9 Netflix movies and shows to watch before they leave in April 2022

Dawson's Creek cast
(Image credit: Sony Pictures Television)

Netflix is losing dozens of great movies and shows at the end of April. Yes, while our lists of the best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows have plenty to watch, and there are a ton new movies and shows to watch this weekend, these titles are ones you'll want to see before they go away. 

That's why I've put together a list of the best movies and shows leaving Netflix in April 2022. The full list of titles leaving is below, as your mileage may vary with my picks).

While Netflix only cut movies last month, this time subscribers will see two long-running TV shows leave the big red streaming machine. We're not sure if any of these departures will push someone to churn and cancel Netflix, but the absence of these shows will surely be frustrating to some. 

With this list, you'll have a better chance of making the most of your Netflix subscription this month. And the list of departing films has something for everyone, whether you want a Best Picture-winning period piece, a Brad Pitt movie based around baseball, a crime flick with Brad Pitt playing comic relief or the high school dramatics we all love. 

Oh, and you don't need watch Derry Girls season 3 online, and we're guessing many won't want to wait for Netflix to get the show's final season. Also, be sure to check out the 3 Netflix shows you should binge-watch this month, and this really weird Stranger Things season 4 live stream. Plus, in less good news, the list of Netflix canceled shows in 2022 continues to grow longer. 

The best Netflix movies and shows leaving in April 2022

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Seasons 1-7
Leaving: April 1

Always a contender for our best Netflix shows list, Star Trek: The Next Generation is also always ranked highly when people debate which Trek series is best. The series has a strong cast, what with Patrick Stewart leading as Jean-Luc Picard, and while we could list cast members for days, Brent Spiner's performance as Data always deserves a shoutout.

Since Netflix is about to lose all seven seasons of TNG, now's a good time to revisit some of your favorite episodes when you take a break from watching Picard season 2. This is also a prime time to revisit The Next Generation because of the new season of Picard has brought the captain's arch-nemesis Q back to torment him again. And, wouldn't you know it, we've ranked all of the Q episodes, so you can boldly go into Netflix with a game plan.

Stream it on Netflix

The Florida Project
Leaving: April 5

No matter if you're a fan of Willem Dafoe's work in Spider-Man: No Way Home or not, you should check out his excellent performance in The Florida Project. Here, he plays a budget hotel manager named Bobby, whose long-term residents include six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite). The hotel takes place on the wrong side of the road to Disney World in Florida, and is yet another example of how great director Sean Baker is when it comes to telling difficult stories. You may know Baker from his work on Tangerine.

Stream it on Netflix

The Artist
Leaving: April 25

If the 2022 Oscars made you wistful for an earlier time, then now is a good chance to revisit Best Picture winner The Artist. While the story is slightly meta — silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) meets newcomer Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) whose rise in movies with sound coincides with the end of silent films — it gets very relatable very quickly, as Valentin is in despair and Miller may be the only one who cares to save him. And The Artist managed to do the unthinkable: impress us with beautiful style while staying in the black and white format. 

Stream it on Netflix

August: Osage County
Leaving: April 26

Nobody is ever ready for a death in the family, and many are never ready for a family reunion either. Such is the case here in August Osage County where an incredibly strong cast seek to out-act each other. Meryl Streep owns the screen, as you might expect, as Violet Weston, whose husband passed in a tragic boating incident. Violet's a bit too truthful for everyone's taste, though, which is brought into focus as her family returns home to help care for her.

The eldest daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts) is just as much of a straight-shooter as her mother, though, and the two can't help but fight. The rest of the family (whom are played by Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale and Dermot Mulroney) try their best to help mend the wounds in the family, but fisticuffs ensue nonetheless. Both Streep and Roberts were nominated for Academy Awards for their roles.

Stream it on Netflix

Dawson's Creek: Seasons 1-6
Leaving: April 30

High school TV dramas in the 1990's were a lot different than the Euphoria we have today. But that said, Dawson's Creek was still obsessed with sex (at least in the eyes of the pearl-clutching parents and critics of the era), as all high schoolers likely are. The titular Dawson Leery (played by James Van Der Beek) is no different, as film isn't the only thing the budding director has on his mind.

But the show is truly grounded by the excellent banter between Dawson and his friend Pacey (Joshua Jackson), his actual best friend Joey Potter (Katie Holmes). Their peaceful New England life, though, is thrown into low-stakes chaos by the cool girl Jen (Michelle Williams) who just moved to town from New York City. Just writing about it makes me want to go back in time and revisit my favorite high school series, because I don't wanna wait for Netflix to stop streaming Dawson's Creek. 

Stream it on Netflix

Léon: The Professional
Leaving: April 30

Sometimes, all it takes is a single name (and a great story) to be memorable. And unlike the iconic musicians such as Prince and Madonna, Léon did it while bringing the focus to a rising new star. So, while this brilliant taut and tense action movie could have won our minds with just the spy vs spy games between Norman (Gary Oldman) and the titular Léon (Jean Reno), it's 12-year-old Mathilda (played with a shocking maturity by a young Natalie Portman) who truly steals the film.

Mathilda's grown up under an abusive father who has been stealing cocaine from corrupt DEA agents. And in a shocking case of right place, right time, Mathilda's decision to go grocery shopping saves her from being murdered during a raid. Upon getting home, she discovers the tragic killings and seeks shelter in the apartment of her neighbor, Léon. And then she learns he's a hitman, which pushes her to beg for his tutelage and training for vengeance.

Stream it on Netflix

Moneyball
Leaving: April 30

Yes, Major League Baseball's lockout is over, but Netflix will stop Moneyball at the end of April. Whether you're a fan of the sport or someone who just likes Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, Moneyball is worth a watch off of its spin on the good old fashioned underdog story.

Pitt plays Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, who is struggling to get wins when he doesn't have the cash to buy big names. In comes Peter Brand (Hill, playing a character partially based off of Paul DePodesta), who teaches him how to build a team of affordable but valuable talent whose skills will mesh properly, based off metrics. A fun story of struggling against well-financed rivals, Moneyball is the kind of movie that makes one of the dryer sports more interesting.

Stream it on Netflix

Snatch
Leaving: April 30

Yes, Brad Pitt fans have another movie to watch before it ambles out of Netflix. Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie's Snatch is known for many things, but Pitt's hard-to-understand Mickey O'Neil provided the most memorable moments. That said, it's barely Pitt's movie. Then-newcomer Jason Statham owned the movie outright as Turkish, a bush-league underground boxing promoter in London. He deals with all sorts of unsavory fellows, including Franky Four-Fingers (Benicio del Toro), Cousin Avi (Dennis Farina) and Bullet-Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones). Snatch moves faster than a revolver's chambers, jumping from story to story, and is one of those movies I really need to make time to watch before it's gone.

Stream it on Netflix

The Shawshank Redemption
Leaving: April 30

The Shawshank Redemption is one of those classic films that film snobs will say is "must see," and one of the rare cases when they're actually kinda right. You don't need to see any film, but it's one of the preeminent prison dramas, thanks to Morgan Freeman's portrayal of an inmate named "Red," who smuggles contraband around Shawshank State Penitentiary. Here, he meets the latest convict to walk through the doors, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins). The two get along, but suffer the kind of terrors you expect from prison, while dreaming of a better life. Superbly acted, The Shawshank Redemption feels like a movie from a veteran storyteller, but it's actually Frank Darabont's directorial debut. 

Stream it on Netflix

Everything leaving Netflix in April 2022

Leaving 4/1/22

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Seasons 1-7

Leaving 4/2/22

Truth or Dare

Leaving 4/4/22

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Leaving 4/5/22

The Florida Project

Leaving 4/8/22

House of the Witch

Leaving 4/15/22

About Time

Leaving 4/18/22

Miss Sloane

Leaving 4/24/22

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Leaving 4/25/22

The Artist

Leaving 4/26/22

August: Osage County

Leaving 4/29/22

El señor de los Cielos: Seasons 1-7

Hostel

Leaving 4/30/22

Dawson's Creek: Seasons 1-6 

Dear John

First Knight

Léon: The Professional

Moneyball

Snakes on a Plane

Snatch

Stripes

Superman Returns

The Shawshank Redemption

The Town 

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.