Movies come and go on Amazon Prime Video all the time once the license for the title expires. Sometimes, they move to another streamer, sometimes even to Amazon’s own Freevee service. Occasionally, you’ll find that once a movie leaves, it’s not available to stream anywhere else. Your only option is to pay for a rental or (gulp!) hunt for it in the DVD section of your local electronics shop.
If you want to avoid that, we have a list of five movies leaving Prime Video in September you have to watch before they’re gone. These are all top-quality films that are leaving the service soon, so sit back, relax, and get the most out of your Amazon Prime or standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
This 2016 remake of the 1960 movie of the same name is a thrilling action Western set in 1879. The Magnificent Seven is about seven individuals, each with unique skills, banding together to fight a robber baron and gold mining tycoon who have taken control of a small town. There’s everyone from a trick shooter, an outlaw, an assassin, and a legendary mountain man who make up the titular seven.
The Magnificent Seven has a star-studded cast led by Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Martin Sensmeier. Also featured is Peter Sarsgaard, Matt Bomer, and Haley Bennett. While the movie might not be as good as the classic original on which it’s based, The Magnificent Seven is an exciting, action-packed movie that delivers exactly what you’d expect from a solid Western.
Stream The Magnificent Seven on Amazon Prime Video.
The Physician (2013)
Before starring The Walking Dead and the short-lived Fox procedural Prodigal Son, Tom Payne headed up the cast in this German historical drama based on the Noah Gordon novel of the same name. He’s Robert Cole in The Physician, a young man with the gift of being able to determine when someone has a terminal illness. He can literally feel when someone is on death’s door. Robert sets out on a mission, disguising himself and his Christian faith so he can work alongside a surgeon. He wants to learn the basics of medieval medicine, despite his religion viewing it as “black magic.”
Set in an 11th century English town where the church and the medical care they call “witchcraft” are at odds, The Physician is a wonderfully visual spectacle, even if not an entirely accurate historical account. Also starring Ben Kingsley and Stellan Skarsgård, The Physician serves as a thought-provoking commentary on religion as well.
Stream The Physician on Amazon Prime Video.
Miss Potter (2006)
Beatrix Potter is one of the most famous children’s authors and illustrators, best known for creating the iconic character Peter Rabbit. In this biographical drama about her life, she’s played by Renée Zellweger while Ewan McGregor plays her publisher and fiancé, Norman. Miss Potter is a wonderful story about a talented writer who fought to get her books published and her parents to accept her relationship with a tradesmen.
The story ends in tragedy but also hope, navigating the sweet, tense, sad, and encouraging moments with ease. Those who don’t know Potter’s backstory but grew up with her books, who maybe even still read them to their own children and grandchildren, will appreciate Miss Potter. You’ll “walk away feeling as if we’ve just seen the biography of one of the most vital, steadfast, and unselfish persons to ever grace the Earth,” writes Michael Clark in his Epoch Times review.
Stream Miss Potter on Amazon Prime Video.
Winter’s Bone (2010)
Jennifer Lawrence impressed with her performance in this coming-of-age drama based on the Daniel Woodrell novel of the same name. She plays Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old woman living in poverty who goes on a desperate search for her missing father. Her mother Connie is mentally ill, leaving Ree responsible for her 12-year-old brother Sonny and 6-year-old sister Ashlee. If they can’t manage to make ends meet, the family will be evicted from their home. Her father Jessup, though a criminal, got them into the mess because of his involvement in the drug underworld. But he also might be her only hope.
Winter’s Bone earned four Academy Award nominations, including one for Lawrence that, at the time, made her the second-youngest Best Actress nominee ever at just 20 years old. A heartbreaking and raw story, Winter’s Bone brings the pages of Woodrell’s book to life on screen in a beautifully poignant way. The movie has sustained an impressive 94% Rotten Tomatoes critics score since its debut almost 15 years ago.
Stream Winter’s Bone on Amazon Prime Video.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)
Looking for something fun to watch with the kids or grandkids? The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is still available to stream, but it’s leaving soon. Based on the popular cartoon character and animated series, the adventure comedy features the regular voice cast from the series, which includes Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, and Rodger Bumpass, as well as Antonio Banderas in a live-action role as Burger Beard. The plot centers around Beard stealing the secret Krabby Patty formula, giving SpongeBob and his friends no choice but to travel to the surface of the ocean to try and retrieve it.
As the second movie based on the show, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is an adorable, family-friendly film for kids who love the characters and show. It was a smashing box office success that critics praised, like CineVue’s Victoria Luxford who highlights the “energy, colors, and simple humor” in her review.
Stream The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water on Amazon Prime Video.