What’s Leaving HBO Now: December 2015

Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

At the beginning of each month, HBO announces which films will be leaving its library. We collect the full list of titles here so that you can plan the most effective viewing strategy for the rest of the month. For more comprehensive coverage of the best titles available on HBO and elsewhere, check out Vulture’s What to Stream Now, which is updated throughout the month.

Before she upgrades to another mental state: Her (2013)
Her memorably gifted the world with Siri Scarlett Johansson and the most zhlubbily twee Joaquin Phoenix yet. But upon second viewing, the rest of the cast stands out, too. Don’t discount Rooney Mara as Phoenix’s ex-wife, or Amy Adams, stuck with the role of the supportive friend but smart enough to convince you she’s going through her own shit. Leaving December 28.

Before the competition ends: Best in Show (2000)
What do you want? What do you want more than anything in the world? You want to watch Best in Show. Uh-huh, that’s what you want. You want Draft Day? No, you don’t want Draft Day. You want Walter Mitty? No, you don’t want Walter Mitty. You want to go home and watch Best in Show. What do you see in front of me? What do you see in front of me? You see a big blue link to Best in Show. It’s right there in front of you. You want it? You come and grab it! You get it! You watch that Best in Show! Leaving December 31.

Before Miranda gets to the building: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
There a quibble to be had with The Devil Wears Prada — the fashion is not great, Andy’s friends are low-key terrible — but this is not the place for them. The Devil Wears Prada is a great film about the workplace, how it turns people against each other, and the small but significant ways in which we realize our selfhood by taking a stand against that force. We thank Meryl for the nine years it has been in our lives — and that it was not made today, so that we would not have to deal with Adrian Grenier’s character’s inevitable Instagram feed of ugly grilled-cheese photos. Leaving December 31.

Before deployment: An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Richard Gere and Debra Winger’s chemistry — and that last scene — might have been enough to make a place for An Officer and a Gentleman among some of the best old-fashioned romances. But it’s the film clear-eyed sense of the complexity of love, and Louis Gossett Jr.’s Oscar-winning performance as Gere’s drill sergeant, that lift it even higher, where it belongs. Leaving December 31.

Before the prequels: X-Men (2000)
X-Men is a funny relic, coming as it does before the superhero-film boom of the late 2000s, and before even September 11, the memory of which hangs over so much of the genre now. It’s sillier than the X-Men movies you see now — the world-building is more a sketch than a scaffold — and Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen seem to revel in the low stakes. This is a lark, enjoy! Leaving December 31.

Last Chance to Catch:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) (December 19)
Her (2013) (December 28)

Ending December 31:
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Best in Show (2000)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Draft Day (2014)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Reno 911: Miami (2007)
Staying Alive (1983)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The Faculty (1998)
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
The Good Son (1993)
The Rock (1996)
X-Men (2000)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

For more details on the best film and television available online, consult Vulture’s What to Stream Now.

What’s Leaving HBO Now: December 2015