Simply put, Peacock has the movies you want to watch. When we talk about the epic titles available to watch on streaming, the conversation tends toward powerhouse streamers like Netflix and Prime Video. As you can conclude from this article, the NBC Universal-owned platform absolutely should be included. It’s jam-packed with epic films that would easily elevate any movie night.
This should come as no surprise; Universal Pictures is responsible for the very first blockbuster — Happy 50th Birthday, Jaws! — and has shelled out box office-busting, Oscar-caliber films for more than a century. Yes, the content roster here is pretty epic. With exclusive streaming rights to popular titles like Wicked, Peacock is a formidable streamer to reckon with.
I’ll be honest with you, here: Putting this list together was challenging. There’s a large selection of high-quality flicks worth watching on Peacock and I found it hard to narrow down this guide to something manageable. But I did it and the 12 titles listed below are the cream of the crop.
Whether you’re looking for the cinematic spectacle of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the comedic excellence of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in The Birdcage, or action hits like Jurassic Park and The Matrix, you’ll find a flick worth hitting the Play button on by the time you reach the bottom of the page. Scroll on to see for yourself.
Read more: Peacock Review: Few Originals, but Cheap Access to Network TV, Movies May Grab You
What is there to be said about Jurassic Park that hasn’t already been said? Steven Spielberg brought Michael Crichton’s hit book to life and pretty much changed how dinosaurs were depicted on screen. This movie was a big deal when it premiered and showcased an array of jaw-dropping special effects. Three decades later, the franchise continues to expand. But as awesome as it is to see dinos dominate the big screen, these movies never achieve the glory of the original.
As you’ll see, this list includes two movies starring Keanu Reeves. I didn’t plan this but Peacock has the John Wick and Matrix franchises, which are extremely watchable. I’d argue that all of the John Wick movies are worth streaming but the first installment has that special energy of an original story spreading its wings. And to think, all this could’ve been avoided if they hadn’t messed with John Wick’s dog.
Julia Roberts won the Oscar for her lead role in Steven Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich, and for good reason: She’s an absolute powerhouse in this. The movie is based on Brockovich’s life and her evolution from divorced mother of three to formidable investigative paralegal who, under the mentorship of Albert Finney’s Ed, took on Pacific Gas & Electric and exposed them for contaminating the water supply of a local community.
Patrick Swayze showcased all the right moves in 1987’s Dirty Dancing. He may not have used his dance skills in many of his films but his work as Johnny Castle in this sleeper hit helped put him on the map. The movie follows a 17-year-old girl named Frances (or “Baby” for those in the know), who takes a summer trip to a Catskills resort with her family and falls in love with the bad boy dance instructor. My advice: Ignore the questionable age gap between the two and, instead, lean into the cheesy romance of it all.
Mike Nichols directed this comedy classic, inspired by the 1978 French movie La Cage aux Folles. Led by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, the movie follows the story of an out and proud gay couple who must hide their relationship when the conservative parents of their son’s fiancée come to visit. Gene Hackman and Dianne Weist are fantastic, and Hank Azaria’s Agador Spartacus steals the show.
Look, what can be said about The Big Lebowski that hasn’t already been said? This is the Coen brothers at their most iconic. Jeff Bridges’s take on the role solidified the actor as a pop culture legend, and his laid-back vibe helps to deliver the craziness that transpires throughout the entire film. John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Sam Elliott and even Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers all deliver memorable performances. If you’ve never seen this one, you’re in for quite a ride. And if you have, isn’t it about time for a rewatch?
The Wachowskis kicked the sci-fi genre in the teeth when The Matrix premiered in theaters in 1999. The movie, which spawned a series of sequels, an animated spin-off and a string of comic books, tells the tale of Neo (Keanu Reeves) a man who grapples with the concept that our reality isn’t real at all and, in the process of dealing with that brain-breaker, he’s also part of a resistance movement in a dystopian nightmare where he’s acknowledged as the potential savior of humanity. Hey, no big deal, right? Not only did this movie propel Reeves into a blockbuster superstar but it also introduced groundbreaking special effects that helped push the genre and filmmaking itself into the 21st century.
Jaws turns 50 years old this year, which is a crazy thing to type. Steven Spielberg’s action movie about a vengeful shark changed the way movies are made. This right here was the first-ever summer blockbuster — for a reason. The movie is full of Alfred Hitchcock-style suspense but what makes it so watchable is the dynamic between the lead actors Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. Come for Quint’s (Shaw) epic drunk monologue, stay for the unnerving 4 (yes 4) minutes that the great white is actually on screen.
The big-budget, big-screen musical adaptation of the hit Broadway play, which stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, took the box office by storm. Wicked — which is the first half of a two-movie journey — follows the duo, who become unlikely friends during their time as students at Shiz University, and gives a look at the Land of Oz before Dorothy’s house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East.
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film explores the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played to perfection by Cillian Murphy), the physicist who played a pivotal role in developing the atomic bomb. The story unfolds throughout various points of Oppenheimer’s life, offering a well-rounded and thought-provoking look at the man who pushed the world to the brink. The production value, direction and performances by its ensemble cast resulted in an epic cinematic experience. It’s no wonder the movie brought home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The Holdovers tells the story of Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), three lonely characters left behind at a New England prep school during Christmas break. These outcasts — a curmudgeonly teacher, a grieving cook (the role that won Randolph the Oscar) and a disruptive student — create an unlikely bond. Set amid the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the trio finds a sense of belonging and closure in each other, resulting in a story that is as quirky and off-beat as it is heartfelt and poignant.
