’s characters consider the case before them. Finch’s strong sense of fairness and commitment to justice shines a bright light on how prejudice and bigotry can sometimes blind us to the truth of a situation, continuing to make a powerful statement even today.
11 Superbad
As teen sex comedies go, Superbad outranks even American Pie with its hilariously written dialogue, situational comedy, and physical humor. Written by Seth Rogen, both Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are perfectly cast as nerdy pals, Evan and Seth, whose awkwardness (especially when it comes to girls) has left them in the uncool category. Determined to prove their worthiness, the film follows their quest to obtain alcohol in order to party with their crushes, none of which goes according to plan.
While its Evan and Seth’s mission to become popular and lose their virginities that drives the film, the scenes with Fogell, aka McLovin, (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Officer Slater (Bill Hader), and Officer Michaels (Seth Rogen) are some of the most ridiculous. Just a couple of bored cops with nothing better to do, Slater and Michaels ignore McLovin’s fake ID in exchange for having a bit of fun for the night (and improving his social status). Naturally, Rogen has some of the best one-liners in the film. In fact, you’ll be quoting Superbad all over the place after the first watch. It’s just one of those films whose humor stays with you, even if you were never a nerdy teenage boy trying to get laid.
10 Elizabethtown
Drew (Orlando Bloom) meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst) just when he’s at his lowest—getting fired from his job, contemplating suicide, and facing the death of his father. But through all the misery, Claire stands out as a beacon of light shining in the darkness. Susan Sarandon, meanwhile, plays Drew’s mother, Hollie, who doesn’t exactly react to her husband’s death in a typical manner. In fact, much of the humor in the film stems from the unpredictability of life and how we all deal with grief in our own ways.
Often compared to Garden State for its similar premise where the main character returns home after a death in the family, Elizabethtown focuses less on highlighting its own quirkiness, instead choosing to paint a realistic picture of the way death brings people together. It’s a charming little film that warrants a watch for its relatability, reminding us that there’s a silver lining even in the darkest of times, and that it’s never too late to start fresh.
9 The Five Venoms
Post-Bruce Lee, this Hong Kong kung fu film has reached cult status, inspiring modern day favorites like Kill Bill and even Kung Fu Panda. The premise revolves around a kung fu master who discovers he’s dying and sets his current pupil on a quest to find his five previous students. Suspecting they might try and steal a former colleague’s vast fortune, he instructs Yang Tieh (Sheng Chiang) to determine the evil among them.
Like in Kung Fu Panda, each student has a signature kung fu style named after different animals (although in this case, they’re all venomous creatures). While the storyline is pretty convoluted—as none of the clan members are particularly virtuous—it’ll certainly have you guessing the motives of each member until the very end. Fans of classic Chinese kung fu films will want to add The Five Venoms to their watchlist ASAP before it leaves Netflix on August 9th.
8 Babe
Nineties kids surely remember the slew of talking animal films during the era, including one starring a piglet named Babe. Like Charlotte’s Web, Babe was adapted from a novel about a pig raised on a farm. Raised among sheepdogs, Babe develops a talent for herding the other animals, earning him favor with his owner and saving his life in the long run.
While it’s definitely a kid’s film, Babe marks one of James Cromwell’s first starring film roles as the farmer, Hoggett. Interestingly enough, he also appeared in a film called The Babe a few years prior, which centered around the legendary baseball player, Babe Ruth. Also leaving Netflix is the Babe sequel, Babe: Pig in the City, which has an even more unbelievable, but still heartwarming storyline where it’s up to Babe to save the farm with his sheepherding talents. If you’re looking for a comfort film or a healthy dose of nostalgia, give this one a watch before it’s gone from Netflix for good.
7 The Spoils of Babylon
IFC comedy The Spoils of Babylon was a miniseries intended to parody those overly dramatic miniseries from the early ’80s that were based on historical fiction or other genre novels. Released in 2014, Spoils was seriously overlooked—probably because IFC just doesn’t have the draw of other channels or streaming outlets. Kristen Wiig received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, but other than that, it pretty much flew under the radar and didn’t receive much recognition. However, its relative success on IFC did spawn a second series called The Spoils Before Dying that debuted a year later.
Aside from Wiig, The Spoils of Babylon also stars Will Ferrell, Adam Mckay, Tobey McGuire, Tim Robbins, and Jessica Alba, to name but a few. The series focuses on the relationship between a pair of adoptive siblings (McGuire and Wiig) whose love seems to destroy everything it touches. The series sports a mockumentary vibe, with the “director” discussing the backstory of making it in each episode. But the real hilarity is how it appears as a serious drama on the outside while jumping from weird black and white drug scenes to moments resembling a certain famous moment from Gone With the Wind. By the end of the last episode, the story becomes so absurd, you’ll find yourself laughing like a hyena at the genius of it all.
6 Revenge (Seasons 1-4)
For fans of Gossip Girl or Desperate Housewives, Revenge follows Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) as she returns to her childhood home to enact revenge on the Grayson family who destroyed her father’s life—along with her own. Emily’s father was involved with the matriarch of the powerful clan, who then becomes Emily’s primary target as she sets her plans for justice in motion. As you might imagine, things don’t go exactly to plan as she begins integrating herself into the lives of the Graysons and those around them.
Upon its debut, Revenge won the TV.com award for Favorite Guilty Pleasure series and was nominated for both a People’s Choice and Teen Choice award in 2012 and 2013. VanCamp previously appeared on the CW (then known as the WB) in the series Everwood, but more recently, she’s taken on the role of Sharon Carter in the MCU. Other CW alumni appear on the show as well, including Connor Paolo (Eric van der Woodson on Gossip Girl) and Ashton Holmes (Thom on Nikita). While not everyone enjoys these kinds of scandalous stories, which sometimes come across as pulpy women’s fiction, if you do enjoy them, Revenge serves up a satisfyingly cold dish of drama.
5 Dope
Produced by Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, Dope tells the quirky story of Malcolm (Shameik Moore), a geeky black teen living in a rough part of Los Angeles. All he wants is to graduate high school and go to Harvard in the fall, but instead, he gets dragged into a complicated drug deal. The film also features rapper ASAP Rocky as Dom the drug dealer, along with Workaholics star Blake Anderson as Will Sherwood—the guy who helps them set up a special website during their predicament.
It’s definitely a modern coming of age story, lined with very socially relevant topics like BitCoin and Game of Thrones. Dope also has a funky aesthetic due to the main character’s obsession with the late ’80s and early ’90s, particularly when it comes to music. Malcolm references both Yo! MTV Raps and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air when talking with his two best friends (plus the end credits are obviously inspired by VH1’s Pop-Up Video). Even though Dope will no longer be available on Netflix come August 10th, you can catch more from Shameik Moore in the Netflix original series The Get Down, created by Baz Luhrmann.
4 Teacher’s Pet
Who knew that a fictional film about two journalists falling in in love could be so endearing? Chalk it up to the brilliance of Clark Gable and Doris Day, or perhaps the other power couple behind the scenes, husband and wife screenwriting team Fay and Michael Kanin. Either way, they all created a memorable little battle of the sexes type film, where Gable’s newspaper editor character, James Gannon, actually pretends to be a student in Day’s class.
Intent to prove to himself, and Day’s Erica Stone character, that his approach to journalism is the better way, he keeps up his ruse, but the outcome becomes much different than he expected. Both characters learn to give things (and people) a chance, because they might just surprise you. Clark Gable’s Gannon character learns to appreciate the academic approach to journalism, while Doris Day’s Stone character learns to appreciate him and his school of hard knocks approach. It’s a charming film straight out of the late ’50s when everything seemed so much simpler, except for maybe love. That’s always a complicated mess.
3 The League (Seasons 1-7)
When it was at its best, The League was one of those shows that could just have your sides splitting with laughter at how stupid the characters could be. Like Workaholics and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, it’s about a group of friends who’ve known each other for a long time and get into ridiculous shenanigans on a weekly basis. This gang is in a fantasy football league, which they take way too seriously—doing pretty much anything to win (including throwing each other under the bus). There’s plenty of football talk and tons of cameos by actual players and analysts (as you might imagine).
Because the show is largely improvised, it also features a number of supporting roles by well known comedians like Jeff Goldblum, Seth Rogen, and Will Forte, along with cameos by the likes of Sarah Silverman, Bob Odenkirk, and Kevin Nealon. If you enjoy sex jokes, stupid humor, and football—in that order—give The League a try before its gone on August 30th.
2 10 Things I Hate About You
A loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You stars Julia Stiles as Kat, “the shrew,” or in this case, the angry feminist who was scorned by a classmate as a freshman. She’s more interested in music and poetry than dating, much to the dismay of her younger sister, who’s the popular social butterfly of the family. Her father will only let her date if Kat starts dating too, which is pretty flawed parental logic if you ask us. Nevertheless, this becomes the goal of many of the characters in the film, who all want something that Kat is the key to.
Heath Ledger plays Stiles’ reluctant love interest (at least at first), who has one of the most memorable scenes in the film involving a marching band and an inspired rendition of Frank Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”. You can’t help but feel a little sad seeing him light up the screen here, knowing that he died only ten years after doing 10 Things I Hate About You. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, and Andrew Keegan round out the main cast—with cameos by female fronted bands Save Ferris and Letters to Cleo—making this one of the quintessential ’90s teen movies.
1 Young Justice (Seasons 1-2)
One of the best animated shows of the decde, and definitely one of the best animated superhero shows of all time, Young Justice has been impressing fans and critics alike since its debut on Cartoon Network in 2011. While the show isn’t a direct adaptation of the Young Justice comics, it did take some inspiration from them, as well as the Teen Titan comics and animated series. The show focuses on the teenage sidekicks of the well known Justice League members as they’re both coming of age and trying to make their own ways as superheroes.
For an animated show, Young Justice tackled teen topics with relative maturity, giving characters conflicts with each other and romances on top of all the well-executed battles with supervillains. As a result, it’s developed a fervent following, who found themselves relating to superheroes in a way they hadn’t really seen before in a superhero show. Although the series was cancelled in 2013 (due to a failed toy deal with Mattel), a new series is in the works thanks to the support of the show’s diehard fans. Now it’s leaving Netflix, but only because the new season, Young Justice: Outsiders, will debut on DC’s new streaming platform next year.
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Which of these titles just jumped to the top of your queue? Did we miss any that fans clearly need to see? Let us know in the comments.
Liana is a freelance writer specializing in Film&TV, music, and travel. Aside from writing, she’s also an avid photographer, belly dancer, and pizzaholic. Pugs steal her heart on a regular basis and Harry Potter is her #1 fandom.
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