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Tom’s Guide

Technology

Alyse Stanley

7 best movies to watch before they leave Hulu and Netflix in July 2023

Hulu Netflix James Bond Will Smith Katniss Everdeen Chris Gardner Daniel Craig Denzel Washington Donnie Yen Eli

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games

Trying to remember what movies are coming and going on the best streaming services each month is a tall order. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's everything leaving Netflix and Hulu in July 2023, from teen dramas like The Hunger Games and the Twilight saga to action-packed thrillers like Skyfall and the Ip Man series. Technically, all these series leaving means there are 17 movies to watch before they leave, but since not everyone's a fan of all of these franchises, we're counting each series as one.

Granted, we may see these titles eventually find their way back onto Netflix, Hulu or other streaming services in the coming months. But it's anyone's guess when and where that may be. In the meantime, put your subscription to work and watch these seven movies before they're gone, whether you're looking to binge some old favorites or finally give a new series a try while you still have the chance.

Here's what to watch before they leave Netflix and Hulu in July 2023.

Best movies leaving Hulu

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Pokémon Detective Pikachu is the rare video game movie adaptation that captures all the joy and heart of the source material. The first live-action film based on the hit Pokémon series, it follows Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), a once-aspiring Pokémon trainer who gave up on his dreams and grew estranged from his police detective father after his mother's death.

After being informed his dad died in a car accident, he heads to his apartment to clean up and discovers the shock of his life: his father's Pikachu, who speaks in plain English (none of that "Pika Pika" crap) that only he can understand.

Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) convinces Tim that his father is alive, and they join forces to unravel the mystery of his disappearance while uncovering a sinister plot afoot. It's a fun mystery adventure stuffed with Easter eggs and references for die-hard fans that still has plenty for non-Pokémon players to enjoy.

Watch on Hulu before July 31

The Hunger Games series

Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games books arrived as a tour de force in the world of young adult fiction in the early 2000s and 2010s. Given the flood of copycat works it inspired, it's easy to forget how genuinely compelling the original was (and the critique that Hunger Games is a Battle Royale knockoff).

Sadly, the saga of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her ground roots coup against the Capitol is leaving Hulu in July, which is as good as an excuse as any to revisit the series and remember why it blew up in the first place.

The series is set in a dystopian America of the future where children fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games, to entertain the ruling classes in the capitol of Panem. Katniss Everdeen emerges as an unlikely champion from one of the poorest districts, å what begins as a contest for survival snowballs into a full-blown revolution.

Of course, this wouldn't be a young adult flick without a love triangle, but thankfully the teenage drama takes a back seat to the political intrigue and nail-biting action of the games themselves.

Watch on Hulu before July 31

The Twilight Saga

Speaking of teen dramas, all five films of the Twilight saga are also leaving Hulu in July.

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) play star-crossed lovers in this young adult classic. She's the new girl in town, he's a vampire who sparkles in the sunlight and doesn't drink blood. They fall in love, he introduces her to his vampire family, there's a struggle to keep her safe from another coven, werewolves show up and Bella must pick a side, and so on and so forth.

While not a Twilight fan myself, I can appreciate how these films' overwhelming popularity forced Hollywood to take young female audiences seriously. I've never been able to make it past the baseball game sequence in the first movie myself, but who knows, maybe I'll try watching it again before it's gone.

Watch on Hulu before July 16

The Book of Eli (2010)

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures / PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo)

The Denzel Washington sci-fi action flick The Book of Eli debuted amid the world's collective obsession with post-apocalyptic and disaster movies in the early 2010s. But even in a sea of wash-out dystopian wastelands, it stood out among the pack.

Set 30 years after a nuclear holocaust, it stars Washington as the titular Eli, a survivor with an uncanny sense of resourcefulness and a mysterious book sought by evil forces. It quickly becomes clear that this book could serve as a catalyst for humanity's future. But as Eli sets out to deliver his precious cargo to a place where it'll remain safe, he's overtaken by a biker gang led by a warlord (played by Gary Oldman), leading to some impeccably choreographed fight scenes.

The Book of Eli surprised audiences when it came out with its complex themes and compelling world-building, as well as a twist ending that continues to spark discourse to this day.

Watch on Hulu before July 31

Best movies leaving Netflix

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Will Smith shows off his range in this 2006 drama that will tug at your heartstrings, even more so knowing that it's based on a true story. With The Pursuit of Happyness, Italian filmmaking powerhouse Gabriele Muccino adapts the memoir of motivational speaker Chris Gardner, a single father who works his way up from living on the streets to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Smith scored an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Gardner, who struggles to adjust to the corporate rat race and provide for his son, played by Smith's real-life son, Jaden, while completing an unpaid internship at a prestigious stockbroker. His pride and refusal to share his dire circumstances with his support network kneecap the family as much as their dwindling resources. Smith's performance as a struggling father forced to make impossible decisions is as heartbreaking as it is inspirational, and the genuine connection between him and his son Jaden comes off loud and clear.

Watch on Netflix before July 31

Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig's most revered James Bond outing, Skyfall, follows a worn-out and aging Agent 007 who returns to his duties after a terrorist attack on MI6's headquarters. It's widely considered to mark the peak of Craig's era of the James Bond franchise, featuring a star-studded cast and Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead).

Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) joins the ranks of iconic Bond villains as Raoul Silva, a former intelligence agent hell-bent on getting revenge against M for leaving him to rot in a Chinese prison camp. Silva's attack flushes Bond out of retirement, where he's forced to face off against a dark reflection of himself and what could have been had things with MI6 shaken out differently.

Watch on Netflix before July 31

Ip Man series

(Image credit: Photo 12 / Alamy Stock Photo)

If you're not into martial arts flicks, you may not have heard of the IP Man franchise. But if you enjoyed Donnie Yen's standout performance as the blind assassin in John Wick Chapter 4, just wait to you see him as the titular Grandmaster Ip Man.

Yen stars as the groundbreaking martial artist and real-life instructor of the legendary Bruce Lee. Rather than your run-of-the-mill biopic, Ip Man unfolds as an action-packed epic. It's chock full of death-defying stunts and cinematic fight scenes as it follows Ip's life in the city of Foshan during the Sino-Japanese War.

Along with the original Ip Man, the sequels Ip Man 2, Ip Man 3 and Ip Man 4: The Finale are leaving Netflix on July 20. So there's never been a better time to get in on the fist-flying action of one of the best martial-arts series of the 21st century.

Watch the series on Netflix before July 20