Each month, licenses expire and movie and TV show titles are removed from streaming services like Netflix. In some cases, Netflix has even removed (and continues to remove) its own original series to make way for new content and to keep the interface fresh and up to date. As early as March, for example, movies like Air Force One, Shutter Island, cakeAnd Scream 4 have been removed, as have shows like Borderliner (a Netflix original) and all three seasons of the Sundance series Hap and Leonard.
What is going to happen now? We’re here to update you on which movies and TV shows are leaving Netflix this month and when they’re going away, so you can watch them before they’re gone.
Arrested Development, Seasons 1-5 – 2013-2019 (departing March 15)
In a shocking and puzzling move, Netflix confirmed it would remove all five seasons of the popular sitcom Arrested development from his grid. This includes the last two seasons Netflix produced after the show’s cancellation on its original Fox network.
Best described as an absurdly humorous sitcom, the show has become a cult favorite among fans. It’s also the kind of show you can pick up later and still get the inside jokes. With a star-studded cast (including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera and the late great Jessica Walter) and Ron Howard serving as both executive producer and narrator, Arrested developmentFox’s seemingly premature cancellation had upset fans. Netflix revived the show six years later, but with the news that the show will no longer have a home on the streaming service, now is the time to watch (or rewatch) Arrested development before it’s gone again.
The Lego Collection – 2013-2019 (departs March 16)
If you have a young child who loves Lego and superheroes, or maybe you fall into that category yourself, you’ll want to keep in mind that the entire collection of Lego movies, TV shows, and shorts featuring both DC and Marvel characters, such as and popular franchises like Jurassic Park are leaving Netflix this month. This includes Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Reassembled, Lego Jurassic World: Secret Exhibit, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Black Panther, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Guardians of the Galaxy, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload, Lego Marvel Spider-Man: Annoyed by VenomAnd Lego Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar.
It is suspected that many, if not all, of these titles will find their way to Disney+ or HBO Max in the future. That said, there is no official confirmation yet. So enjoy them before they’re gone, or prepare your little ones that they can’t reach them anymore.
Shtisel season 1-3 – 2013-2021 (depart March 25)
This Israeli TV drama has been on Netflix since 2018. But five years later, all three seasons are of Shtisel will soon leave the popular streamer.
Shtisel is centered around the fictional Haredi family who live in an off-the-grid city in Jerusalem. The family is led by the rabbi’s patriarch and their community follows strict Haredi customs. But when certain family members violate these traditions and instead show support for a more secular life, it causes chaos within the family and among their neighbors, including those in the adjacent religio-fundamentalist community. Shtisel notably stars Shira Haas, who earned an Emmy Award nomination for her role in the series Unorthodox.
The Imitation Game – 2014 (departing March 28)
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this historical drama based on Andre Hodges’ 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Conundrum about the man who secretly worked on deciphering German intelligence messages for the British government during World War II. The film, which was the highest-grossing independent film that year, also earned eight Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay.
Set in the 1950s, the story sees Turing looking back at his time during the war, recalling events that took place. The imitation game has been praised for its screenplay (it won the Oscar that year) and for Cumberbatch’s nuanced performance, so it’s worth a look if you haven’t seen it yet.
Brokeback Mountain – 2005 (departing March 31)
You have until the end of the month to watch (or rewatch) the neo-Western romantic drama. Brokeback Mountain, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger as two American cowboys who can’t quite shake (or give up) their emotional and physical attraction to each other. An unconventional love story, Brokeback Mountain earned many accolades at the Academy Awards, with many believing that the film should have won the Best Picture award Crash.
Brokeback Mountain was also the subject of controversy, including censorship and criticism from conservative media outlets, as well as questions over the choice to have two straight men play gay cowboys. Yet there is no doubt Brokeback Mountain was one of the most talked about films of the 2000s, and it has been credited with popularizing queer cinema.
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