Hang in there, folks. 2021, the nonstop roller coaster that none of us ever wanted to ride in the first place, is almost in the books and we can look forward to 2022 either giving us a much-needed clean slate … or just more of the same. I'm not a betting man, but I know which way I'm leaning. In any case, we thankfully have the distraction of movies and shows to keep us occupied as another month winds to a close and the Great Streaming Shuffle begins yet another cycle of titles jumping from one platform to another. In this edition, we've included a host of movies and shows that are set to leave Netflix at the end of January 2022. If you've been resting in the false assurance that you can always get around to these titles at some undetermined point in the future, well, I've got some bad news for you. But on the bright side, you have more than a month to check these out. What are you waiting for? Get to it!

Snowpiercer

If you're looking for feel-good entertainment to perk up your spirits this time of year, boy do I have the movie for you: a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by climate change, humanity reduced to a single dystopian community (if you can even call it that), and a hard-hitting class parable that feels more and more relevant by the day. Yeah, "Snowpiercer" is wholly unfamiliar with the idea of "subtlety," but sometimes desperate times call for subtext-as-text screeds filtered through a new and insightful lens. Before the world finally took notice of him after winning Best Picture for "Parasite," Bong Joon-ho delivered the shockingly dark and violent sci-fi thriller "Snowpiercer" in 2013. Boasting Chris Evans' absolute best performance to date, a scenery-chewing Tilda Swinton, the always-reliable Song Kang-ho, and possibly one of the most stomach-churning lines of dialogue in recent memory, this film is a lot to take in, but it's a trip into hell that's well worth taking.

A Ghost Story

A24 has somehow cornered the market in terms of building a very specific brand for itself, despite functioning as a distribution studio. Nevertheless, "A Ghost Story" easily sums up many of the stereotypes for these films — quiet, ambiguous, and largely bereft of plot. A more uncharitable description would call these types of movies "gimmicky," but director David Lowery ("Pete's Dragon," "The Green Knight") sidesteps these lazy critiques with relative ease. After Casey Affleck dies (not literally him, but he spends the majority of the film in a bedsheet with two eyeholes poked through it and hardly any dialogue, so the distinction doesn't really matter much), we're treated to an introspective, thoughtful, and centuries-spanning mood piece that never once shies away from uncomfortable musings on legacy, our mortality, and the loved ones left behind. Also, Rooney Mara spends five minutes eating a pie in a single unbroken shot. "A Ghost Story" defies expectations and may test the patience of some, but those on its particular wavelength will never forget the experience.

The Bling Ring

Few things are as hard to capture in film as farce, and that goes double for movies that happen to feature a host of unlikable characters. The odds were stacked against Sofia Coppola's adaptation of a Vanity Fair article about a bunch of spoiled teenagers breaking into celebrity houses and stealing all their stuff, to say the least. But even though I wouldn't put it anywhere near Coppola's best efforts, there's still a certain sense of perverse, maybe even guilty-pleasure joy to be had from "The Bling Ring." Critics at the time were right about how empty calorie the movie feels and were correct to feel grossed out by the toxic behaviors of the characters on display … but where many erred was in assuming that the movie itself isn't in on the entire joke. The particularly winking approach to such extravagant shallowness isn't for everyone, but it's hopefully not too controversial to say that this one is better than its reputation would suggest.

Cloud Atlas

Who says masterpieces can't also be flawed and messy? The Wachowskis are extremely familiar with the idea of excess and biting off more than they could chew, but "Cloud Atlas" remains a shining example of filmmaker idiosyncrasies perfectly lining up with material that they were simply born to adapt. No, you can't (and shouldn't) ignore the appalling yellowface used throughout certain segments of the film, which crosscuts between time and space in a truly universal story that spans the eons. That said, the film is packed full of such heart, empathy, and adoring love for the good that humanity is capable of … even if we have to confront our worst inclinations to realize that. For such a supposedly "unfilmable" book, the Wachowskis funneled all their interests as filmmakers into one epic journey, anchored by some of our greatest living actors and brought to life with a deft touch. For those looking to dive into the Wachowskis' filmography before "The Matrix Resurrections" — fun fact, it's co-written by David Mitchell, the author of the original novel — "Cloud Atlas" feels like a key to unlocking exactly who they are as storytellers.

Shutter Island

I can't believe I have to say this, but contrary to popular opinion, Martin Scorsese doesn't only just make mafia movies. "Shutter Island" may be shaggier than his absolute best films, but the neo-noir is perhaps one of the best examples of Scorsese having an absolute blast as he homages classic films from years past. Led by Leonard DiCaprio as a wholly unreliable narrator, we're invited to get sucked into a disturbing, but strangely compelling yarn that will infuriate the literalists among us. Ambiguity and figurative storytelling is the name of the game here, as the increasingly dire circumstances that DiCaprio's detective, Teddy Daniels, finds himself in only reflects our own fallibility and insecurities. The ending might be a little too telegraphed to result in the kick in the gut it's clearly meant to be, but Scorsese is one director whose rare missteps only make things even more interesting.

Movies And TV Shows Leaving Netflix In November 2021

Leaving 1/1/22

Snowpiercer

Leaving 1/5/22Episodes: Seasons 1-5 Leaving 1/6/22A Ghost StoryBallerinaDr. Seuss' The LoraxLeaving 1/10/22Hardy Bucks: Seasons 1-4Leaving 1/11/22Betty White: First Lady of TelevisionLeaving 1/15/22The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2The Twilight Saga: EclipseThe Twilight Saga: New MoonTwilight Leaving 1/17/22The Bling RingHomefrontLeaving 1/21/22The Shannara Chronicles: Seasons 1-2 Leaving 1/31/22Bleach: The EntryBleach: The RescueBleach: The SubstituteCloud AtlasThe General's DaughterMy Girl 2My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Seasons 1-8Mystic RiverShutter Island

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