Gone by Thursday: 10 terrific movies leaving Netflix this month

Director Travis Knight stripped back the story, rewound the clock and installed a charismatic presence in the driver’s seat (Hailee Steinfeld) to create a family movie that one of the series’ executive producers – a certain Mr Steven Spielberg – would be proud of. A rousing, crowd-pleasing rollercoaster, from the opening Cybertron-set battle scene to the emotional epilogue, Bumblebee delivers more tears, fear and Tears for Fears than any child of the 1980s might have dared hope for.

The Exorcist (1973)

Even almost 50 years on, William Friedkin’s religious horror still packs a dramatic punch that knocks the modern-day likes of Paranormal Activity and The Exorcism of Emily Rose into a cocked hat, largely thanks to committed performances by Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair, showstopping set-pieces and Mike Oldfield’s super spooky score.

“[It’s]The movie that launched a new era in horror films, and which, for one generation, remains one of the scariest experiences of their lives,” wrote The New York Daily News’ Jack Mathews.

Gone Girl (2014)

Adapted by former Entertainment Weekly writer Gillian Flynn from her 2012 bestseller, this is the tale of Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) Dunne and the seven years before and the days and months after Amy’s sudden disappearance.

A tense, taut and frequently table-turning thriller, it’s also an unsettling and uncomfortable examination of modern relationships and the rising tide of disconnection, not only between men and women, but also law enforcement and the public, the media and the truth.

At the top of his game, director David Fincher offers up a masterclass in manipulation and subverting expectations, as well as a strong contender for the worst date movie of the past decade.

Into the Wild (2007)

Sean Penn directed this haunting drama, based on John Krakauer’s 1996 non-fiction novel about a young man who leaves his comfortable life behind for a life of adventure in the North American wilderness.

Essentially a road movie, the impressive cast includes Emile Hirsch, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart and Hal Holbrook. If the visuals don’t give you the feels, then the last 20 minutes certainly will.

Matilda (1996)

Danny DeVito directs and stars in this winning adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1988 novel.

As in the book, this focuses on the eponymous child prodigy Matilda Wormwood (Mrs Doubtfire’s Mara Wilson), who develops psychokinetic abilities and uses them not only on her terrible family, but also the ruthless, oppressive principal of her school – Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris).

“Matilda doesn’t condescend to children, it doesn’t sentimentalize, and as a result it feels heartfelt and sincere. It’s funny, too,” wrote the Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert.

Rush (2013)

From their first meeting in Formula 3 at the beginning of the 1970s, Brit James Hunt (Chris “Thor” Hemsworth) and Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) were destined to rub each other up the wrong way.

While playboy Hunt was a reckless, mercurial maverick, Lauda was a cool, calculating, risk-averse, meticulous maestro, as happy under the bonnet as Hunt was under the sheets. What they shared was a drive to prove the doubters wrong and a desire to one-up each other, something that would take them to the top of their sport and the edge of disaster.

On the track is where this movie shines. Director Ron Howard does a terrific job of putting the viewer in the cockpit, using low angles and point-of-view shots combined with sharp sounds, giving you a thrilling sense of speed and particularly bringing to life the exciting 1976 season.

A Star is Born (1954)

Before Cooper and Gaga, Streisand and Kristofferson, there was this near three-hour update of the 1937 original, which gave the story a more musical bent.

When small-time singer Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) is discovered by famous actor Norman Maine (James Mason), she rises to the top, while he sinks to the bottom.

Famously Garland’s first movie in four years, it earned her an Academy Awards nomination for Best Actress, but, as with the film’s other five nominations, she went home from the ceremony empty-handed.

“One of the grandest heartbreak dramas… the Warners and Mr [Director George] Cukor have really and truly gone to town in giving this hackneyed Hollywood story an abundance of fullness and form,” wrote The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther.

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)

While some of the “special set of skills” are the same (barking instructions and whispering death down the phone line feature strongly) as Taken’s Bryan Mills, retired cop turned unlicensed private detective Matt Scudder allowed Liam Neeson to march to a slightly different rhythm in this adaptation of Lawrence Block’s 1992 novel of the same name.

Not only is the film set mostly in 1999, but it feels like a throwback to the serial killer movies of the 1990s. It’s hard not to think of In the Line of Fire, The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, Ransom or Summer of Sam, as this slow-burning mystery draws you in with wit, grit and gravitas.

What If? (2015)

Also known as The F Word, Michael Dowse’s Toronto-set tale is a kind of When Harry Met Sally for millennials.

It sees Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe ponder the meaning of life, love, friendship and Elvis’ eating habits.

Infused with plenty of charm, memorable dialogue (“I just had sex and I’m about to eat Nachos! It’s the greatest moment of my life!”) and an early scene-stealing performance from Adam Driver.

The Witches (1990)

Anjelica Huston is both terrifying and sublime as Miss Ernst, the Grand High Witch in Nicolas Roeg’s nightmare-inducing take on Roald Dahl’s 1983 classic book.

It’s about a young boy and his grandmother whose seaside holiday takes an unexpected turn when they discover the hotel they are staying at is also playing host to a witches’ convention. The cast also includes Rowan Atkinson, Brenda Blethyn and Bill Paterson.

“Deliciously cruel to children, Roeg remains true to Dahl’s underlying sense of real horror,” wrote Empire magazine’s Ian Nathan.