The 2010 action-horror film Legion, starring Paul Bettany as the archangel Michael, is leaving Netflix on 31 August. The article argues that it is a representative example of the now less common mid-budget genre film: an imperfect but entertaining thriller designed for a straightforward evening’s viewing rather than blockbuster status or awards recognition.

In Legion, Michael defies heaven to protect the unborn child of a waitress at an isolated diner, as possessed humans besiege the building during an apocalypse. The 100-minute film also features Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Charles Dutton and Willa Holland; although critics reacted poorly, it earned enough to inspire the two-season Syfy spin-off Dominion in 2014.