A highly-rated musical biopic which clinched four Academy Awards is set to leave Netflix for UK viewers in days. The streaming platform regularly adds and removes films and series, often due to licensing agreements to host the content expiring.
As a result, from time to time, you may find that a film you’d spotted on Netflix and were planning to watch may no longer be available when you next log in. Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic about legendary British rock band Queen garnered rave reviews upon its release in October 2018, and is among a number of films scheduled to be removed from the UK offering for the time being. According to What’s on Netflix?, an unofficial site that tracks new releases, removals, and news about upcoming series, you won’t be able to find the hit-packed flick after June 16, 2025.
It tells the story of the quartet’s rise to from touring Britain as an up-and-coming band to superstardom and their famous performance at Live Aid in 1985.
The film was made with the involvement of Queen guitarist Brian May and bassist Roger Taylor and takes its title from the band’s seminal operatic 1975 song.
Mr Robot star Rami Malek stars as Freddie Mercury, the band’s mesmerising frontman, in a performance praised for its uncanny capturing of the singer’s magnestism and mannerisms.
Express.co.uk’s Arts Editor Stefan Kyriazis described Malek’s embodiment of the Queen frontman as “a remarkable creation and as close as any of us are ever going to come to Freddie in our lifetimes”.
In his review in 2018 he said he “actually jolted in my seat a couple of times when I remembered I was not actually watching the much-missed star, himself”.
Malek’s transformation into the charismatic hitmaker earned him the Best Actor gong at the Oscars the following year.
The movie also won three other Academy Awards for its sound mixing, film editing, and sound editing.
Some critics felt the film would have been improved by further exploring the struggles of Freddie’s later life, and the impact of his illness and death from complications of AIDS, seen as an important cultural moment in awareness about the disease.
However, the film chooses to focus more on the musical life of the band, and audiences praised it for its capturing of the time, and the array of huge songs that feature.
One audience reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes called Bohemian Rhapsody an “absolute banger of a biography film!”. They added: “I’m not a huge Queen fan but god dang it this movie ROCKS!”
Another said Malek “gave an amazing portrayal of Freddie Mercury, and it made the movie just as good as it was”.
“I definitely recommend it for music and drama fans!”
Another said: “For me, best movie of 2018. I literally had goosebumps though it, and the acting was brilliant. Haven’t stopped recommending it. This movie made me into a Queen fan.”
The film has an 86% on the site’s “Tomatometer” which reflects the percentage of users who rated the film 3.5 stars or higher.
Bohemian Rhapsody is on Netflix in the UK until June 16, and is also available to stream, rent or buy on other streaming platforms including Disney+, Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
