Top 7 Movies Departing Amazon Prime UK in July 2019 – Great

A new month is upon us which means more content flowing in and out of the streaming services. Before we get too excited about what’s new though, let’s take a look at the movies they are taking away from us. Amazon Prime, especially, is giving the axe to a whole bunch of films and even slaying a few all-time greats in the process. To make sure you don’t miss out, here are 7 genre-crossing picks that won’t be available after July.

 

1. A Knight’s Tale (2001)

Available until: Saturday July 6th

These lists aren’t just for critically acclaimed masterpieces (though there’s going to be a few of those), they are also to highlight great films you may have overlooked and are therefore more likely to miss out on. And in the case of the medieval action adventure comedy A Knight’s Tale, you would be missing out on a lot.

A poor peasant squire masquerades as a noble knight to chase glory and riches through the craft of jousting. Throw in the ragtag group of friends, an evil enemy, high-class love interest and a classic rock soundtrack and you’ve almost got a tale as old as time. The jokes are funny, the characters are charming, the battles are exhilarating and the story packs a surprisingly emotional punch. Most importantly, though, it’s just good fun.

Unlike most other entries, A Knight’s Tale can go on for any audience at any time but you only have until Saturday before it expires (unless you’ve got Netflix). So, don’t delay if you want to see Robert Baratheon, Jarvis and Wash help the Joker win at a game of horses and sticks.

 

2. The Imitation Game (2014)

Available until: TBA date in July

Based on a biography by Andrew Hodges, the ‘true to life’ story follows Alan Turing as he attempts to crack the unbreakable Enigma Code and help bring an end to World War II. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the machine building mathematician, this historical drama took home the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and is well worth watching. Recommend putting Alan Turing into the Google machine afterwards though, just so you’re aware of the film’s many historical inaccuracies. A precise lesson in history this ain’t.

As is the case for several films on this list, Amazon are yet to give a specific date when The Imitation Game will be taken down. It will however be within the next 30 days so if you’re keen to see this one, either watch it right away or keep a close eye on the Prime Video listing.

 

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Available until: Tuesday July 9th

Got 9 hours and 17 minutes to spare? Why not settle in for one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time? As Amazon begins to gear up for their very expensive Lord of the Rings prequel series, now is as good a time as any to re-visit the 17 Oscar-winning film franchise.

Follow Frodo and company as they embark on an epic quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat Sauron’s forces of evil. Through three masterfully crafted Peter Jackson films, you’ll be reminded of how ambitious the project was, how gorgeous New Zealand looks, and just how bad The Hobbit movies are in comparison (sorry, Martin Freeman). Just make sure you aim to finish the Middle-earth meanderings on or before the 9th because The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King will all be taken down on that date.

If the movie marathon sounds like a bit too much effort, a gross out comedy genre equivalent is available in Your Highness for the next few weeks. Obviously not a scratch on the Tolkien based masterpiece and you probably won’t even find it that funny, but it is under 2 hours.

 

4. Groundhog Day (1993)

Available until: TBA date in July

Amazon say “Bill Murray is at his wry wisecracking best” in Groundhog Day and that’s hard to argue with. As pessimistic weatherman Phil, Murray plays a man condemned to relive the same day over and over again with hilarious results. The BAFTA winner popularised the time loop trope and brought the phrase “groundhog day” into common use. It is a true classic of the comedy genre and while we can’t make one mundane day our infinite playground like Phil, we can enjoy this film over and over again.

Want a more recent comedy? Fair enough, A Bad Moms Christmas and Sex Tape are also on their way out. But don’t expect either of them to hold a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes like Groundhog Day.

 

5. Taxi Driver (1976)

Available until: TBA date in July

“You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?”

Another cinema classic next in psychological crime thriller Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. If you didn’t know already, the film follows a sleepless Vietnam War veteran who gets increasingly riled up working as a late-night taxi driver in the boroughs of New York City. Incensed by the sleaziness and moral depravity he’s seeing, Travis Bickle (De Niro) looks to take action and liberate an underage prostitute (played by Jodie Foster).

If you want a more recent example of Robert’s work, The Family is leaving Amazon Prime this month too but you can be forgiven for missing that one.

 

6. Let the Right One In (2008)

Available until: TBA date in July

Feel like watching a horror? Or, more specifically in this case, a Swedish language romantic horror? Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist and set in a 1980s Stockholm suburb, Let the Right One In tells the tale of a bullied 12-year-old boy named Oskar who’s desperate for revenge.

That revenge comes with the arrival of a mysterious girl named Eli. While her ‘condition’ may not be anything new to cinema, the film still manages to feel exceptionally fresh and is thoroughly gripping. There was an American adaptation released in 2010 called Let me In, which is also good but not available on Prime.

Let the Right One In currently sports a ridiculously high 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 185 reviews. Interestingly, so does a 1995 depiction of Sense and Sensibility also leaving this month. But if you are set on horror, The Crazies is one to consider with local friendly neighbours turning into incensed, murderous zombies without a single bonnet or Hugh Grant in sight.

 

7. The BFG (1989)

Available until: Friday July 12th

Ending on one which definitely can be viewed by children, the 1980’s Roald Dahl inspired animation is suitably entertaining for kids and suitably nostalgic for those who watched it as kids. Young Sophie is snatched from her orphanage by a Big Friendly Giant and taken to Giant Country for a magical adventure. The film was released by ITV on Christmas Day 1989, with Roald Dahl himself applauding it.

Staying on the legendary author, Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp is also bowing out in July. It’s slim pickings for children’s films beyond these though. The live action Scooby-Doo films from the early 2000s depart, neither of which garnered much praise but again could be nostalgically enjoyable. You can also watch Jack slay big, but not so friendly, giants in Jack the Giant Slayer.

But you know A Knight’s Tale is a PG right? Just saying.