‘Titanic’ Is Leaving Netflix In August: Here’s Why It’s NOT A Big Deal

On Tuesday morning, Titanic was trending on Facebook.

Why was an 18-year-old flick on everybody’s mind? Well, because a few outlets — such as (cough) us — reported that the movie was due to be taken off Netflix in August.

While it’s always a bummer when your favorite show or film expires from Netflix, the panic surrounding Titanic’s scheduled departure is befuddling. See, there are certain popular titles that often leave Netflix for a day, a week, a month, or half a year, but then quietly return when the streaming rights revert back.
Mean Girls, Rocky, and Love Actually are all great examples of movies that slip away and then return to Netflix. Sometimes it’s a matter of renegotiating contracts, but other times, another service has yoinked the streaming rights for a short window of time. A few weeks ago, I tried to find Manhunter on Netflix for a story on Hannibal and saw that it was gone. I did some digging and realized it’s because it’s streaming on Showtime right now.

Titanic is one of those films that often leaves Netflix and comes back soon enough. So, take a deep breath and remember that your heart will go on and the film will be back and you’ll get to feel like the king of the world again.

Of course, all this hullabaloo begs the question, “Why do we like Titanic so much?” You might think that’s a dumb question and want to scream, “Because we do, gosh darn it! It’s the best!” But in 1997, industry insiders were almost certain it was due to be a flop. It was over budget, there were nightmare stories from set, and no one knew if Americans would sit through a three hour disaster flick that featured an Irish jig dance interlude.

RedLetterMedia — aka the guys behind those amazingly precise takedowns of the Star Wars prequels — used their Mr. Plinkett character to analyze why Titanic is “both one of the best movies ever made and maybe the worst.” Their conclusion? Director James Cameron shot Titanic to be a technically perfect action thriller and then edited in post-production to focus on the romance, and therefore play on our heartstrings. So, when you’re not emotionally responding to the romance, you’re caught up in the intense shoot-outs, chase scenes, and death montages. It’s definitely worth checking out — even if the character can veer off-topic into some truly dark asides.

So, who knows? Maybe if you miss Titanic before the window closes, you can check out the hour-long video above. Or you can console yourself with the knowledge that you might not be hankering for a tear-jerker. No, you really want an action flick! If so, James Cameron’s The Terminator* is also on Netflix. Or maybe you should just trust that it’s probably coming back before the end of the year. Never let go, guys. Never let go.
[Watch Titanic on Netflix before August 1]

*The Terminator also often leaves Netflix and comes back. Insert your very own “I’ll be back” joke for good measure.

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