Netflix Losing Its Only Stanley Kubrick Movies This Weekend
Two of the most controversial movies directed by Stanley Kubrick are leaving Netflix at the end of the week. A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut will leave the streamer on Saturday, Dec. 31. Other Kubrick films are available to stream on HBO Max.
A Clockwork Orange hit theaters in 1971 and is based on Anthony Burgess' dystopian nightmare novel. Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex DeLarge, a charismatic and antisocial delinquent who leads a group of "droogs" to wreak havoc on London. After he is captured, authorities try an extreme rehabilitation method. The movie is marked by its graphic violence and was controversial from the moment it hit theaters. It was originally rated X in the U.S. but still earned four Oscar nominations in 1972. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Today, the movie is rated R. Although it is leaving Netflix, it is available on HBO Max. In 2020, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry.
In a recent interview with Variety, McDowell said no one could have believed that A Clockwork Orange would remain so fresh over 50 years later. "It's still talked about. It's a phenomenon," McDowell said. "I can't think of one other film that has that kind of [thing]: young people find it, and call it their own. Every generation [does]. It's a sort of rite of passage. Isn't that amazing?"
Eyes Wide Shut remains controversial for many other reasons. The 1999 movie stars Tom Cruise as Dr. Bill Harford whose masculinity is threatened after his wife Alice, played by Nicole Kidman, reveals that she once thought about having an affair. He then goes on a night-long adventure, which culminates in attending a mysterious orgy. Kubrick died six days after he showed the final cut to Warner Bros. When it was released, the movie was a box office smash thanks to its stars, but critics and movie fans will continue debating the value of Eyes Wide Shut for as long as movies exist. It is based on Arthur Schnitzler's novella Traumnovelle.
While Netflix will soon be without any Kubrick movies, fans can still find some of his work on HBO Max. In addition to A Clockwork Orange, HBO Max also currently has Lolita, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining and Barry Lyndon. All of Kubrick's movies are available on DVD and Blu-ray, as well.