https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainmen ... d-of-2025/
It may be the holiday season, but Netflix is about to pull some Grinch moves by taking away a lot of terrific movies at the end of December.
Even if Netflix winds up buying Warner Bros., the monthly churn of titles is probably always going to happen.
But that’s why the Watch With Us team stays on top of these comings-and-goings to share our picks for the five best Netflix movies to watch before they leave in January 2026.
You only have a few days left, so start planning your movie nights now with our guide below.
'Elvis' (2022)
Baz Luhrmann‘s lavish biopic for Elvis Presley was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Austin Butler. Elvis may have gone home without winning any Oscars, but it’s the kind of movie that’s going to live on and on in the streaming-verse. Butler’s performance as Elvis was transformative, and he’s an impressive singer in his own right.
The film primarily takes place from the perspective of Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), Elvis’ manager and the man who made him a star. Their relationship had a lot of conflict over the years, and the story also revisits Elvis’ courtship of Priscilla Beaulieu (Olivia DeJonge) when she was only 14 years old. That was a scandal then, and it’d be a scandal now. The film doesn’t shy away from showing Elvis at his lowest, but watching Butler recreate the King’s on-stage persona feels a lot like bringing Elvis back to life.
Elvis is streaming on Netflix until January 1.
'The Green Mile' (1999)
After successfully bringing Stephen King‘s The Shawshank Redemption to the big screen, writer and director Frank Darabont followed that film with another King adaptation. The Green Mile takes place in the 1930s, and unlike Shawshank, there’s definitely something supernatural happening around John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man who is sentenced to die for brutal crimes he didn’t commit. Duncan captured John’s humanity and torment in one of the best performances of his life.
Tom Hanks costars as Paul Edgecomb, one of the officers on the prison’s Death Row. Simply talking with John for any length of time is enough to convince most of the guards of his innocence. But it’s John’s healing powers that make them realize something divine is in play. He’s a living miracle who can do wondrous things, and there’s seemingly no way that Paul or anyone else can prevent John from being executed.
The Green Mile is streaming on Netflix until January 1.
'Kingpin' (1996)
Two years before There’s Something About Mary was released, the Farrelly brothers‘ previous film, Kingpin, gave movie lovers a glimpse at their wild sense of humor. Woody Harrelson leads the cast as Roy Munson, a former bowling prodigy who was maimed because he followed the lead of his rival, Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray).
Nearly two decades later, Roy sees a way out of his dire financial situation when he meets Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid), an Amish man with a gift for bowling. Although Roy successfully convinces Ishmael to let him be his coach for a bowling tournament, he isn’t prepared for Claudia (Vanessa Angel), a woman who joins their travels and may have her own ambitions for Ishmael’s talents. Roy and Claudia are both grifters, but they may actually find some common ground through Ishmael.
Kingpin is streaming on Netflix until January 1.
'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road has come and gone a few times on Netflix over the past few years, and it’s likely to return at some point in the future. But for now, one of the best action movies ever made is on the way out, and it’s always worth catching. Tom Hardy may lead the cast as Mad Max Rockatansky, but it’s Charlize Theron who steals the entire film as Imperator Furiosa, the former enforcer for Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).
Hardy and Theron reportedly didn’t get along while making this movie, and that tension shows up on-screen between Max and Furiosa as well. They don’t have any choice except to work together to save Joe’s wives from his grasp and find a better home for their small group of people. The car chases and post-apocalyptic action are intense, and director George Miller turned this film into a masterpiece that even he hasn’t been able to top yet.
Elvis' granddaughter Riley is also in this...
Mad Max: Fury Road is streaming on Netflix until January 1.
'The Mask' (1994)
There have been plenty of superhero comedies that came after The Mask, but none have been able to match the manic comedic performance of Jim Carrey in the title role. As bank teller Stanley Ipkiss, Carrey portrays a put-upon loser who can’t find any happiness in his life beyond his dog Milo. But with the Mask, Stanley is transformed into a trickster who looks and acts like he escaped from a Looney Tunes cartoon.
Cameron Diaz made her stunning screen debut as Tina Carlyle, a nightclub singer and the girlfriend of local crime lord Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene). Stanley is very attracted to Tina from the moment they meet, and the Mask only amplifies his feelings for her. The Mask is practically a one-man crime spree as he robs Dorian’s gang and courts Tina. But trusting the wrong person may be Stanley’s downfall.
The Mask is streaming on Netflix until January 1.