The weather might be getting colder, but with the holidays in sight, we can all start getting excited about a little downtime. I, for one, can’t think of a better way to enjoy it than with some good movies, and Peacock, as it happens, has some great ones to choose from.
As we take some time this week in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, I thought including one of the best war movies of all time would be appropriate. Additionally, I’ve also rounded up a nice mix of classics and new releases on Peacock that are sure to satiate whatever you’re craving.
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Dunkirk
Dunkirk is so visceral and intense that it earned a place on our list of the best war movies of all time, and for good reason. Cristopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning feature is not only a visual feast (I wish I had seen it in IMAX in theaters), but its story is one of the most epic of the Second World War. It tells the true story of the mass evacuation of more than 330,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, as German forces cut them off from retreat by land. Their only option: across the English Channel. The film brilliantly intertwines three main storylines—from the beach, as a soldier named Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) endures the relentless German attack; from the air, as an RAF fighter pilot (Tom Hardy) risks his life in dogfights to protect those on the ground; and perhaps the most emotionally-charged, a father and son who lead a convoy of civilian boats from England to rescue soldiers. Lest we forget.
4
Jurassic World: Rebirth
Sure, you could watch any of the other Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies that are all streaming on Peacock right now, too. But Jurassic World: Rebirth, the latest installment in the franchise, not only was a huge box office hit, grossing $868 million worldwide, but it also quickly hit number one when it landed on Peacock last month. And if that’s not enough, it also stars Scarlett Johansson. In true Jurassic plot style, greedy corporate jerks have found yet another way to exploit the dinosaurs we’ve brought back into existence, thus creating a cause to revisit the vicious creatures on their turf. Led by covert operative Zora Bennett (Johansson), a military team and a paleontologist venture to an abandoned research island to retrieve dino DNA that could help create a groundbreaking heart-disease treatment, more for profit than for good, it turns out. They get more than they bargained for, as the intelligent creatures quickly go from hunted to hunter, and the group must fight for their lives to get off the island.
3
Notting Hill
If you’re a sucker for a good romantic comedy to give you the feels this week, then Notting Hill is one of the best to ever do it. In a flip on the classic Cinderella trope, this 1999 film, from Love Actually writer Richard Curtis, follows mild-mannered London bookstore owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant), whose life goes on a rollercoaster ride when uber-famous American movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walks into his store, and sparks fly. As they fall for each other, William’s family and friends are hilariously gobsmacked, and William can’t quite believe it’s real, as they contend with paparazzi staking out his house and following them around. Grant is charming and adorable as William, and Roberts easily channels her movie-star allure into Anna. But make way for Rhys Ifans as William’s Welsh exhibitionist flatmate, Spike, who steals a ton of scenes. Notting Hill is famous for this line you may have heard (or even used without knowing it): “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
2
Nobody 2
The next time you feel like getting mouthy with a middle-aged dad on vacation, watch Nobody 2, and maybe you’ll keep your yap shut. I can’t think anyone better suited to the role of Hutch Mansell than Bob Odenkirk, an actor who we know can be both hysterically funny (Mr. Show, SNL) and dark and serious (Better Call Saul). This duality of work is perfect for Hutch, who, as we know from the critically-acclaimed first Nobody film, just wants to be a suburban dad, but somehow can’t keep himself and his family from being targeted by gangsters and really bad people. Such is the plot of Nobody 2. While on vacation with the family in a small tourist town, Hutch is again forced into assassin beast mode when his family is threatened by a corrupt sheriff and a dangerous crime boss. Odenkirk, again, pulls off the action-packed fight scenes like John Wick in a Hawaiian shirt. While Nobody 2 does bear several similarities to the first, it’s still a fun action film made worthwhile by Odenkirk. Nobody 2 premieres exclusively on Peacock on November 14.
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The Northman
When I first saw the trailer for Robert Eggers’ barbarous Viking tale The Northman, with a ripped and hulking Alexander Skarsgård stalking the countryside, all I could think of was how far the now-acclaimed actor has come since the gas-fight scene in Zoolander. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Skarsgård leads this R-rated dark fantasy with vigor, as he embodies Amleth, a young prince in a fictional 10th-century Scandinavia, whose life is destroyed when his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) murders his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), and takes his mother (Nicole Kidman) for himself. Amleth escapes and dedicates his life to this motto: “I will avenge you, father; I will save you, mother; I will kill you, Fjölnir.” With calculated patience and stealth, the orphaned prince carries out his plan, with the help of Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Slavic sorceress he befriends. Keep an eye out for Björk, who appears as the otherworldly Seeress, guiding Amleth along the way.
Peacock not only has a solid catalog of TV shows to tuck into, but it’s also been surprising me with it’s excellent library of movies. With dozens of new titles coming and going each month, subscribers to the NBCUniversal-owned platform can expect a constant flow of films.
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