Netflix plans to remove 41 movies in October, and while there are some real gems leaving at the start of the month, like the first five films in the Mission: Impossible spy franchise and the indie Aussie horror hit Talk to Me (see below for the complete list), I wouldn’t miss streaming this one in particular.
The Departed is one of the best crime thrillers ever made by Martin Scorsese – and I don’t make that statement lightly, considering the renowned filmmaker is also behind classics like the gritty psychological hit Taxi Driver and career-defining mafia masterpiece Goodfellas.
While many don’t often rank The Departed as the best Martin Scorsese movie, it’s worth remembering that this is the film that earned the director his first and only Oscar, and Scorsese has been nominated for the ‘Best Director’ award 10 times now.
It was a seminal moment in cinema, especially when you realize that the film itself was a Hollywood remake of the Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs that had been released five years earlier in 2002.
Many agree that The Departed can’t hold a candle to Infernal Affairs, which is a phenomenal movie also worth watching if you haven’t seen it – it’s available to stream on HBO Max and The Criterion Collection at the time of writing – but I think it’s fair to say that Scorsese’s interpretation does bring more character-focused elements to the story.
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Swapping Hong Kong’s gritty, urban streets for Boston and the Irish-American mafia, The Departed features Scorsese’s signature filmmaking style, a deep character study into the main protagonists, which is one of the biggest differences from the original – alongside the ending (but I won’t spoil that).
For the most part, though, the plots are identical: For anyone who hasn’t seen The Departed (go watch it immediately), the premise centers around a cat-and-mouse chase between an undercover cop infiltrating an Irish gang and a mole in the police force with ties to the mafia as they try to unmask each other.
It features some of the best performances I’ve ever seen from some of Hollywood’s biggest names, with Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin all being highlights of the cast.
On top of the gripping storyline, star-studded performances, and critically-acclaimed directing, The Departed also has an incredible score composed by Howard Shore, who’s best known for working on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. The soundtrack, meanwhile, features songs, such as ‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones and ‘I’m Shipping Up To Boston’ by Dropkick Murphys, that completely immerse you in the film’s setting.
For me, The Departed is a masterclass in suspense. It’s a gripping, star-studded, Oscar-winning crime saga with one of cinema’s all-time greatest twists. Yes, Infernal Affairs is still the tighter film (and well worth a watch this weekend too), but Scorsese’s version adds a character-driven weight that makes it unforgettable.
The Departed will be removed from Netflix on October 1, and you can see the full list of movies leaving the platform next month below.
What else is leaving Netflix in October 2025?
The Departed was only added to Netflix in August 2025, meaning it has only been available to stream for two months. If you don’t want to miss watching some of the best movies before they’re removed next month, take a look at the list below to see what else is leaving the platform.
Leaving on October 1:
- A Million Ways to Die in the West
- A Night at the Roxbury
- American Graffiti
- American Pie
- American Pie 2
- Antz
- Big Daddy
- Billy Madison
- Blades of Glory
- Born on the Fourth of July
- The Blues Brothers
- Dazed and Confused
- The Departed
- Dune
- Focus
- Friday Night Lights
- Good Burger
- Grown Ups
- Grown Ups 2
- Krampus
- Mission: Impossible
- Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
- Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
- Mission: Impossible II
- Mission: Impossible III
- Neighbors
- Now You See Me
- Now You See Me 2
- Old School
- Road Trip
- Rudy
- Rush Hour
- Rush Hour 2
- Rush Hour 3
- Talk to Me
- Wayne’s World
- Wayne’s World 2
- Zoolander
Leaving on October 16:
Leaving on October 20:
Leaving on October 23:
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