Peacock needs to be in more conversations about the streaming services you must have. Platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus usually populate talks about what’s worth binging on streaming. I’m here to say the NBC Universal-owned service should be in the discussion, as well. There’s always something cool to watch on it, and that applies to all tastes and genres.
Universal Pictures knows its way around producing hit blockbusters and Oscar-winning movies. After all, it’s been churning out iconic films for well over a century. And what’s cool about that is Peacock has a delightful selection of these releases for your viewing pleasure.
Oscar-winning dramas, cult comedies and family-friendly flicks are on the docket. I guarantee you’ll find something below that fits what you’re interested in. Scroll on to find more worthwhile titles you should dig into.
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Read more: Peacock Review: Few Originals, but Cheap Access to Network TV, Movies May Grab You
Shrek was the first ever movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s sort of crazy to think that animated movies weren’t recognized by the Oscars until 2001, but Shrek deserved the win. The voice performances of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy are on point and deliver delightful comedy and memorable pop culture moments. The movie helped usher in a new era of CGI effects and put DreamWorks on the map. More than two decades later, it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
Mike Judge took a break from animation with Office Space, a comedy about the brutal monotony of working in a, well, office space. The movie underperformed at the box office upon its release, but thanks to cable syndication — and the delightful performances of Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, Stephen Root, David Herman and Diedrich Bader — the film found its audience and solidified itself as a cult classic.
Weddings can be insanely funny, depending on the circumstances. Paul Feig and Kristen Wiig probably knew this when they wrote Bridesmaids, and the result is as cringey and hilarious as possible. It also helps that the movie’s stacked with talent: Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey are great together.
Edge of Tomorrow takes the time-loop trope and adds some video game logic to it. So, yes, you get to see Tom Cruise die a bunch and respawn as he learns to hold his own in this postapocalyptic world at war. That’s cool and all, but it’s Emily Blunt’s performance that is truly the highlight here. She’s tough, has grit and really is as badass as you’d expect.
Frank Darabont proved his worth with this adaptation of Stephen King’s short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It gave Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman solid material to work with and the result is an epic drama that is engaging and heartwarming. It was nominated for seven Oscars and, if winner Forrest Gump wasn’t in the running that same year, it would’ve probably brought a bunch home.
“If you build it, he will come.” Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella hears this memorable quote whispered to him on the wind and is driven to build a baseball field on his land. Unbeknownst to him, this move brings famous ghosts from baseball’s past out of the corn field to play. That said, there’s a deeper father-son relationship and themes of grief and forgiveness that make this movie so resonant.
I don’t know about you, but I come from a certain generation and, without question, we all wanted to be Ferris Bueller growing up. Matthew Broderick’s star-turning performance as the titular high school troublemaker brings epic amounts of chemistry and humor to this decade-defining flick. You’ll never hear the Beatles’ song Twist and Shout the same way again.
In 2003, Jack Black’s celebrity status was in its infancy. School of Rock changed that, showing the world the rock-and-roll magnificence of the actor-singer’s talents. Black plays a private school substitute teacher completely out of his depth — that is, until he picks up a guitar and imparts the wisdom of rock and roll to his unsuspecting students.
First-time screenwriters Ben Affleck and Matt Damon famously won the Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting, which is a legendary accomplishment. Add in Damon’s stellar acting chops and the inclusion of comedy icon Robin Williams in the dramatic role as Dr. Sean Maguire and you have a solid drama worth watching over and over. It’s really that good.
Argo is based on the true story of a CIA agent who goes undercover as a Hollywood movie producer in Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis to rescue six American diplomats. Ben Affleck stars alongside John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin, who took home the Oscar for his performance as Lester Siegel. Affleck also directed the riveting drama, which won the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year.
Look, I am not here to argue about the best Harry Potter movie in the franchise. The series is jam-packed with great stuff. However, the third installment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, really showed the world how great a Harry Potter story could be. Not to mention, it introduced Gary Oldman’s rebellious wizard Sirius Black into the mix. And you really can’t go wrong with putting Oldman in anything.
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