November is almost over! You know what that means: It’s time to sidle up to the big screen you can find at home and watch all the best movies on streaming before they make like a tree and leave. We’ve pulled together a list of some of the best films leaving Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and more within the week, from comedies and action films to anime fantasy and sci-fi horror. Be sure to make time for these films before they shuffle off their respective streaming services, and remember to check back here next Saturday to see our list of the best new streaming picks for December!
Here are the best movies leaving streaming at the end of November.
An American Werewolf in London
Genre: Horror/comedy
Run time: 1h 37m
Director: John Landis
Cast: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne
This shaggy horror comedy stars Naughton and Dunne as David and Jack, two college students whose chance encounter with a lycanthrope changes one of their lives, and ends the other. In visitations from beyond the grave, Jack begs David to off himself so he won’t attack other people, but David may have a thing going with the woman who nurses him back to health. This oddball ticking-clock movie is bolstered by prosthetic effects by the legendary Rick Baker, which are every bit as agonizing and mesmerizing as they were in 1981.
An American Werewolf in London leaves Prime Video on Nov. 30.
Blood and Bone
Genre: Martial arts/action
Run time: 1h 33m
Director: Ben Ramsey
Cast: Michael Jai White, Julian Sands, Eamonn Walker
I’m a big fan of direct-to-video action movies, and specifically ones of the martial arts variety. But where did that love come from? One special week where I watched three of my favorite movies of all time: Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, and Blood and Bone.
In Blood and Bone, Michael Jai White (who also stars in Undisputed II, and wrote and starred in Black Dynamite) plays Isaiah Bone (yes), an ex-Marine and ex-con who is an incredible martial artist. He is coaxed by a promoter named Pinball (Dante Basco) into joining an underground fight ring, which sets him on a collision course with a mob leader (Eamonn Walker) and a whole lot of capable fighters.
This movie sees White face off against former pro fighters Kimbo Slice, Bob Sapp, and Matt Mullins, among many other electric fights. The stunning choreography makes full use of White’s incredible physicality and unbelievable kicking ability, and it’s a terrific display of hard-hitting bodies in motion. —Pete Volk
Blood and Bone leaves Netflix on Dec. 1.
Clueless
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 1h 37m
Director: Amy Heckerling
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
With iconic quotes (“Do you prefer ‘fashion victim’ or ‘ensembly challenged’?”), iconic lead performances (Paul Rudd’s smile!), and iconic fashions, Clueless is simply that: iconic. Writer-director Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) delivered this all-timer high school movie set in Beverly Hills. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, the movie stars Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz, a rich and popular student who takes the “tragically unhip” new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy) under her wing.
To be honest, I really doubt there are many people reading this who have not seen Clueless. This entry is more of a reminder that you should watch Clueless again. You’re welcome. —PV
Clueless leaves Netflix on Dec. 1.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Genre: Sci-fi/horror
Run time: 1h 55m
Director: Philip Kaufman
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy
Philip Kaufman’s 1978 remake of Walter Wanger’s 1956 sci-fi horror film updates the original’s setting from a rural California town to the bustling heart of downtown Los Angeles. The film follows Matthew (Donald Sutherland) and Elizabeth (Brooke Adams), two scientists and co-workers who stumble upon a terrible secret: Humanity is being overtaken by a secret invasion of plantlike extraterrestrials who are bent on overtaking the entire planet.
Featuring terrific supporting performances by Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy, not to mention a brilliant cameo by Kevin McCarthy (the star of the 1956 version), Kaufman’s film is a savvy reinterpretation that updates the original film’s premise without losing any of its menacing paranoia. 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is considered to be not only one of the greatest cinematic remakes of all time, but one of the greatest works of sci-fi horror cinema ever produced. From the film’s otherworldly opening to its iconic and shocking conclusion, it’s hard to argue otherwise. —TE
Invasion of the Body Snatchers leaves Prime Video on Nov. 30.
Jackie Brown
Genre: Crime drama
Run time: 2h 34m
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster
There’s no better time than the present to watch the best Quentin Tarantino movie ever (and by some margin). I said it and I meant it.
Adapted from Elmore Leonard’s terrific novel Rum Punch, this crime thriller stars the unmatched Pam Grier as a flight attendant who is caught bringing back money from Mexico for an arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson). When a bail bondsman (Robert Forster) is assigned to pick her up, the two forge an unlikely bond in the midst of a complex scheme.
There are many reasons to love Jackie Brown — Tarantino’s more annoying writing tics are significantly dampened by the fact that this is an adaptation, and the electric cast includes Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, and a young Chris Tucker. But my favorite part of this movie is how damn romantic it is. The chemistry between Grier and Forster as two people in their middle ages unexpectedly falling for each other is electric, and it’s one of my favorite movie pairings to ever grace the screen. —PV
Jackie Brown leaves HBO Max on Nov. 30.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Genre: Adventure/fantasy
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Cast: Hana Sugisaki, Yūki Amami, Fumiyo Kohinata
Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s anime adaptation of Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book The Little Broomstick centers on the story of a precocious young girl who, after following a mysterious cat into the depths of a nearby forest, is whisked away to a magical boarding school in the clouds by a flying broomstick. There, Mary is taught magic and uncovers a startling secret about a rare flower whose immense magical properties threaten the entire world when it falls into the wrong hands.
Though perhaps lacking the thematic or emotional clarity of films like Kiki’s Delivery Service or Princess Mononoke, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is nonetheless a visually pleasing film and an earnest love letter to Studio Ghibli’s body of work by some of the studio’s most talented former artists and animators. —TE
Mary and the Witch’s Flower leaves Hulu on Nov. 30.
Minority Report
Genre: Thriller/science fiction
Run time: 2h25m
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story introduced audiences to the idea of hand gesture-assisted augmented reality and wall-scaling automobiles. Minority Report stars Tom Cruise as PreCrime Cpt. John Anderton, leader of a police organization dedicated to apprehending criminals before they’ve even committed a crime using a trio of psychics who invasively pore over the unconscious minds of every hapless American in the future. When Anderton himself is preemptively accused of committing a murder, he must flee from the very system he had dedicated his life to uphold and undercover the dark secret behind its origins. —TE
Minority Report leaves Prime Video on Nov. 30.