It may be one of the newer streaming services around but Peacock has already proven itself to be a strong presence. Along with fun new original shows like Girls5Eva and great series from the past like The Office, there are also over 1,000 movies available to stream.
While a few of these are great modern franchises like Harry Potter and Fast and the Furious, there are also several iconic classic films. Most people will immediately catch The Godfather or The Goonies but a deeper dive into Peacock's catalog will lead a subscriber to discover some great, often overlooked classic movies.
Major Payne (1995)
Sometimes, a movie can be a classic and not be beloved by critics. That's the case with Major Payne, which received mixed reviews at best upon release, holding a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes but a stronger 6.2/10 on IMDb. That's likely because it's hard not to have fun while watching it.
The film focuses on a military officer (Damon Wayans) who gets discharged and attempts to help a misfit group of cadets win a competition. Wayans is hilarious in it and scenes like his telling of The Little Engine That Could have become memorable.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Movies based on skits from Saturday Night Live can be hit or miss. Wayne's World was well-received but Superstar got poor reviews, for example. In 1980, one of the better ones arrived in The Blues Brothers, which stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
The two comedic actors mastered the characters on SNL before bringing them to the big screen. The titular brothers reform their old r&b group to raise money to save their childhood Catholic home and the laughs along the way make this something worth checking out. The sequel is also on the streaming service.
Deep Impact (1998)
It honestly seems like Deep Impact is overlooked everywhere and not just on the Peacock. When it was released, another similar film about the end of the world also came out, Armageddon, which featured huge stars like Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, while also having a hit song on the soundtrack.
Though that movie is more famous, Deep Impact shouldn't be forgotten. While the focus on a comet coming towards Earth was similar to Armageddon, this was said to be the more scientifically accurate film and does have talented actors involved like Morgan Freeman and Téa Leoni.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
The zombie genre is kind of like the vampire one in that it got done to death over the years, being tackled in pretty much every manner on both film and television. However, it could be argued that it all began way back in 1968 with the release of Night of the Living Dead.
It's George A. Romero, who is basically zombie movie royalty, at his finest. The premise is simple as it's mostly just a group of people trying to survive a zombie outbreak but it's done in a way that is both exciting and terrifying still to this day. Many zombie films over the years have been influenced by it.
Field Of Dreams (1989)
Of all of the major sports, baseball likely has the best movies. From The Sandlot for kids to Moneyball for those who like the behind-the-scenes aspect to Bull Durham and more, there are some iconic baseball films. One of the greatest is Field of Dreams, which stars Kevin Costner.
It sees a farmer in Iowa turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond after hearing a mysterious voice tell him to do so, leading to the spirits of baseball icons showing up to play. The legendary film is more relevant than ever these days since MLB actually played a game on a cornfield in Iowa to honor it in 2021.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The career of M. Night Shyamalan is an interesting one. At one time, he was considered a master of plot twists but then he had a few lackluster releases that some audiences laughed at. It all had to start somewhere and for Shyamalan, it was with The Sixth Sense.
Of all of Shyamalan's memorable plot twists, this might be the greatest, as it sees a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) work with a kid (Haley Joel Osment) who can see spirits, only for it to be revealed that Willis's character is a ghost himself. This established the filmmaker and is arguably his greatest work.
The Birds (1963)
There's a reason that Alfred Hitchcock is considered the "master of suspense." His entire filmography is a shining example of why and some of his most famous films are available on Peacock. The first one that stands out is likely 1960's Psycho.
However, a deeper look through the catalog will bring a subscriber to The Birds. Set in California, the plot sees a series of unexplained and violent bird attacks over several days. Almost every aspect of the film was praised and it still holds up in many ways all these years later.
Black Christmas (1974)
A lot of modern movie fans are unaware that this film was pretty great. Black Christmas has been remade or given sequels many times over the years, including one as recently as 2019. Some performed poorly and some got mixed reviews but many agree the best was the original.
The setup for the flick is simple and basic, but that's part of why it works so well. It tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and later murdered by a killer. Considering its release date, it could be seen as one of the pioneers of the slasher genre.
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Spike Lee is often regarded as one of the finest filmmakers of his generation. He has some early great movies like She's Gotta Have It, more modern classics like Inside Man, and even recent award winners like BlacKkKlansman. Still, in the eyes of many, his magnum opus arrived in 1989.
That's when Do The Right Thing hit theaters and nailed all of the Spike Lee trademarks. Set on a hot summer day in Brooklyn, the story focuses on the racial tension between Black residents and the Italians in the neighborhood and was nominated for several Academy Awards.
They Live (1988)
Sometimes, you just want to watch a movie that is basically an hour-and-a-half adrenaline rush. That's what They Live is, which is a cult classic that features one of the greatest fight scenes to ever grace the big screen and is still fantastic to watch today.
The story of this John Carpenter film sees a drifter do battle against aliens that have infiltrated the planet. Along with the great action, it also boasts a fun performance by professional wrestler Roddy Piper and features some quotes that have since become iconic.