As a streaming service, Peacock is probably most known for its access to NBC sports, WWE programming, and popular NBC shows, but it’s also home to some of the most underrated movies out there. Though it also has some fantastic, iconic films, the hidden gems are the true highlights.
These are movies that were unjustly panned by critics, underperformed at the box office, or were overlooked when they hit streaming services. They include indie psychological thrillers, hilarious comedies, twisty sci-fi movies, and more. Whatever the reason for their lack of appreciation, these films deserve to be bigger deals.
10
Triangle (2009)
Triangle is an indie British flick that manages to be a horror movie, a psychological thriller, and a time loop film, all at the same time. The story centers on single mother Jess (Melissa George), who goes on a boating trip with her friends, only to end up getting stalked by a killer
The tense scenes where they are getting chased make it a strong horror movie, but the reveal that they’re trapped in some kind of time loop where they keep getting murdered turns it into a sci-fi thriller of sorts. Director and writer Christopher Smith was inspired by films like Jacob’s Ladder and Memento, and it shows.
That’s also not where the twists end, as Triangle features a handful that keep the viewer on their toes. It’s intelligent, well-thought-out, and after grossing just around $1.6 million, deserves to be a bigger fan favorite.
9
Violet & Daisy (2011)
After portraying an iconic character on Gilmore Girls, Alexis Bledel tried her hand at a few different genres. Saoirse Ronan has been a great actor since she was a kid and is one of the most acclaimed performers going today, so seeing her and Bledel share the screen is enough to make Violet & Daisy worth watching.
This movie was so small that it barely grossed $100,000 and critics weren’t too happy with it either, as it holds a mere 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it’s a film that seemed like it was misunderstood and should be more liked by audiences if they give it a chance.
Violet & Daisy follows the two тιтular characters, who are ᴀssᴀssins sent to kill a man, only for an unexpected event to cause them to reconsider. Bledel and Ronan are good together, while Tatiana Maslany and James Gandolfini (in one of his final roles) round out the supporting cast.
8
Coherence (2013)
One of the twistiest films released during the 2010s was Coherence, a sci-fi psychological thriller where every scene just adds to the confusion and mystery. The film follows a group of friends who gather for a dinner party as a comet pᴀsses overhead.
The comet causes strange occurrences to happen to everyone involved. They experience things like a broken window that can’t be explained, unexpected knocks at the door, and pH๏τographs from another home.
It would be too much to reveal anything about what’s causing all of these events since that’s a big part of the fun of watching this. It only cost $50,000 to produce the film and they made the most out of that budget in every scene.
7
99 Homes (2014)
A few months after The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Andrew Garfield had a much smaller movie premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, which also went on to win the Grand Prix at the Deauville American Film Festival.
99 Homes is one of Garfield’s most emotionally driven performances, as he plays Dennis Nash, a construction worker who gets evicted with his family by a ruthless real estate operator (Michael Shannon). Despite their differences, Dennis ends up working with Shannon’s Rick, evicting others and collecting big checks.
That moral dilemma for Dennis is at the heart of the movie as he does what he must to help his family but at the cost of what he thinks is right. Though a small film that most people don’t know about, it was well-received, with Shannon and Garfield’s performances being the highlights.
6
Tragedy Girls (2017)
Over the decades, we have seen almost every iteration of a slasher movie, so it’s difficult to do something that makes you stand out. Tragedy Girls does that by putting a unique twist on the formula, as the protagonists are the killers and they’re two best friends.
Alexandra Shipp and Brianna Hildebrand play the leads as two teens obsessed with death who go on a killing spree and use it to boost the show they produce about murders. The film expertly blends the horror element with comedic bits.
The kills throughout the film are a treat for any fan of the horror genre because they are creative and look good despite not being done on a big budget. However, at the center of it all is the friendship between the two girls, driving the film forward.
5
The King Of Staten Island (2020)
When it initially arrived, far too many people looked past The King of Staten Island. It was hurt by the fact that it hit a streaming service during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and that a lot of people might not have taken it seriously with SNL’s Pete Davidson at the center.
However, those who gave it a chance quickly learned that this was one of the best movies of the year. The film is somewhat based on Davidson’s real life, telling the story of a slacker who lost his father in the September 11 attacks and struggles with mental illness.
Davidson has never been better and is boosted by a great supporting cast of Maude Apatow, Marisa Tomei, and Bill Burr, to name a few. Although too many people missed the film, it was well-received by critics.
4
Last Night In Soho (2021)
There’s no denying that Edgar Wright is one of the most impressive and creative filmmakers around. The mind behind The Cornetto Trilogy, Baby Driver, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World made his most recent movie in 2021 with the completely original idea, Last Night in Soho.
The story follows a naive teenager (Thomasin McKenzie) who moves to London to attend fashion school, only to be haunted by visions of a glamorous woman from the ’60s (Anya Taylor-Joy). Those worlds intertwine in a twisty, often harrowing way.
Wright’s creativity is at the forefront of this film, with some of the scenes between McKenzie and Taylor-Joy looking truly impressive. Critical reception was strong, though some questioned the ending of the movie. Either way, Last Night in Soho is worth checking out to form your own opinion.
3
The Outfit (2022)
Graham Moore made waves when he won Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards as the writer of The Imitation Game. He followed that up with his directorial debut The Outfit (which he also co-wrote), a crime drama that acts as a mystery bolstered by an impressive cast.
The Outfit centers on Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance), a tailor in Chicago who often makes clothes for gangsters. One night, those gangsters come in as some of their misadventures come to a head.
What follows is a тιԍнт thriller set in one location with the audience trying to figure out what’s really going on and who is in actual danger. Rylance is joined by Zoey Detuch, Dylan O’Brien, and several other quality actors.
2
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)
When Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret first premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival, there was a fair bit of buzz about it. Some were saying it had potential to be an Oscar contender, and while that didn’t happen, the praise for the movie was appropriate.
Based on Judy Blume’s book of the same name, the film tells the story of the тιтular Margaret, a kid whose family moves from New York to New Jersey and follows her dealing with those changes, as well as growing up.
Abby Ryder Fortson, who was great alongside Paul Rudd in the first two Ant-Man movies, is fantastic as Margaret, while Rachel McAdams should’ve been mentioned in more awards consideration for her scene-stealing performance as Margaret’s mother.
1
Joy Ride (2023)
Following the success of Bridesmaids, the world should’ve gotten an influx of female-led raunchy comedies that are well-written. Since that unfortunately didn’t happen, it stands out a bit more when we actually do get one, which was the case with 2023’s Joy Ride.
Despite the strong reception from critics (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film flopped at the box office. However, that critical acclaim proves that it deserved to be a bigger hit. The film follows a group of friends who bond on a wild trip to Asia, where one is trying to find her birth parents.
Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu combine to make for a hilarious quartet on screen. The funny scenes involve everything from trying to smuggle cocaine, dressing up as K-Pop artists, showing off surprise tattoos, threesomes, and more, yet there’s still a ton of heart at the center of it all.
