Netflix is about to remove 79 movies from its library — here are the 5 you need to watch before it’s too late

(Image credit: Netflix; Shutterstock) Netflix is constantly adding new movies to its library every month, but while it gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. Because the streaming service also removes dozens of movies at the end of each month, clearing space in its library to make way for the arrivals.On September 1, Netflix is set to wave goodbye to 79 movies. That’s an overwhelming number of movies that will vanish from the Netflix catalog in just over a week's time. Watching all of them before they're removed is basically impossible. So, I’m picking out a selection of must-watch favorites. These movies should be at the very top of your Netflix watchlist.There’s no time to lose here. The five picks below will be removed from Netflix on Tuesday, September 1. Put your weekend plans on hold, and stream these films as soon as possible.5 movies to watch on Netflix before September 1‘Creed’ (2014) Creed - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube Watch On Netflix added the complete “Rocky” franchise in June, alongside the sequel/reboot “Creed” trilogy. Unfortunately, these movies have barely stuck around for a full 12 rounds as they’re already being removed at the start of September. Picking just one to watch before then is a tall order, but I’m going for 2014’s “Creed.” Yes, even ahead of the original “Rocky” movie.Don’t get me wrong, Sylvester Stallone’s first bout as the titular Rocky Balboa is a certified classic, but “Creed” offers up the one-two punch of Stallone and Michael B. Jordan, which is hard to beat. “Creed” is a legacy sequel done pretty much perfectly. It sees an older Rocky mentoring the son of his former rival Apollo Creed, Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Jordan). Their bond becomes more than coach/boxer as each learns life lessons from the other. It’s a triumphant continuation of a legendary franchise, and the two sequels ain’t bad either.Watch "Creed" on Netflix until September 1‘Schindler’s List’ (1993) Schindler's List 25th Anniversary - Official Trailer - In Theaters December 7 - YouTube Watch On Speaking of certified classics, historical dramas don’t come much more acclaimed than Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” This emotionally devastating epic will floor you, and its reputation speaks for itself. The winner of seven Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture, it might just be Spielberg’s magnum opus. Plus, the stunning black-and-white presentation, with a few moments of vivid color, is iconic. This epic drama is harrowing but essential.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a German businessman operating a factory in Krakow, Poland. Employing primarily Jewish workers, when the Nazi Party begins its mass extermination of Jews, Schindler becomes an unlikely protector and turns his factory into a refuge for those escaping persecution. “Schindler’s List” is a masterpiece blending the horrors of the Holocaust with a hopefully story of humanitarian sacrifice. If you watch only one movie being removed from Netflix at the end of the month, it should be this one.Watch "Schindler’s List" on Netflix until September 1‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006) Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers - YouTube Watch On One of the 2000s best road trip movies is “Little Miss Sunshine.” It’s got all the ingredients for farcical comedy, and most importantly, at its center is a dysfunctional family that is an absolute hoot. It wonderfully reflects on the importance of family, essentially proving that while families can be messy and melodramatic, they’re the people you can rely on most. It celebrated its 20th anniversary last month, making now a great time to give it a watch.The movie centers on the Hoover family, who all squeeze into a battered VW camper van to travel from New Mexico to California so their youngest (Abigail Breslin) can compete in a child beauty pageant. Once on the road, the family’s quirks threaten to derail the trip, and the drive becomes quite the journey. This screwball comedy also stars Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, and the late Alan Arkin. It’s a charming shot of sunshine.Watch "Little Miss Sunshine" on Netflix until September 1‘Searching’ (2018) SEARCHING - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube Watch On Narratively speaking, “Searching” is a fairly generic mystery thriller. It follows a desperate father, played by John Cho, frantically searching for clues about the sudden disappearance of his 16-year-old daughter, Margot (Michelle La). Naturally, along the way, he discovers Margot had a whole hidden life, and he maybe didn’t know his child as well as he thought. To assist in the matter, he gets some help from a police detective, Vick (Debra Messing).That all sounds like very standard stuff for the genre, but what elevates “Searching” is that it’s a screenlife movie. Unfamiliar with the term? It means almost the whole thriller is presented on a computer screen. So, you physically watch as Cho’s David Kim attempts to break into Margot’s email account or scans her social media pages for information. This novel approach to storytelling keeps “Searching” compelling throughout, and if you enjoy it, there’s also a sequel, “Missing” (streaming on Hulu), which I think is an even better flick.Watch "Searching" on Netflix until September 1‘Zombieland’ (2009) Zombieland Official Trailer #1 - YouTube Watch On “Zombieland” is far from a brainless post-apocalyptic movie. This end-of-the-world comedy is a riot that packs a strong cast — Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin — and thrives with a highly humorous tone. The world might have gone to hell, but “Zombieland” still finds joy in a United States overrun with zombies. It swerved from the seriousness of zombie apocalypse media at the time and instead focused on pure fun.Set a couple of months after a zombie outbreak has left the U.S. in ruins, Jesse Eisenberg plays a timid survivor named Columbus, who follows a careful set of rules to avoid becoming a zombie snack. He teams up with a gruff wanderer named Tallahassee (Harrelson) and two sisters, Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), and the foursome head off on a cross-country journey to find sanctuary and locate the last ever Twinkie.Watch "Zombieland" on Netflix until September 1Every movie leaving Netflix on September 121 Bridges (2019)Abducted At an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie (2024)Abducted on Prom Night (2023)Airport (1970)Airport ’77 (1977)Airport 1975 (1974)Almost Christmas (2016)American Graffiti (1973)Bad News Bears (2005)Bee Movie (2007)Burn After Reading (2008)Crashing (2016)Creed (2015)Creed II (2018)Creed III (2023)Den of Thieves (2018)Desperado (1995)Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story (2024)Don’t Breathe (2016)Dracula: Untold (2014)Dumb and Dumber To (2014)El Dorado (2000)Fallen (1998)Fast & Feel Love (2022)Goosebumps (2015)Gridiron Gang (2006)Home (2015)Hotel Mumbai (2018)House on Haunted Hill (1999)I Can Only Imagine (2018)Jennifer’s Body (2009)K-Pax (2001)Leatherheads (2008)Legion (2010)Little Miss Sunshine (2006)Matilda (1996)Miracle (2004)Muriel’s Wedding (1994)Non-Stop (2014)Passengers (2016)Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (2015)Pitch Black (2000)Rocky (1976)Rocky II (1979)Rocky III (1982)Rocky IV (1985)Rocky V (1990)Rocky Balboa (2006)Rookie of the Year (1993)Rudy (1993)Schindler’s List (1993)Scooby-Doo (2002)Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)Searching (2018)Sniper Legacy (2014)Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers (1992)The Big Lebowski (1998)The Breakfast Club (1985)The Boss (2016)The Captive (2014)The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)The Fault in Our Stars (2014)The Four Seasons (1981)The Girl on the Train (2016)The Good Son (1993)The Green Knight (2021)The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992)The Hurricane (1999)The Land Before Time (1988)The Road to El Dorado (2000)The Swan Princess (1994)The Wedding Date (2005)Trick ‘r Treat (2008)Trainwreck (2015)Toro (2016)Waterworld (1995)Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)Zombieland (2009)Zombieland Double Tap (2019) Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow Tom's Guide Entertainment on TikTok and Instagram. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less. More from Tom's GuideNew on Netflix in August 2026Netflix just added one of the best shark movies of the past decade7 best new Netflix movies and shows to stream this week Rory is a Senior Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.