Top 8 Movies Departing Amazon Prime UK in August –

August is here and if it is anything like last month, you’ll probably want to be watching these movies from inside your fridge. While there is nothing funnier than a cheap joke about climate change, let’s put aside the purging of fossil fuels and look at the purging of Amazon Prime’s monthly catalogue.

There are plenty of films disappearing from the streaming service in August 2019 and so to help you decide which ones deserve a last hoorah, here are eight of the best picks.

 

1. Inception (2010)

Available until: TBA date in August.

Christopher Nolan directs an all-star cast in this trippy, dream-based sci-fi/thriller. Inception is essentially a heist movie, but instead of targeting money or goods, Leonardo DiCaprio’s team must steal valuable information by entering a person’s subconscious. If you haven’t seen Inception, or are hoping to understand more from a second viewing, be sure to catch it on Amazon before the month is out. Just be prepared to have your dreams (and your dream’s dreams) invaded by DiCaprio’s spinning top afterwards.

Inception was a Best Picture nominee at the 2011 Academy Awards and won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. The film holds scores of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 74 on Metacritic and 8.8/10 on IMDB.

Amazon are yet to give a specific date for when Inception 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. The same goes for many other entries.

 

2. Foxcatcher (2014)

Available until: TBA date in August.

Foxcatcher is a biographical sports/drama about Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo), and their time with eccentric millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell). The wrestling itself plays second fiddle to the gripping and tragic real-life events that happened off the mat.

Carell’s chilling portrayal of du Pont represented a daring career left turn for the comedy man, but one which was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination. Tatum and Ruffalo were also praised for their performances and the film holds scores of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 81 on Metacritic and 7/10 on IMDB.

Foxcatcher is not the only sports-related film leaving Amazon this month. The real-life tennis rivalry depicted in Borg vs McEnroe bows out on August 13th. Then there is Creed and The Natural heading up the fictional exists, along with the more fantastical Looking for Eric.

 

3. Lost In Translation (2003)

Available until: TBA date in August

In Sofia Coppola’s iconic comedy/drama, Bill Murray plays Bob Harris, a past his prime movie actor who’s shooting a whiskey commercial in Tokyo. Here he meets fellow insomniac Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and the pair slowly form a relationship. I say slowly because Lost in Translation doesn’t exactly rush through its 101-minute run time. While the film’s patience is part of its charm, you may raise an eyebrow at the stereotypical depiction of Japanese people.

Lost in Translation won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, while Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson won Best Actor and Best Actress respectively at the BAFTAs. Not bad for a film which cost only $4 million to make. It holds scores of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 89 on Metacritic and 7.7/10 on IMDB.

If you’ve seen Lost in Translation and want to watch something remarkably similar starring Tom Hanks, then A Hologram for the King is also leaving Amazon in August. Lars and the Real Girl is another interesting comedy/drama to consider but for something a bit more side-splitting, there are a wealth of traditional comedies on their way out.

A Night at the Roxbury, Semi-Pro and The Tuxedo all have terrible reviews but are good for a chuckle or two. The Love Guru, Mr Woodcock and Just Go With It all have terrible reviews and are actually terrible (please don’t watch The Love Guru). Finally, if you like Mr. Bean or Harold and Kumar then there is one from each of those franchises expiring.

 

4. Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Available until: TBA date in August

Kung Fu Panda is a DreamWorks animation for the whole family to enjoy. The story follows a clumsy, out of shape giant panda named Po, as he attempts to fulfil his destiny and become the legendary Dragon Warrior. The wacky ensemble of talking animals are voiced by the likes of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan. Kung Fu Panda was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar and holds scores of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic and 7.6/10 on IMDB.

You can’t watch any of the sequels to Kung Fu Panda for free on Prime Video, but you can see Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After until they are taken down later in the month. The first Shrek is available but is not scheduled to expire. You can also watch the second and third instalment of Madagascar before they leave, but not the first. Too confused by all those sequels? Try The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, Rise Of the Guardians or Bee Movie instead.

 

5. Of Mice And Men (1992)

Available until: August 18th, 2019

Adapted from John Steinbeck’s novella of the same name, Of Mice and Men is a tragic tale of two hard working farmhands during the Great Depression. Until August 18th, you can struggle along with George and Lenny as they dream of owning their own land and tending to their own rabbits.

John Malkovich plays the gentle giant Lenny, while Gary Sinise assumes the role of his friend and protector, George. Sinise also directed the film and was nominated for the Palme d’Or for his efforts. Of Mice and Men holds scores of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.5/10 on IMDB. Despite receiving positive acclaim from critics, the film did not draw well at the box office. This means there is a greater chance that it’s flown under your radar since being released in 1992, unless your English Literature teacher was kind enough to play you a VHS copy in school.

 

6. Teen Wolf (1985)

Available until: August 18th, 2019

Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) is just a regular teenager until the werewolf gene transforms him into the talk of the school. Teen Wolf is the perfect choice for a silver shot of 1980s movie nostalgia. While Back to the Future drew more critical acclaim for Fox, Teen Wolf was still popular at the box office and has since become a cult favourite.

The less beloved and ridiculously named sequel, Teen Wolf Too starring Jason Bateman, is also leaving on the same day with My Mom’s a Werewolf departing later in the month. Ignore these secondary werewolf flicks though as there are much stronger options in the teen movie genre to choose from. Varsity Blues, Started for 10, Orange County and Igby Goes Down are all better and all pretty underappreciated, so be sure to give them some love if their trailers appeal to you.

 

7. West Side Story (1961)

Available until: TBA date in August

In a world where New York gangs settle their disputes over musical dance numbers, it’s time for a showdown between the Sharks and the Jets for the Upper West Side. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name and inspired by Shakespeare, West Side Story took home 10 Academy Awards in 1962, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design. The film has been deemed culturally significant by the United States Library of Congress and holds scores of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86 on Metacritic and 7.6/10 on IMDB.

West Side Story is one of several golden oldies from the 50s and 60s to be disappearing from the streaming service this month. The list also includes To Catch a Thief, Paths of Glory, Elmer Gantry and The Barefoot Contessa. Elsewhere in the musical genre, the fat lady sings on Dreamgirls.

 

8. Child’s Play (1988)

Available until: TBA date in August

Not the freshly released remake, but the 1980s classic which started it all. Directed by Tom Holland (not that one, he wasn’t even born yet), Child’s Play is the story of a serial killer’s soul being transferred into a doll named chucky. The result is a wonderfully scary and mildly amusing horror film.

If 30-year-old killer dolls don’t do it for you, there are plenty of other frightening flicks leaving Amazon alongside Child’s Play this month. These include: Deep Blue Sea, Insidious: Chapter 2, Deliver Us from Evil and Final Destination 3. There is also a PG option in the 2015 Goosebumps movie starring Jack Black. This one gets a special shout out because the film streams in 4K (UHD), if you are fortunate enough to possess a screen that can display such high-quality images.