Netflix makes a big deal about all the new movies it adds every month, but all these library arrivals come with a hidden cost: Netflix also removes a bunch of movies each month.
On the first of a new month, Netflix typically removes dozens of library titles, and October 1, 2026 will be no different. Just as the calendar ticks over to the spookiest of months, 77 movies will wave goodbye to the world’s biggest streaming service. But you’ve still got time to watch some of the top picks.
However, there’s no time to waste, so to save you the headache of combing through almost 80 movies and wasting precious movie-watching time, I’ve picked out five high-quality movies you need to watch before they’re removed from Netflix. Get these at the very top of your Netflix watchlist right now.
5 top Netflix movies to watch before Oct. 1
‘Gone Girl’ (2014)
![Gone Girl | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2-_-1nJf8Vg/maxresdefault.jpg)
Director David Fincher proved his thriller filmmaking credentials in the ‘90s with classics like “Seven” and “Fight Club,” so when it was announced he would be helming an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s page-turner “Gone Girl,” I was very excited. The final result was above even my lofty expectations. Simply put, this is among the very best thrillers of the 21st century. Fincher’s eye for detail is on full display, and the story unfolds in highly compelling fashion.
Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) awakens on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary to discover his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), is missing. As the authorities investigate the disappearance, Nick and Amy’s relationship is put under the microscope, and the media machine turns its attention to Nick, turning public opinion against him. Pike delivers an Oscar-nominated performance in this slick and twisty thriller that keeps you guessing.
Watch "Gone Girl" on Netflix until October 1
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
Tom Holland’s latest outing as the world’s most popular superhero, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” recently became the highest-grossing movie of all time in the U.S., so why not celebrate by returning to where the British actor began in his first solo outing as Spider-Man? “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is the first Spidey flick set in the MCU, and it set the stage for the popular Holland-led series to come. It also stars Robert Downey Jr., Zendaya and Michael Keaton.
After the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” Peter Parker (Holland) is back in New York, trying to be a friendly neighborhood superhero. Desperate to impress his mentor/father figure, Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), Parker gets his shot at taking on a real villain when the Vulture (Keaton) arrives on the scene with a plan to sell alien technology to some very bad people. Full of action, comedy and lovable characters, it’s a strong “Spider-Man” flick.
Watch "Spider-Man: Homecoming" on Netflix until October 1
‘The Witch’ (2015)
Halloween season is approaching, so if you’re looking for a great horror movie as we head into October, look no further than Robert Eggers’ “The Witch.” This 2015 chiller marked the filmmaker as a talent to watch, and he’s only further solidified his reputation in the years since. “The Witch” might be a little off-putting to some viewers due to its slow-burn pacing and period-accurate speech, but give it your full attention, and you’re rewarded by the end.
Set in 17th-century New England, William (Ralph Ineson) and his family are banished from their settlement and build their own farm in the shadow of a thick forest. When the family’s youngest son, Samuel, goes missing, it’s the oldest daughter, Thomasin (Taylor-Joy), who is blamed. As the family becomes increasingly fractured and paranoid, William suspects that evil forces live in the trees nearby, and that Thomasin might have engaged in witchcraft.
Watch "The Witch" on Netflix until October 1
‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is a brightly wrapped family classic, anchored by one of Gene Wilder’s most iconic and celebrated performances. Based on Roald Dahl’s timeless 1960s novel, it’s a mouthwatering fantasy flick that transports viewers to a magical factory where the most incredible confectionery is created. Oh, and I’ve not even touched on the musical numbers; you’ll be singing its best songs in the shower for weeks afterward.
Young Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) and his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) get the opportunity of a lifetime when Charlie unwraps one of chocolate-maker Willy Wonka’s (Wilder) coveted golden tickets in a bar of candy. The ticket gives him, and four (very spoilt) children, the chance to tour Wonka’s dreamlike factory. At the eccentric factory, hijinks unfold, including an incident with a chocolate river and a meeting with the green-haired, orange-skinned Oompa-Loompas, who absolutely terrified me as a young child!
Watch "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" on Netflix until October 1
‘Queen & Slim’ (2019)
“Queen & Slim” is a multi-layered movie. On the surface, it’s a Bonnie-and-Clyde thriller about two young lovers on the run, but this powerful movie offers much more than cheap thrills. Its timely social message lingers long after the credits roll. It’s all anchored by Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, who are quite the double act as the eponymous Slim and Queen. This 2019 movie is exhilarating, enraging and tragic in equal measure.
After an unspectacular first date, Queen (Turner-Smith) and Slim (Kaluuya) are driving home when a police officer pulls them over. The situation escalates, and Slim ends up shooting the cop in an act of self-defense. Believing they won’t be given a fair chance to explain their side of the story, they impulsively go on the run. As they make a break for freedom, a deep bond develops. However, with the authorities circling, they have only one shot at escape.
Watch "Queen & Slim" on Netflix until October 1
Every movie being removed from Netflix
On October 1, 2026, Netflix U.S. is set to remove 77 movies from its library (per What's on Netflix). The movies removed are subject to change.
- 2 Guns (2013)
- 47 Ronin (2013)
- A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood (2019)
- A Dog’s Journey (2019)
- A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
- A League of Their Own (1992)
- A Stoning in Fulham County (1988)
- Adam: The Song Continues (1986)
- Aloha (2015)
- Always (1989)
- Angel Eyes (2001)
- Apollo 13 (1995)
- Baby Mama (2008)
- Beginners (2011)
- Black and Blue (2019)
- Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
- Blue Thunder (1983)
- Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
- Boss Baby (2017)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
- Cinderella Man (2005)
- Clueless (1995)
- Edis Starlight (2021)
- Eternal Summer (2006)
- Fargo (1996)
- Fatale (2020)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
- Gone Girl (2014)
- Hard Lessons (1986)
- High Fidelity (2000)
- High Plains Drifter (1973)
- Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
- How Do You Know (2010)
- Identity Thief (2013)
- In Defense of a Married Man (1990)
- Inside Man (2006)
- Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019)
- Krampus (2015)
- Nomadland (2020)
- Official Secrets (2019)
- Out of Africa (1985)
- Parenthood (1989)
- Pariah (2011)
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
- Queen & Slim (2019)
- Quiet Victory (1988)
- Ride Along (2014)
- Ride Along 2 (2016)
- Riphagen – The Untouchable (2016)
- Savages (2012)
- She’s the One (1996)
- Somewhere (2010)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Strange Voices (1987)
- Talk To Me (2007)
- The Beguiled (2017)
- The Book Club Murders (2024)
- The Christmas Contract (2018)
- The Fifth Element (1997)
- The Good Shepherd (2006)
- The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)
- The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)
- The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
- The Lazarus Project (2008)
- The Professionals (1966)
- The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (2022)
- The Ryan White Story (1989)
- The Shack (2017)
- The Vow (2012)
- The VVitch (2015)
- Till Death (2021)
- Too Young the Hero (1988)
- Triumph of the Heart (1991)
- Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys (2008)
- U-571 (2000)
- Unspeakable Acts (1990)
- Victim of Beauty (1991)
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
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