So, once you sign up for Peacock at $0.99 per month (opens in new tab) (savings of $4 per month), you can either test your luck by scrolling through the endless list of menus — or use our curated list of some of the best films on the service. And you’re not relying on our own expertise, either. While I’ve spent much of the year watching movies, looking for what to recommend and what to push people away from, I know that one man’s opinion is hardly enough for a serious set of picks. So, I’ve made sure that all of the recommendations have high scores on Rotten Tomatoes, the site that collects and organizes positive and negative reviews. The lowest score in our main list has an 82%, which is still pretty darn good. Here are the 7 movies I’d watch first after signing up for Peacock’s Black Friday deal.
NOPE
Jordan Peele’s latest masterpiece, Nope, recently arrived on Peacock, and it’s one of the best reasons to sign up for the $0.99 per month Black Friday deal. Having seen it three times now (I own it on 4K Blu-ray), I know I should spoil as little as possible up front, as the surprises of this mystery are worth the wait. Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings who are running a ranch where stunt horses are trained to have their big moments on the big screen. But things start to get odd at a nearby amusement park owned by a former child star (played by Steven Yeun), and that’s the last I’ll say, except for this: keep your eyes in the skies. You’ll be white-knuckling your remote as the drama increases, and start wondering what the heck is going on. Genres: Mystery, thriller Rating: R Year: 2022 Running time: 2 hours, 15 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Booksmart
One of those criminally-underseen and appreciated comedies, Booksmart is often pitched as “Superbad, but with girls.” In a way, that rings true, as it’s about close friends managing the emotions that come with the end of high school. Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) spent these past four formative years as a pair who only cared about the achievements that would matter to universities, instead of anything their peers would care about. Now, on the eve of graduation, Amy’s got a crush that Molly’s finally able to push her to pursue, while Molly’s dealing with anxiety over how she spent high school. Hilarious — and one of those movies you’ll be amazed sits under the radar — Booksmart was Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, and gave many confidence in a strong career to come. Genre: Comedy Rating: R Year: 2019 Running time: 1 hour, 42 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Classics earn that title for a reason, and Peacock boasts an all-timer with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Its story is simple, as the titular shin-high alien comes down from outer space to make friends with Elliot (Henry Thomas) and Gertie (a young Drew Barrymore) and influence years of cinema to come. Once E.T.’s existence is less of a secret and more of a government concern, our heroes do their best to protect their visitor, who is falling ill. An utter delight of a movie, a fairy-tale that isn’t cloying or twee, E.T. is a winner because of director Steven Spielberg’s restraint. Not only did he understand the audience at the time, but the film proves he has always understood what makes for emotionally-compelling adventure that no family member can say no to. Genres: Sci-fi, family Rating: PG Year: 1982 Running time: 1 hour, 55 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the many great films about people who are very good at doing something — in this case, playing music. Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) stars as Andrew, an aspiring young jazz drummer desperate to gain a seat in the tutelage of famed instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). But as you might expect based on every character Simmons has ever played, Fletcher is a demanding (some might say terrorizing) teacher. And as he pushes Andrew to improve as a drummer, the student questions the master’s tactics and methods. Director Damien Chazelle gained merited applause for helming a film that dances on a taut tightrope. Genre: Drama Rating: R Year: 2014 Running time: 1 hour, 46 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Winter’s Bone
Jennifer Lawrence was already a star well before she got to play any Hunger Games, thanks to her breakthrough role in Winter’s Bone. Here, she played Ree Dolly, a teen with too much asked of her. Forced to manage her family’s household — parenting her two younger siblings while her mother’s not-quite there and her dad is a missing-in-action criminal — Lawrence previewed the brilliance we’d see on screen for years. Winter’s Bone’s true drama, though, sets in when she needs to find her father because he’s put the family house up for bond. Genre: Drama Rating: R Year: 2010 Running time: 1 hour, 39 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Croupier
Writers take odd jobs, and Jack (Clive Owen) has gone for the drama with his latest job as a croupier — a casino employee who deals with gamblers on the floor. A taut and tense film, one that’s much more artful than you’d possibly expect about the world of gambling, Croupier was one of Owen’s breakthrough roles. Dealing cards and managing customers who ask him to bend the rules, Jack’s got worse odds of survival than a craps player. Genres: Mystery, drama Year: 1998 Rating: R Running time: 1 hour, 31 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
The Black Phone
The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) is a child-abductor haunting a small town in a Denver suburb, and the only way to stop him will revolve around a supernatural phenomenon you wouldn’t see coming. Especially when it involves a landline phone. But it all makes sense, though, when you learn that it’s based on the work of Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son who uses a pseudonym. Aside from this movie not being set in the north-east, in a town in Maine, this movie has all of the best Stephen King archetypes. Phenomenally tense, The Black Phone places us in the shoes of siblings Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), and after the former gets abducted, the latter calls upon a familial ability to try and find him. All the while, they’re dealing with their shell of a father. Haunting in its own right, and simmering until it hits a crescendo that will have you pumping your fist in the air, The Black Phone is one of our favorite movies of 2022. Genres: Horror, supernatural Year: 2022 Rating: R Running time: 1 hour, 42 min. Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% Watch on Peacock (opens in new tab)
Other highly-rated movies on Peacock
Glengarry Glen Ross (98% RT)Chicken Run (97% RT)The Love Witch (95% RT)Bridesmaids (89% RT)Half Nelson (91% RT)National Lampoon’s Animal House (91% RT)Uncut Gems (91% RT)
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