Netflix is in the opening days of its September clear-out. Four well-known films drop off the US service on September 1. A fifth, Emma Stone's Oscar-winning movie stays until September 7. The group covers a zombie comedy, a family road trip, a high-school detention classic, a slacker crime comedy and a brightly coloured period fantasy.
1. Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos directed this 2023 film. Tony McNamara wrote the screenplay from Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel. It premiered at Venice on September 1, 2023, where it won the Golden Lion, and opened in US cinemas on December 8 2023. Runtime is about 141 minutes. Searchlight released it. The reported budget was around $35 million. It took about $117 million worldwide.
Emma Stone stars as Bella Baxter, a young woman whose body is recovered after a suicide and brought back to life by Willem Dafoe's unorthodox scientist, Dr Godwin Baxter. He gives her an infant's brain. She grows at speed, then leaves Victorian London with Mark Ruffalo's lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn, and starts testing the world on her own terms. Ramy Youssef plays Max McCandles. Christopher Abbott appears as Alfie Blessington. Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley have supporting parts.
Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with the Golden Globe and BAFTA in the same category. The film also won Oscars for makeup and hairstyling, production design and costume design. It was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. The tone swings between comedy, discomfort and invention without settling for long. September 7 is the final day to stream it on Netflix before the licence ends.
Emma Stone stars as Bella Baxter, a young woman whose body is recovered after a suicide and brought back to life by Willem Dafoe's unorthodox scientist, Dr Godwin Baxter. He gives her an infant's brain. She grows at speed, then leaves Victorian London with Mark Ruffalo's lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn, and starts testing the world on her own terms. Ramy Youssef plays Max McCandles. Christopher Abbott appears as Alfie Blessington. Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley have supporting parts.
Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with the Golden Globe and BAFTA in the same category. The film also won Oscars for makeup and hairstyling, production design and costume design. It was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. The tone swings between comedy, discomfort and invention without settling for long. September 7 is the final day to stream it on Netflix before the licence ends.
2. Zombieland
Ruben Fleischer directed this 2009 comedy-horror. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the script. Columbia Pictures released it in the United States on 2 October 2009. Runtime is about 88 minutes. The budget sat near $24 million. It finished with just over $102 million worldwide.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, a cautious survivor who lives by a list of rules. Woody Harrelson is Tallahassee, a Twinkie-obsessed fighter looking for payback. Emma Stone is Wichita. Abigail Breslin is her younger sister, Little Rock. The four cross a emptied-out America toward a rumoured safe spot on the west coast. Bill Murray appears as himself. Amber Heard has an early role as Columbus's neighbour.
Fleischer keeps the pace short and the humour dry. The survival rules, especially cardio and seatbelts, became the lines people still repeat. Critics liked the cast chemistry more than the plot machinery. A sequel arrived a decade later. The original leaves Netflix on September 1.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, a cautious survivor who lives by a list of rules. Woody Harrelson is Tallahassee, a Twinkie-obsessed fighter looking for payback. Emma Stone is Wichita. Abigail Breslin is her younger sister, Little Rock. The four cross a emptied-out America toward a rumoured safe spot on the west coast. Bill Murray appears as himself. Amber Heard has an early role as Columbus's neighbour.
Fleischer keeps the pace short and the humour dry. The survival rules, especially cardio and seatbelts, became the lines people still repeat. Critics liked the cast chemistry more than the plot machinery. A sequel arrived a decade later. The original leaves Netflix on September 1.
3. Little Miss Sunshine
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris directed this 2006 film from a screenplay by Michael Arndt. It premiered at Sundance on January 20, 2006 and reached US cinemas on July 26, 2006, with a wider rollout in August. Runtime is about 102 minutes. It was made for around $8 million and took about $101 million worldwide.
Greg Kinnear plays Richard Hoover, a struggling motivational speaker. Toni Collette is his wife, Sheryl. Steve Carell is Frank, Sheryl's brother, recently out of hospital. Paul Dano is teenage son Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence. Alan Arkin is Grandpa Edwin. Abigail Breslin is Olive, who has a late entry into a California child beauty pageant. The family drives west in a yellow Volkswagen van that will not stay running. Bryan Cranston has a small role as Richard's business contact.
Arkin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Arndt won Best Original Screenplay. Breslin was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The pageant finale is the scene that stuck. The film is R-rated and does not tidy the family up. It leaves Netflix on September 1.
Greg Kinnear plays Richard Hoover, a struggling motivational speaker. Toni Collette is his wife, Sheryl. Steve Carell is Frank, Sheryl's brother, recently out of hospital. Paul Dano is teenage son Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence. Alan Arkin is Grandpa Edwin. Abigail Breslin is Olive, who has a late entry into a California child beauty pageant. The family drives west in a yellow Volkswagen van that will not stay running. Bryan Cranston has a small role as Richard's business contact.
Arkin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Arndt won Best Original Screenplay. Breslin was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The pageant finale is the scene that stuck. The film is R-rated and does not tidy the family up. It leaves Netflix on September 1.
4. The Breakfast Club
John Hughes wrote and directed this 1985 film. Universal released it in the United States on February 15, 1985. Runtime is about 97 minutes. It was made for roughly $1 million and took more than $51 million in the US.
Five students serve Saturday detention at Shermer High School. Emilio Estevez is Andrew Clark, the wrestler. Judd Nelson is John Bender. Molly Ringwald is Claire Standish. Anthony Michael Hall is Brian Johnson. Ally Sheedy is Allison Reynolds. Paul Gleason plays Principal Vernon. John Kapelos is Carl the janitor.
They are told not to talk. They talk anyway. By the end they write a letter that frames them as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Hughes shot much of it in a high-school library set. The clothes and soundtrack fix it in 1985. The group dynamic is why it keeps coming back. It leaves Netflix on September 1.
Five students serve Saturday detention at Shermer High School. Emilio Estevez is Andrew Clark, the wrestler. Judd Nelson is John Bender. Molly Ringwald is Claire Standish. Anthony Michael Hall is Brian Johnson. Ally Sheedy is Allison Reynolds. Paul Gleason plays Principal Vernon. John Kapelos is Carl the janitor.
They are told not to talk. They talk anyway. By the end they write a letter that frames them as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Hughes shot much of it in a high-school library set. The clothes and soundtrack fix it in 1985. The group dynamic is why it keeps coming back. It leaves Netflix on September 1.
5. The Big Lebowski
Joel Coen directed. Ethan Coen produced and co-wrote. The film premiered at Sundance on January 18, 1998 and opened in the US on March 6, 1998. Runtime is 117 minutes. The budget was about $15 million. It made around $48 million on first release and grew a much larger audience later.
Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski, an unemployed bowler in Los Angeles. Thugs confuse him with a millionaire of the same name and ruin his rug. John Goodman is Walter Sobchak. Steve Buscemi is Donny. Julianne Moore is Maude Lebowski. David Huddleston is the other Jeffrey Lebowski. Tara Reid is Bunny. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Brandt. John Turturro is Jesus Quintana. Sam Elliott narrates as the Stranger.
Roger Deakins shot it. Carter Burwell wrote the score. The kidnapping plot keeps folding in on itself. The Dude mainly wants the rug replaced. It was not a hit in 1998. It became one of those films people put on when they already know the lines. It leaves Netflix on 1 September.
Stone's film is the obvious priority if time is limited, because it is the only one of the five that lasts past today. After 7 September, none of the movies will be on the service.
Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski, an unemployed bowler in Los Angeles. Thugs confuse him with a millionaire of the same name and ruin his rug. John Goodman is Walter Sobchak. Steve Buscemi is Donny. Julianne Moore is Maude Lebowski. David Huddleston is the other Jeffrey Lebowski. Tara Reid is Bunny. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Brandt. John Turturro is Jesus Quintana. Sam Elliott narrates as the Stranger.
Roger Deakins shot it. Carter Burwell wrote the score. The kidnapping plot keeps folding in on itself. The Dude mainly wants the rug replaced. It was not a hit in 1998. It became one of those films people put on when they already know the lines. It leaves Netflix on 1 September.
Stone's film is the obvious priority if time is limited, because it is the only one of the five that lasts past today. After 7 September, none of the movies will be on the service.