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5 Movies and TV Shows You Can No Longer Watch

In the past, the main form of entertainment was watching movies on the screen or in theaters. In both of these scenarios, you had to wait for the film to appear on the program before you could actually watch it.

Today, in an era of streaming services, it just seems so absurd. After all, imagine not being able to watch a movie that you want right now but having to wait for it to be on TV or in your local theater.

However, even in 2024, this idea shouldn’t seem absurd, especially since there are a lot of movies that you just can’t watch, even with streaming services by your side.

Like what? You probably wonder. Well, here are the top five movies that you can only watch if you own a DVD, since they cannot be watched anywhere online.

The Abyss (1989)

The majority of movies regarding first contact with aliens revolve around the voyage through space, however, what if we were to look for them at the bottom of the sea? This is the main theme of the plot of The Abyss (although we did spoil the movie, we’re not sorry since you won’t be able to find it anyhow).

The biggest problem with this is that it’s a James Cameron movie, which makes it somehow surreal to learn that there are no streaming services with the movie rights. You may try your VPNs, as they work on most other forms of cinematic content that would be otherwise unavailable to stream, but it will be to no avail. It’s not geo-restrictions; it’s just that the movie is not out there.

There is one reason why you probably never heard about this movie: even though it was made by Cameron and featured Ed Harris, it isn’t currently available. First of all, the movie is one of Cameron’s early works, and his other works have since eclipsed it.

The movie itself had a decent critical response, and it was a box-office success. This is what makes it even more surprising that, as of today, there are no streaming services with the rights.

Rebecca (1940)

This is the only Hitchcock movie to ever win a Best Picture award, which is a tall order, considering the fact that it’s nowhere near the conversation of his best or most popular films.

It’s funny that a movie that was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry cannot be found anywhere on streaming services.

Now, the reasons why you can’t find this movie on streaming services are numerous. One of them is the fact that it’s a book adaptation, and there’s a newer adaptation by Netflix. While tastes are subjective, no one seems to like the new version, which is why it’s counterintuitive for the platform to offer a superior alternative to its own product.

The movie takes you across an entire continent. The first scenes take place in Monte Carlo on the French Riviera, which is the Las Vegas of Europe before the rise of the online casino. The action then moves to Southwestern England, which marks both the change of pace and ambiance of the movie.

Dogma (1999)

Most people would assume that a movie touching upon topics as controversial (or doing it as insensitively) as Dogma would have some sort of ban or censorship, but the problem is far more trivial and mundane.

Namely, the rights to the movie belong to Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax Films, and, according to the author of the movie, the original producer is holding the movie hostage. Since Weinstein is currently serving a well-deserved 23-year prison sentence and has been seen as a poster child of the rotten core of old-school Hollywood, most streaming services try to avoid any direct negotiations.

For this reason, Disney avoids the usual process of negotiation and jumping through hoops that the usual copywriting would require. At the moment, dealing with Weinstein is too much PR heat than any company would care to undergo. Dogma, although a relatively decent movie, is no masterpiece that would make such an ordeal worth it.

The movie itself deals with two castaway angels (played by Affleck and Damon) who are trying to exploit a loophole in their banishment from heaven and return home. The movie itself is fun, edgy, and entertaining. Those who like any of these things might consider it a proper treat.

Spice World

Until this day, it’s really hard to understand why Spice World is near-impossible to stream. There are a couple of theories, ranging from the management on the part of Spice Girls all the way to the copyright regarding the music in the film.

Sure, the Spice Girls are no longer as big as they were, but at the peak of their popularity, anything Spice Girls touched turned into gold. There are a lot of people who grew up during that era who would love nothing more than a chance to rewatch some of their favorite Spice Girls moments. It may have come into existence as a straight-out corporate cash grab, but to generations of boys and girls who grew up watching this movie (and listening to Spice Girls), it was so much more (it still is).

For a lot of people, the Spice Girls were as culturally significant as Star Wars and this is something that you have to keep in mind.

At one point, this was on iTunes, but it was almost ten years ago. This means that anyone without a copy of a DVD is down on their luck.

The movie is what you would expect it to be – a typical fan service, but it’s so much fun. The plot revolves around a series of fictional events leading up to a major concert. In a way, the movie is similar to The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. The thing is, however, that this is a common trope that movies featuring bands and pop stars do.

The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

There are even some animated movies on this list, one of which is The Brave Little Toaster. A lot of us watched, or at least saw it, growing up. If you think you haven’t just go ahead and google it. You’ll see that the animated characters are familiar.

If you’re lucky to have a VHS and a VCR with the movie, an illegal download, or a DVD of the movie, you’re out of luck.

Now, the curious thing about this movie is that all the sequels are out there; it’s just the original movie that’s missing.

The funny thing is that it was Disney that released the DVD, yet they either don’t have a licence for streaming or just don’t find it worth their platform. Moreover, it was often on Disney Channel in the 90s. The last part might be the case, seeing as how the animation wasn’t really a commercial success.

There are some movies that you’ll really have a hard time finding in 2024

Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way. Still, people prefer just watching their movies and shows on streaming services since this is the most convenient way to handle these things. Unfortunately, sometimes, even the best VPN won’t be able to help you. In these scenarios, you will have to resort to other means.

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