Last call: Titles leaving Netflix in December 2018

(KUTV) With the extended Thanksgiving break upon us, you might find yourself sitting in front of a television wondering how to spend your next few hours. Here are seven noteworthy titles from a variety of genres that are scheduled to leave Netflix over the next few weeks.

The Game

Following the success of "Se7en," director David Fincher inexplicably fell off the map with 1997's "The Game," a quality thriller about a man (Michael Douglas) who is invited to take part in a game that blurs reality and fiction. Think of it as a massive escape room gone completely awry.

Trolls

Essentially "Trolls" is a film about a repressed group of society that tries to avoid being eaten, literally, by their oppressive overlords. It's also an incredibly colorful pop music explosion featuring the vocal talents of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel and a bunch of other amiable actors and singers. It's 99 percent sugar and one percent substance, but sometimes you need a little cotton candy. (Leaving 12/7/18)

Battle Royale

"Battle Royale" tells the story of a group of classmates are sent to an island to battle to the death for a live television audience. Released in 1999, years before "The Hunger Games," this notorious Japanese film didn't see an official release in America until 2010. Nothing adds to the mystique of a film more than not actually being able to see it. The film features its share of gore, but the script is smarter than you might think and the social commentary is still (if not more so) relevant. (Leaving 12/8/18)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

John le Carré's 1974 novel "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is considered one of the espionage genre's classics. It was originally made into a fantastic BBC miniseries in 1979 starring Alec Guinness. This film, a slender and engrossing adaptation starring (take a deep breath) Gary Oldman, Colin Firt, Tomy Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds. It's a slow burn of a thriller, rather than a non-stop action film, but I recently had the opportunity to talk with a pair of former CIA agents who listed this, along with the original miniseries, as one of the few examples, along with the Mission: Impossible franchise, of spy films and television programs that they enjoyed. (Leaving 12/16/18)

Disney's Moana

As we near the launch of Disney's standalone streaming service Disney+, there's been a slow exodus of the studio's films from Netflix. "Moana," the studio's tribute to ancient Polynesian culture, was a step outside of the traditional princess story and was nominated for a pair of Oscars in the Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song categories. (Leaving 12/20/18)

Spotlight

Tom McCarthy's "Spotlight," a film about the Boston Globe team that uncovered the child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber and won Oscars in the Best Picture and Best Original screenplay in 2016. It's a tremendous film and an example of the importance of investigative journalist, an increasingly endangered profession. (Leaving 12/22/18)

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Inspiring cosplayers since 2003, "Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was highly enjoyable pirate romp that featured an over-the-top performance by Johnny Depp that confounded the studio. Depp's career, for better or worse, has never been the same since. The sequels were a bit dodgy, but the original still entertains. (Leaving 12/25/18)

A complete list of titles leaving Netflix in December 2018

Leaving 12/1/18

Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever
Groundhog Day
Happily N'Ever After
Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Hellraiser
Sons of Anarchy: Seasons 1-7
Spider-Man 3
Spy Hard
Stephen King's Children of the Corn
Swept Under
The Covenant
The Game

Leaving 12/4/18

Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
Air Bud: Spikes Back
Air Bud: World Pup
Air Buddies
Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales
Spooky Buddies
Tarzan & Jane
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
The Search for Santa Paws
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

Leaving 12/7/18

Trolls

Leaving 12/10/18

Battle Royale
Battle Royale 2
Teeth

Leaving 12/15/18

Step Up 2: The Streets

Leaving 12/16/18

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Leaving 12/17/18

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Leaving 12/19/18

Ip Man: The Final Fight

Leaving 12/20/18

Disney's Moana
Food, Inc.
I Give It a Year

Leaving 12/22/18

Spotlight

Leaving 12/25/18

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Leaving 12/31/18

Troy