7 Must-Watch Movies Leaving Netflix in August

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing Published Jul 28, 2026, 7:03 AM EDT Laura is a born-and-raised Dominican creative with a deep passion for animation and an unhealthy obsession with Studio Ghibli. She has worked as Collider’s Social Media Coordinator since January 2021, where she oversees everything from day-to-day audience engagement to long-term growth strategies across all major social platforms. Working closely within the entertainment industry has allowed Laura to develop a more critical and informed perspective on the media she consumes, which led to her training as a Features Writer in 2023. Since then, she has been avidly writing whatever she is allowed to put her hands on. One of the highlights of Laura’s career has been the opportunity to interview several notable creatives behind the shows and films she loves. These include Dandadan Season 1 producer Hiroshi Kamei, voice actors Abby Trott, AJ Beckles, and Aleks Le, as well as Arcane showrunner Christian Linke, co-director Barthélemy Maunoury, and co-executive producer Amanda Overton. Sign in to your Collider account While we're still in the middle of the summer heat, July is quickly coming to an end, which means Netflix is preparing to say goodbye to a handful of beloved classics, cult favorites, and blockbuster hits. Fortunately, we still have a few days left to squeeze in one last movie marathon before the streamer refreshes its catalog for August. Whether you're in the mood for a timeless romantic comedy, a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, or an action-packed superhero adventure, we've made sure that this selection has something for just about everyone. Several of these films were major box office successes, while others earned Academy Award recognition or have since become modern classics that continue to influence movies today. From Julia Roberts' irresistible rom-com charm to Alex Garland's chilling vision of artificial intelligence, every movie on this list has earned its place. If any of them have been sitting on your watchlist, or you're simply looking to revisit an old favorite, now's the perfect time to hit play. Here are the best movies leaving Netflix in August. '27 Dresses' (2008) Leaving August 1 Image via 20th Century Studios Everyone loves a good wedding, right? Well, no one loves them more than Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl), a hopeless romantic who has served as a bridesmaid 27 times, but has yet to experience her own happily ever after. When her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) catches the attention of Jane's longtime crush and boss, George (Edward Burns), she's forced to put her own feelings aside and once again help plan the event she's been dreaming of for herself her whole life. Meanwhile, cynical wedding reporter Kevin Doyle (James Marsden) sees Jane's unusual story as the perfect article, prompting him to get close to her for the wrong reasons. But after spending time together, both of their perspectives on love start to change. While 27 Dresses didn't exactly win critics over, audiences definitely were. The romantic comedy grossed $162.7 million worldwide against a $30 million budget, proving to be a major box office success. Over the years, it has earned a loyal following and is now considered one of the best wedding-themed movies of all time. If you're looking for an easy, feel-good watch, this is well worth adding to your end-of-summer movie marathon. 'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016) Leaving August 1 Image via Summit Entertainment War movies often focus on soldiers who become heroes by taking lives. Hacksaw Ridge tells the extraordinary true story of a man who became one by doing the exact opposite. Directed by Mel Gibson, the film follows Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a devout Adventist who enlists in the U.S. Army during World War II but refuses to carry a weapon because of his religious beliefs. Ridiculed by other soldiers and nearly court-martialled for his decision, Doss eventually proves his courage during the Battle of Okinawa, where he risks his life to save dozens of wounded men without ever firing a single shot. Hacksaw Ridge was both a critical and commercial success, earning more than $180 million worldwide and receiving six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Garfield. The emotional and deeply inspiring story of Desmond Doss, Garfield's heartfelt performance, and Gibson's gripping direction make Hacksaw Ridge one of the most acclaimed war films of the past decade. 'Atonement' (2007) Leaving August 1 Image via Focus Features Do you feel like you need a good cry? Look no further than Atonement. Based on Ian McEwan's novel, Joe Wright's period drama follows Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), two young lovers whose future is torn apart after Cecilia's younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), makes a false accusation that changes their lives forever. As World War II begins, the consequences of Briony's impulsive, childish decision continue to haunt them, turning what begins as a passionate romance into a devastating story of love, guilt, and... well, atonement. Beautifully acted and emotionally devastating, Atonement remains one of the finest literary adaptations of the 21st century, and one you should definitely watch more than once. 'Pretty Woman' (1990) Leaving August 1 Image via Touchstone Pictures Some movies simply never go out of style, and Pretty Woman is one of them. More than 35 years after its release, the rom-com remains one of the most beloved feel-good classics, thanks largely to the effortless chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Roberts stars as Vivian Ward, a free-spirited escort whose chance encounter with wealthy businessman Edward Lewis (Gere) turns into an unexpected week of luxury, self-discovery, and, of course, romance. What begins as a business arrangement slowly blossoms into a relationship that neither of them saw coming. It's hard to overstate just how big Pretty Woman was when it hit theaters. The film became a worldwide phenomenon, grossing more than $460 million against a budget of just $14 million and turning Julia Roberts into one of Hollywood's biggest stars. She also earned her first Academy Award nomination for the role, making it a must-watch for fans of both Roberts and the rom-com genre. Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory? 🕷️Spider-Man 😈Daredevil 🤖Iron Man 💀Punisher ⚡Thor 🛡️Cap FIND YOUR HERO → 01 What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you. AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully. NEXT QUESTION → 02 It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think. ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours? AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything. AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust. NEXT QUESTION → 05 You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it. AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are. AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are. AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against. NEXT QUESTION → 08 When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story. ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly. NEXT QUESTION → 09 What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of. AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing. NEXT QUESTION → 10 The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully. ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over. REVEAL MY HERO → Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed. 🕷️ Spider-ManYou carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing. You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will. You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you. Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up. Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything. 😈 DaredevilYou fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free. You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks. You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy. Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own. Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you. 🤖 Iron ManBrilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem. You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic. You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility. Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too. You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man. 💀 The PunisherYou've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief. You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude. You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned. Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours. Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute. ⚡ ThorPowerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry. You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth. You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on. Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector. You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much. 🛡️ Captain AmericaYou believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will. You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard. Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you. Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost. In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 'Ex Machina' (2015) Leaving August 1 Art has an interesting way of reflecting society's greatest fears, and while AI has seemingly become part of our everyday lives today, that wasn't the case when Ex Machina was released in 2015. Written and directed by Alex Garland in his feature directorial debut, the sci-fi thriller follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a young programmer who wins the opportunity to spend a week at the secluded home of his company's eccentric CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). There, Caleb is introduced to Ava (Alicia Vikander), a humanoid robot whose intelligence and complexity soon blur the line between human and machine. As Caleb begins questioning Ava's true nature, the movie evolves into a tense psychological thriller that explores consciousness, manipulation, and the ethical dangers of creating artificial intelligence. Despite its modest $15 million budget, Ex Machina became both a critical and commercial success, grossing more than $36 million worldwide. It also won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, beating out blockbuster contenders like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Mad Max: Fury Road. More than a decade later, Ex Machina feels more relevant than ever, making now the perfect time to revisit one of the most realistic sci-fi films ever made before it leaves the streamer. 'Borat' (2006) Leaving August 1 Image via 20th Century Studios Some love it. Some hate it. But the reality is that Borat is one of the most influential comedies of the 2000s. Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary really pushed the boundaries of cringe comedy, blending scripted humor with hidden-camera pranks that caught unsuspecting people completely off guard. The movie follows Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen), a fictional journalist from Kazakhstan, as he travels across the U.S. to learn about American culture for a documentary. Along the way, his outrageous behavior exposes prejudice, hypocrisy, and social attitudes in ways that are often as shocking as they are funny. Borat became a massive box office success, earning more than $260 million worldwide and turning countless catchphrases into pop culture staples. The film was also a critical darling, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Cohen took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Nearly two decades later, Borat remains as provocative, quotable, and unforgettable as ever. 'Spider-Man' (2002) Leaving August 5 Image via Sony Pictures Releasing As one Spider-Man swings onto the big screen this summer, another is preparing to leave the small screen. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day just around the corner, there's never been a better time to revisit Sam Raimi's 2002 superhero classic. Starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, the film follows a shy high school student after he's bitten by a genetically altered spider, granting him superhuman abilities. As Peter embraces his newfound powers, he must also learn that "with great power comes great responsibility" while facing off against the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). It's easy to forget just how revolutionary Spider-Man was. The film helped kick-start the modern superhero boom, becoming the first comic book movie to earn more than $800 million worldwide and proving that audiences were ready to embrace superheroes on the big screen. More than two decades later, it remains one of the genre's defining films. If one movie isn't enough, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 are also leaving Netflix this month, making now the perfect excuse to revisit the entire trilogy before it's gone. Spider-Man Release Date May 3, 2002 Runtime 121 minutes Cast Spider-Man / Peter Parker Green Goblin / Norman Osborn