The best movies leaving Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Max at the end of February 2024

polygon.com:

February is coming to a close, and while the leap year makes it a slightly longer one, there’s still just barely enough time to watch all the great movies leaving streaming services at the end of the month.

This month’s streaming lineup is a strong one, with recent Oscar contenders, critical darlings, and oddball entries from the filmographies of established filmmakers. Maybe you’re in the mood for a contemplative drama about art and love, that was also the first Japanese film to get nominated for Best Picture (Drive My Car). Maybe you’d like a drama that understands the joys and complexities of family (The Farewell). Maybe you just want a weird comedy (Be Kind Rewind, The Double).

Whatever you’re looking for, there are options for you, with the added urgency of “you won’t be able to watch this here next month.”

Here are the best movies you should watch before they leave streaming this February.

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tōko Miura, Reika Kirishima
Leaving Max: Feb. 29

Drive My Car does several things miraculously well, among them transforming a 179-minute run time into an experience that feels like no time at all, weaving together a multi-layered drama about grief, love, art, hope, and the confounding complexities of human intimacy powered by a moving lead performance.

Based on Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name, Drive My Car tells the story of Yūsuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director who accepts a residency in Hiroshima to direct a multilingual production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Grieving the loss of his wife Oto (Reika Kirishima), with whom he shared a complicated yet loving relationship marred by a shocking secret, Yūsuke forms a bond with Misaki (Tōko Miura), his reserved driver, and Kōji (Masaki Okada), a brash young actor who knew Oto earlier in his life.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film is built from complex emotional stakes, brilliant and patient cinematography, and masterful editing. But