Netflix Officially Says Goodbye to a Sci-Fi Space Opera Masterpiece Next Week

The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s 1997 sci-fi adventure starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, will leave Netflix at the end of September after a limited streaming window. The film follows Korben Dallas, a former soldier turned taxi pilot, who teams with Leeloo, a reconstructed divine being, to activate four elemental stones and prevent an ancient cosmic threat. Its departure closes a brief but notable streaming run for a movie long celebrated for its vibrant visuals and eccentric storytelling.

The film’s production faced an early crisis when footage, including a pivotal scene with a blue-skinned alien opera singer, was damaged at Los Angeles International Airport after a forklift ran over film canisters. Associate producer John Amicarella later recounted finding the wreckage in trashcans, yet the sequence was ultimately salvaged, allowing the movie to proceed. The incident underscored the challenges behind a production that would become a landmark of 1990s sci-fi cinema.

Set in a hyper-stylized 23rd-century New York, The Fifth Element blends comic-book energy with surreal design, featuring costumes by Jean-Paul Gaultier, neon-soaked visuals, and performances that oscillate between menace and camp. Gary Oldman’s industrialist Zorg and Chris Tucker’s flamboyant radio host Ruby Rhod anchor a cast that leans into the film’s maximalist tone, while Leeloo’s bandage costume and glowing orange hair define its unapologetically bold aesthetic.

Despite its outlandish premise and extravagant style, the film’s core is a straightforward fable about hope and love overcoming existential peril. Besson’s direction balances spectacle with sincerity, culminating in a climactic appeal to human connection rather than brute force. The movie’s enduring appeal lies in its refusal to temper its strangeness, offering a vision of the future that feels as alive as it does alien.