11 Netflix movies to watch before they leave in March 2022

Zach Galifianakis as Alan (holding the baby), Bradley Cooper as Phil and Ed Helms as Stu in the elevator in The Hangover
(Image credit: Netflix)

Another month, another batch of movies leaving Netflix. Yes, while our list of the best Netflix movies has its own fair share of excellent films, it's about to shrink a little. 

March 2022 doesn't see Netflix cut any beloved TV shows, which is why I canceled Netflix earlier this year, but there are a number of beloved (and award-winning) movies that leave Netflix this month.

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 prestigious period piece, thrill-filled horror, joke-filled buddy comedies or a romantic comedy. Plus? Jack Black. 

And the good news is that most of the movies we recommend aren't leaving Netflix at the start of the month, either. Oh, and if you want to catch up on Oscar-nominated movies? We've got all the details for how to watch King Richard online to see why Will Smith's a contender and how to watch Dune online to see why sci-fi is getting a seat at the awards table. 

The best Netflix movies leaving in March 2022

Howards End
Leaving: March 15

One of our picks for the best Netflix movies, Howards End is a story of family and about the complications of the class system. Situated in London and the titular country home belonging to the wealthy Wilcox family, the film follows both that family and the less-rich Schlegels. The third E. M. Forster novel adapted by Merchant Ivory Productions, Howards End was critically celebrated, and it was nominated for nine Oscars (Emma Thompson won one for her performance as Margaret Schlegel).

Stream it on Netflix

Paranormal Activity
Leaving: March 31

Who's up for a good scare? This month Netflix loses the first Paranormal Activity movie, which practically spawned a whole genre of found-footage horror. In this chapter, we meet young couple named Micah and Katie (which are actually their real life names). Things go bizarre, though, when we learn that Katie's been haunted by a demon since she was a child. A Ouija bord is acquired, a fire sparks itself up and the couple keep arguing. If you don't get to it in time, swing over to Paramount Plus, which has this film and many of its sequels.

Stream it on Netflix

Despicable Me
Leaving: March 31

Parents, get ready for one last ride (on Netflix) with Gru. While the Despicable Me movies have seen the disaster-prone character (voiced by Steve Carell) go through a wild ride of career changes, this chapter finds him at his most villainous and petty. The film starts with Gru frustrated over a rival's successful theft of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which prompts him to want to steal the Earth's moon. But since supervillainy contains more paperwork than you might think, the path to that heist is bumpy and filled with mistakes. Despicable Me is one of the better modern CGI animated movies that looks to appeal to all audiences by mixing physical comedy with a list of A-tier voice actors (including Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett and Julie Andrews) for parents to recognize.

We wouldn't be shocked to see it (and Despicable Me 2) wind up on Peacock, since these are Universal films and that is an NBCUniversal service. 

Stream it on Netflix

Nacho Libre
Leaving: March 31

Jack Black puts the softer side of lucha libre, the masked world of pro wrestling popular in Mexico, on full display in Nacho Libre. Black plays Ignacio, an orphan raised in a monastery in Oaxaca where he's now a cook. But when funds run low, and he wants to help his community, Ignacio decides he must become a wrestler. The only problem is that the monastery that raised Ignacio believes that wrestling is wrong, because of how vanity (of which pro wrestling is full of) is considered a sin. So, Ignacio dons a mask and the pseudonym Nacho in order to compete. Full of hijinks, and fun for the whole family, Nacho Libre is a hidden gem of a movie. 

Stream it on Netflix

As Good as It Gets
Leaving: March 31

Jack Nicholson's filmography is littered with abrasive characters that do little to redeem themselves at first. Such is the case in As Good As It Gets, where he plays Melvin Udall, a romance novelist who seems devoid of romantic tendencies, and is instead sidetracked with his own has obsessive–compulsive disorder and homophobia. Only the waitress Carol (Helen Hunt) at the restaurant he frequents can stomach his behavior, but their courtship is far from smooth sailing. After Melvin's neighbor — a gay artist named Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) — is violently assaulted during a robbery, Melvin is convinced to take care of Simon's dog. 

While this leads to more interaction with Carol, Melvin eventually doesn't want to return the dog, and this drama stacks on top of issues arising from Simon's attack and Carol's chronically-ill son. While that might sound like more mess than success, Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars for their performances, and the film was critically praised.

Stream it on Netflix

Wild Wild West
Leaving: March 31

Has Peacock's Bel-Air made you more nostalgic for the Will Smith of old? Then before March ends, won't you join us and take a trip straight, to, the wild wild west? I'm sorry if you've now got that song stuck in your head, but Barry Sonnenfeld's steampunk Western movie is worth a trip back to 1999. Smith and Kevin Kline star in this amusing (but critically-panned) action movie where they play, respectively, U.S. Army Captain James "Jim" T. West and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon, who team up to stop Dr. Arliss Loveless, a legless former Confederate officer whose giant mechanical spider threatened all in sight.

Stream it on Netflix

The Hangover
Leaving: March 31

Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) was supposed to have a nice, fun bachelor party with his friends in Las Vegas. Nobody was supposed to get hurt. Unfortunately, his friends are Stu (Ed Helms), a dentist who doesn't know how to live a little, the childish and erratic Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Phil (Bradley Cooper), who also seems to be a trouble magnet. And then Doug's friends woke up after a night of partying — only to not remember anything, including where their groom-to-be is — and spent the rest of their trip trying to find him. Somehow Mike Tyson is involved.

Stream it on Netflix

Runaway Bride
Leaving: March 31

Runaway Bride, a sort-of follow-up/reunion to Pretty Woman, reunites Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in their second Garry Marshal-directed romantic comedy. A bigger success at the box office than with critics, Runaway Bride is (you guessed it) about Maggie (Roberts), who has left multiple men at the altar, developing a reputation in the press as The Runaway Bride. One such member of the press is Ike (Gere), who gets fired after his article about Maggie is filled with revenge-driven details supplied to him by a source who is secretly one of Maggie's former fiancés. A neat romantic comedy with an excellent supporting cast (including Joan Cusack and Christopher Meloni), Runaway Bride will be running away from Netflix, to some other service (whose name we don't know). 

Stream it on Netflix

I Love You, Man
Leaving: 3/31

Making friends in your adult years isn't easy, and it's seemingly been extra difficult for Peter (Paul Rudd). Once he's engaged to girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones), Peter's lack of male friends becomes something of an issue when he realizes he doesn't have any potential friends to be the best man at his wedding. But things finally look up once he meets Sydney (Jason Segel) while working to sell Lou Ferrigno's mansion. 

And if that doesn't sound like the formation of a fun but turbulent friendship, where borrowed money and isolation come into play, then you need to watch I Love You, Man before it leaves Netflix. Only then will you finally understand why people say "slappa da bass."

Stream it on Netflix

Interview with the Vampire
Leaving: March 31

Every day there's someone new born who has no idea about the roles that helped make Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt into household names. While both found success before Interview with the Vampire, this 1994 horror movie (which is basically your standard vampire movie) is both an entertaining horror film and a chance to see a 10-year-old Kirsten Dunst get turned into a vampire. Plus, if you make it more than 10 minutes into Interview with the Vampire, you'll have lasted longer than Oprah Winfrey, who famously walked out of the film early because it was too dark.

 Stream it on Netflix

Gremlins
Leaving: March 31

If you know how to obey rules, you're a step ahead of the victims of the gremlins What do invalids and the small furry creatures known as mogwais have in common? No sunlight, no water and no food after midnight. Unfortunately, Billy (Zach Galligan) and his friends don't know how to follow the rules too well. Soon, hairy and unruly demonic clones begin to multiply from Gizmo, the nice mogwai. Slightly too violent to be called PG, and not violent enough for an R rating, Gremlins is one of the films that led to the PG-13 rating.

Stream it on Netflix

Everything leaving Netflix in March 2022

Leaving 3/3/22

Parker
Safe Haven 

Leaving 3/6/22

The Secret

Leaving 3/15/22

Howards End

Leaving 3/21/22

Philomena

Leaving 3/27/22

Lawless

Leaving 3/28/22

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Leaving 3/30/22

Doctor Foster: Seasons 1-2
Mercy Black

Leaving 3/31/22

300
A River Runs Through It
As Good as It Gets
Bad Teacher
Bee Movie
Blood Diamond
Braveheart
Bright Star
Despicable Me
Despicable Me 2
Eight Legged Freaks
Free Willy 4: Escape from Pirate's Cove
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Good Burger
Gremlins
The Hangover
Happy Feet Two
The Holiday
Hook
I Love You, Man
In the Cut
Interview with the Vampire
Jumanji
The Karate Kid
Kung Fu Panda
The Longest Yard
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Nacho Libre
The NeverEnding Story
Paranormal Activity
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends
Runaway Bride
The Ugly Truth
Wild Wild West
Woo

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.