November means it’s awards season, and Netflix will certainly make a push to win its first Best Picture Oscar. The streamer’s top contender is Emilia Pérez, a French crime musical about a cartel leader’s secret plan to leave the drug trade and transition into a woman. Netflix’s other prestige play, The Piano Lesson, is a moving drama based on an August Wilson play.
While Emilia Pérez and The Piano Lesson will remain on Netflix for a long time, a select group of movies will depart from the service at the end of the month. Don’t wait until the last minute to watch these movies. Our top picks are a popular horror sequel, a dark murder mystery, and a charming coming-of-age story.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, 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+.
It Chapter Two (2019)
Coulrophobics, you may want to look away. Twenty-seven years after wreaking havoc on Derry, Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård) returns for more sinister madness in It Chapter Two. In It, a group of outcasts known as the Losers Club force Pennywise to retreat into the depths of the sewers. Before going their separate ways, the Losers make a pact to return to Derry if Pennywise ever reappears.
Lo and behold, Pennywise returns to Derry, forcing the now-adult Losers — including Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy), Beverly Marsh (Jessica Chastain), and Riche Tozier (Bill Hader) — to reunite and face the malicious clown. While not as effective as the first installment, It Chapter Two still has plenty of scares, and Skarsgård remains as horrifying as ever in the villainous role. A prequel TV series, It: Welcome to Derry, premiers on HBO in 2025.
Stream It Chapter 2 on Netflix.
The Little Things (2021)
It’s not every day you get three Oscar winners to star in the same film. The Little Things is in rarefied air with Academy Award winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto starring in a thriller that feels like a cousin to David Fincher’s Se7en. Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington) is summoned by his former employer, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, to gather evidence for a new murder investigation.
Because of his experience, Deke lends a hand to the newly appointed Detective Jimmy Baxter (Malek) in tracking a new serial killer. The duo zero in on Albert Sparma (Leto) as a suspect. During the investigation, Deke realizes the new killer has ties to an unsolved murder from his past that drove him mad. While not as strong as Se7en, The Little Things conjures enough suspense to make this dark thriller worth your time.
Stream The Little Things on Netflix.
Frances Ha (2012)
Greta Gerwig skyrocketed into elite directorial status with Barbie, 2023’s highest-grossing film. Gerwig is now known for working as a filmmaker. However, Gerwig burst onto the scene in 2010 as a writer and actress. 2012’s Frances Ha is considered Gerwig’s breakout. It also marked her second collaboration with her now-husband, Noah Baumbach.
The black-and-white coming-of-age comedy follows Frances Halladay (Gerwig), a 27-year-old working as an apprentice at a dance company in New York City. Frances’ friend and roommate, Sophie Levee (Mickey Sumner), plans to move to Brooklyn from Tribeca, leaving Frances without an apartment.
As Frances bounces from place to place, she also contemplates her professional future and ponders if becoming a dancer remains her dream. At a brisk 86 minutes, Frances Ha is an effective look at female friendship and a movie that perfectly expresses the fear of the unknown faced by many twentysomethings.
Stream Frances Ha on Netflix.
Troy (2004)
With dashing looks, silky long hair, and the body of Adonis, Brad Pitt (Wolfs) was the perfect actor to play a Greek soldier in Troy, Wolfgang Petersen’s epic loosely inspired by Homer’s Iliad. At the height of the Trojan War, Sparta and Troy are bitter rivals. While negotiating a peace treaty, Prince Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom) begins a relationship with Helen (Diane Kruger), the wife of Spartan King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), and brings her back to his homeland.
This act leads Menelaus and his brother, King Agamemnon (Brian Cox), to declare war against Troy. For Sparta to win, they must figure out how to infiltrate Troy, a city protected by giant walls. Elsewhere, Prince Hector of Troy (Eric Bana) and Sparta’s top warrior, Achilles (Pitt), are on a collision course to fight to the death. Don’t use Troy as an accurate representation of the Trojan War. Treat it like a spectacle, and the result is a satisfying war movie.
Stream Troy on Netflix.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)
The holiday season is a great time to watch a rom-com. If you need a break from cheesy Christmas movies, try an ensemble comedy like What to Expect When You’re Expecting. This style of the movie always relies on its cast, and this ensemble is a perfect balance of A-listers, comedians, and charming performers. The cast includes Cameron Diaz (Back in Action), Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Rodrigo Santoro, and Chris Rock.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting follows five couples at various stages of parenthood. Celebrities Jules (Diaz) and Evan (Morrison) struggle with the fallout of an unplanned pregnancy. Former flings and rival food truck owners Rosie (Kendrick) and Marco (Crawford) deal with the aftermath of a one-night stand. Holly (Lopez) tries to convince her husband Alex (Santoro) to adopt a baby. Expect rom-com clichés, but the cast is so likable that fans of the genre will enjoy every second.
Stream What to Expect When You’re Expecting on Netflix.
