For many of the fantastic movies on this list, you have until Halloween night to watch before they’re gone from Amazon Prime Video. The wonderful thing about the streaming service, to which you can subscribe on its own or as part of an Amazon Prime subscription, is that there’s always a wide selection of movies and TV shows, including library titles and originals. But when it comes to the former, sometimes, they are removed from the service without warning. Consider us your red alert.
If you love any of these movies or have been meaning to watch them, including all the Lord of the Rings movies, you’ll want to carve out some time this month because they will be gone from the streamer soon. These five movies leaving Amazon Prime Video in October 2024 are streaming for another week or so.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Despite The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power being an Amazon Prime Video original series, the original film that started it all (based on J.R.R. Tolkein’s book series) will be leaving the streaming service. Not only will The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring be departing, so will The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as well as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies.
Basically, what we’re saying is that if you’re a huge LOTR fan, you’ll want to make this weekend a binge-watch weekend because the movies will be leaving the streaming service very soon. Start with the first installment in the epic high-fantasy adventure film franchise, which follows Dark Lord Sauron’s (Sala Baker) hunt for the One Ring and young hobbit Frodo Baggins’ (Elijah Wood) journey to protect it.
The entire fate of Middle-earth relies on Frodo and his friends traveling to Mordor to destroy the ring before it’s too late. No matter how many times you watch them, LOTR films are always enthralling and entertaining.
Stream The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on Amazon Prime Video.
21 Grams (2003)
Sean Penn stars in this gripping psychological thriller that examines existential questions about faith, science, and grief. Three individuals involved in a hit-and-run accident are put to the test, each dealing with their own trauma outside of that event. The story for these three main characters, including Paul Rivers (Penn), a critically ill mathematician, Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts), a recovering addict and mother trying to overcome grief, and Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro), a former convict and born-again Christian, is told through past, present, and future timelines.
With the events in 21 Grams presented in a non-linear fashion, it’s up to you as the viewer to keep up as the three make their way toward an interconnected, life-altering collision course. Earning Academy Award nominations for both Watts and Del Toro, 21 Grams is gut-wrenching, poignant, and offers a unique narrative structure that keeps you invested.
Stream 21 Grams on Amazon Prime Video.
Barbarian (2022)
A great horror thriller to put on for Halloween, Barbarian is about Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell), who travels to Detroit for a job interview only to find that the home she rented was double-booked. She decides to stay with the other renter anyway, a man named Keith (The Crow‘s Bill Skarsgård) who makes her feel uneasy. When she discovers a hidden tunnel in the decaying home, however, strange things begin to happen.
Barbarian, which also stars Justin Long and marks the solo directorial debut for Zach Cregger, received overwhelmingly positive reviews, praised for its unpredictable and inventive plot. Digital Trends’ reviewer calls the movie one of the year’s “most impactful genre experiments…a horror mash-up that seems in certain moments like a modern riff on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and at other times like a loving homage to the kind of campy horror comedies that Sam Raimi has perfected.” What more could you want for the month of spooks?
Stream Barbarian on Amazon Prime Video.
Cape Fear (1962)
Cape Fear is a psychological horror that features the late Gregory Peck in his last film role. Based on the 1957 John D. MacDonald novel The Executioners, the plot centers around Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) a violent criminal who uses the knowledge of the law he acquired while serving a prison sentence to get back at public defender Sam Bowden (Peck), whom he blames for his conviction.
Gritty, thrilling, and beautifully cast, Cape Fear was reinterpreted in 1991 by Martin Scorsese, with his version starring frequent collaborator Robert De Niro along with Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. But this original film pushed the envelope for its time, with a sadistic rapist at the center of the story. With a solid 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, New York Times’ Bosley Crowther says it’s a “cold-blooded, calculated build-up of sadistic menace and shivering dread.”
Stream Cape Fear on Amazon Prime Video.
The Menu (2022)
Missed The Menu when it premiered a few years ago, or want to re-watch to catch some of its subtleties or see if you might come to a different conclusion? The comedy horror sees a group of wealthy elites invited to a remote island by a renowned chef for an exclusive meal he promises will change their lives. Along for the ride is Margot Mills (Furiosa‘s Anya Taylor-Joy), a hired date for rich kid Tyler Ledford (Nicholas Hoult) who is eager to attend. But when everyone arrives, they are met with a horrifying scenario: They realize this may be the last meal they ever eat.
Chef Julian Slowik (Conclave‘s Ralph Fiennes) is unhinged, and he has a bone to pick with every person there with the exception of Margot. She becomes a formidable foe, the only person willing to stand up to him and the only attendee who would be collateral damage in his sinister plan, leading him to feel some guilt about victimizing her. Or does he? The end of The Menu leaves you hungry for more, wondering what truly happened and wanting to talk to others about it.
