5 must-see films to watch before they leave Netflix in February

One might wonder if Netflix could just keep every film or series they have ever streamed. That sure would make it easy for the rest of us to find what we love. Still, there is licensing and bandwidth to worry about.

That means every month viewers have to try to catch shows and movies before they leave the streamer for good. Or at least for a while. Thankfully, there are not a huge number of things leaving Netflix in February, but there are ones we will miss.

Below are three films you will not want to miss. You might have seen them before, but they are worth seeing again. And if you have not seen them, one might ask, "Why not?" Well, here is your chance.

Five movies leaving Netflix in February that you need to see

Cinderella Man (leaving February 28)

Say what you will about how Russell Crowe's career arc has turned out to be, but he is at the height of his powers here as a down-on-his-luck boxer who gets one more chance and makes the most of it. This is against the wishes of Crowe's character's (Jim Braddock) wife, played excellently by Renee Zellweger. Ron Howard directs. You will have all the feels from this film.

Southpaw (leaving February 20)

Two boxing movies in a row? Well, yeah. Maybe February is not only for love, but Netflix is purging a few films about fighting. This flick stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a boxer who has tragedy strike and spins out of control. He has to try to earn the trust of those he loves back. The movie goes a bit too far down the path of cliché, but it's still worth the watch.

U Turn (leaving February 24)

If you like your Oliver Stone films more in the vein of Natural Born Killers then this one is for you. Not exactly as good as that Woody Harrelson vehicle, Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez certainly make this film about an ex-con who meets a married couple who want to kill each other worth your time.

Sixteen Candles (leaving February 28)

One of John Hughes' best-loved films, Molly Ringwald proves again to be a 1980s princess and be worthy of that. The flick goes through all the assumed teenage idioms, but Hughes always was able to find the humanity in the characters, making them extremely empathetic. This has maybe not aged as well as The Breakfast Club, but it's not far below that high quality.

Stand by Me (leaving February 28)

There could be an argument that the best movie adaptations of Stephen King's work are those that are not horror-based. Stand by Me is about a group of friends who eventually go their own ways, such as how real life works many times. But those childhood memories? They last forever. The original story was part of King's collection of novellas called Different Seasons. It also included what turned out to be the film The Shawshank Redemption.