Netflix is the streaming service with the most original movies and shows, but to make room for the new stuff, some of the content you’ve always wanted to see—and have had on your to-watch list for months—must be banished from the service.
That’s because Netflix doesn’t own everything it streams. Its contracts with networks, production companies, and movie studios mean its programming constantly shifts. So, each month, we bring you up to date with a list of what’s going to disappear. We’ll highlight our top choices for what you should watch in December before they’re gone. This month sees the Transformers franchise say goodbye, along with Austin Powers, a bunch of light horror TV shows, and more.
There are a lot of big franchise movies leaving Netflix this month, but I don’t think there’s any bigger loss than E.T. Steven Spielberg’s massive box-office hit radically reshaped science fiction from the lasers-and-bad-guys space operas the genre had mostly been known for, creating an iconic alien visitor and a believable world around him. It still holds up, so watch it before it phones home.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: PG
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Idiocracy (Dec. 29)
One of those movies that gets both more and less funny with every passing year, Mike Judge’s 2006 cult classic Idiocracy is part of the canon by now. If you’ve been frozen in a tube, it stars Luke Wilson as a military volunteer who is accidentally put into hibernation and wakes up in the year 2505 to a world that’s dumber than he ever thought possible. Some all-time great gags and supporting performances put it over the top.
Evil (Dec. 31)
At its core, Evil is as unserious a monster-of-the-week show as Supernatural (also leaving this month), but it has really solid vibes and is a great binge watch. It also follows the X-Files model with one protagonist a skeptic and the other a believer, but adding Aasif Mandvi as the third part of the team gives it an off-kilter charm. If you like religiously influenced spooky stories, the three seasons of Evil are worth your time.
Everything Leaving Netflix in December 2025
December 1
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop II
Beverly Hills Cop III
Billy Madison
Clueless
Cold Pursuit
The Dark Tower
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Edge of Tomorrow
Escape Room
Game Night
The Goonies
The Happytime Murders
Inglourious Basterds
Kicking and Screaming
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Paddington
Wonka
December 3
How I Met Your Mother: Seasons 1-9
December 5
Compliance
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December 7
Gods of Egypt
December 9
Daddy’s Home
Daddy’s Home 2
December 17
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Recommended by Our Editors
December 18
The 100: Seasons 1-7
Arrow: Seasons 1-8
Supernatural: Seasons 1-15
December 25
Transformers
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
December 29
10 Things I Hate About You
Idiocracy
Sweet Home Alabama
December 30
Ready Player One
December 31
Evil: Seasons 1-3
About Our Expert
K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
Experience
K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.
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