Everything Leaving Netflix and What to Read Instead
During the height of the pandemic, I binge-watched with the best of them, but now my eyes are somewhat fried from constant screens. Don’t get me wrong, I still watched all five seasons of The Wire, but when favorites leave streaming services now, I’m like… you know what? That’s probably for the best. Let me find a substitution for what used to be my reward and now has become somewhat of a vice.
If you’re like me, you could use some recommendations. So here are eight movies and shows leaving Netflix and what you can read instead.
Leaving: Jackass: The Movie (2002)
What you might like:
Anytime I’m feeling down, or hopeless, or like nothing matters at all, I look up Johnny Knoxville on rocket skates, and I weep with laughter. Same goes for Jackass: The Movie. Lucky for us, Steve-O has a new book releasing soon. Be sure you pre-order… or that giant Valentine will punch you in the face.
Leaving: Taxi Driver (1976)
What you might like:
If you love a classic noir like Taxi Driver, you’ll love Con/Artist, about the art forger who convinced his marks to keep the ruse going: I mean, what were they going to do? Admit they’d been had and paid millions for motel art? Nah, pass it on to the next guy.
Leaving: Wind River (2017)
What you might like:
The murder-drama Wind River is a must-see, so be sure you do stream it before it leaves if you haven’t. And when, at the end, you learn that there’s no number for the murders of indigenous women because no one cares enough to count them, pick up the social ethnography of the proud boys to extend your righteous indignation.
Leaving: Forrest Gump (1994)
What you might like:
Everyone loves the saga that is Forrest Gump. Not least because he lived through the tumultuous 1960s and seemed to hit every culturally relevant phenomenon on his path. Samuel L. Jackson’s story is similar. Yes, you read that right. Your favorite actor who has been in everything was also at the helm of the Civil Rights Movement—he even got expelled from Morehouse for a protest.
Leaving: 30 Rock (2012)
What you might like:
If you loved Tina Fey’s sitcom about the film world, you’ll probably like her Saturday Night Live successor, Lindy West’s take on it, too. Granted, West gives more of an analysis than a straight-up satire, but if you like that kind of humor (like I do!), then you’ll definitely enjoy her collection of essays.
Leaving: Radium Girls (2018)
What you might like:
Leaving: The Quick and the Dead (1995)
What you might like:
I love a good western, and the scarier and rougher the characters are, the better. Plus, whenever there’s a strong father-daughter bond, I both want to fight and burst into tears… so, yeah, if you like one of these, I’m pretty sure you’ll like the other.
Leaving: The Conjuring (2013)
What you might like:
Mary Kay McBrayer is the author of America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. You can find her short works at Oxford American, Narratively, Mental Floss, and FANGORIA, among other publications. She co-hosts Everything Trying to Kill You, the comedy podcast that analyzes your favorite horror movies from the perspectives of women of color. Follow Mary Kay McBrayer on Instagram and Twitter, or check out her author site here.