And just like that, September is coming to a close. The end of the month means several movies will be leaving Netflix. The Back to the Future trilogy, The Breakfast Club, and Dumb and Dumber are three of the premier titles leaving the steamer. Other departing films include The Conjuring, The Outpost, and The Lego Movie.
Unfortunately, the mass exodus has only begun. More movies are leaving by October 1, meaning September 30 is the last chance to watch these titles before they move to VOD or other streaming services. We narrowed the list of movies to watch down to three choices: a sci-fi sequel, a 1990s coming-of-age story, and a charming rom-com.
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+.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Groundbreaking doesn’t begin to describe Terminator 2: Judgment Day. James Cameron’s sequel to The Terminator rewrote the rules for visual effects, action movies, and summer blockbusters. Set over a decade after the first film, Terminator 2 picks up with a teenage John Connor (Edward Furlong) living with his foster parents in 1995 Los Angeles. John is still bound to become the resistance leader who will one day lead humanity to victory over the machines.
In the future, Skynet sends an even higher-tech Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), to 1995 to kill John. In response to Skynet, the resistance sends the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to find and protect John. After breaking his mother Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) out of the hospital, John and the T-800 go on the run to find a way to defeat the T-1000. Bigger, better, and more expensive, T2 is what happens when a talented filmmaker like Cameron knows exactly how to craft a superior sequel.
Stream Terminator 2: Judgment Day on Netflix.
Reality Bites (1994)
Ben Stiller is best known for his work as an actor in several noteworthy comedies, including The Cable Guy, Zoolander, Dodgeball, and Tropic Thunder. Yet Stiller’s true passion is filmmaking. In 1994, Stiller made his feature directorial debut with Reality Bites. Four recent college graduates — Lelaina (Winona Ryder), Troy (Ethan Hawke), Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), and Sammy (Steve Zahn) — are trying to navigate adulthood in Houston.
Lelaina is an aspiring documentarian, while Troy bounces between low-paying jobs. There is clear romantic chemistry between Lelaina and Troy, but they also can’t stand each other. When Lelaina becomes involved with TV executive Michael Grates (Ben Stiller), it drives a wedge between her friendship with Troy. The “will they, won’t they?” relationship between Lelaina and Troy becomes the main storyline, but Reality Bites is more about young professionals coming of age as adults.
Stream Reality Bites on Netflix.
Long Shot (2019)
Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron are easily near the top of the list of unlikeliest pairings to headline a rom-com. Their movie is aptly titled Long Shot because the characters could not be more different. Rogen plays Fred Flarsky, a New York City journalist. Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the U.S. Secretary of State with presidential aspirations. Their connection: Charlotte is Fred’s former babysitter and childhood crush.
After unexpectedly running into each other at a charity event, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter. When the duo hits the campaign trail, Fred spends more time with Charlotte to better understand her and find her voice for future speeches. The duo didn’t predict their work situation would evolve into a romantic relationship. Backed by incredible chemistry between Rogen and Theron, Long Shot is a hilarious and heartwarming rom-com about an odd couple that makes you feel good by the time the credits roll.
Stream Long Shot on Netflix.