Peacock has added a ton of new movies this month, a big win for those who subscribe to one of the more wallet-friendly streaming services out there. And this month, you’re getting some serious bang for your buck. I found seven movies coming this month that are all rated 90% or higher by critics on the review-aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes and all seven are “Certified Fresh.”
This month brings some critically acclaimed movies with variety, too. It’s not too much drama either — you get a few comedies, some action-packed science fiction adventures and even an animated favorite that will work for the whole family.
So without further ado, here are the seven highest-rated movies that are new to Peacock in October 2023.
Back to the Future
As an adult, I find the premise of Back to the Future to be a bit absurd, if not slightly creepy. At its core, the point of the movie is to have Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) get his parents Lorraine and George (Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover) to get together after his sudden appearance in the past throws Marty’s future in jeopardy. Oh, and that’s all while he’s fighting off his mother’s advances, as she’s suddenly smitten with this newcomer. Did I forget to mention that his best friend is a crazed scientist (Christopher Lloyd) who buys nuclear materials from Libyan terrorists?
Setting all of that aside though, Back to the Future is a classic. Fox and Lloyd are excellent as the odd-pairing of Marty McFly and Doc Brown, and the time-traveling DeLorean remains iconic to this day. Add in a great soundtrack that includes multiple songs by Huey Lewis and a killer performance of Chuck Berry’s rendition of Johnny B. Goode by Fox, who questionably invents Rock ‘n’ Roll music in this movie, and you have a recipe for a great time.
Genre: Science fiction
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream on Peacock
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
With an incredible 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — commonly known as E.T. — may be legendary director Stephen Spielberg’s most critically acclaimed movie. And that’s an impressive feat given Spielberg's body of work.
Starring Henry Thomas as Elliott Taylor, the movie focuses on Elliott's friendship with E.T., an alien that he discovers stranded on Earth. Their bond grows incredibly strong as the movie goes along and their relationship is the clear driving force behind what makes this movie special.
Aside from the excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating, E.T. has earned acclaim in just about every fashion imaginable. The film won Academy Awards for Best Original Score (by John Williams, of course), Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing in addition to several other nominations, including Best Picture. It was also briefly the highest-grossing movie of all time, surpassing the original Star Wars movie for the top spot. Critics and audiences alike love E.T. — after watching it, you will too.
Genre: Science fiction
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream on Peacock
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Annoyingly, you can’t watch the original How to Train Your Dragon on Peacock. But that’s okay because How to Train Your Dragon 2 is frankly just about as good as the original. And while it wouldn’t hurt to have already watched the first movie, you won’t feel lost watching the sequel. The story largely stands alone given that the first movie is basically about bringing the dragons and humans together. As long as you know that, you’re essentially caught up.
A bit more happens in the second movie though. In it, the Vikings of Berk — led by Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), Astrid (America Ferrera) and Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) — must protect their dragons and their home from the evil dragon hunter Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou). In the process, they meet a mysterious dragon rider (Cate Blanchett) who decides to aid their cause. If you need something for a family movie night, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a great choice.
Genre: Animated fantasy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream on Peacock
Jurassic Park
While the subsequent five films in the Jurassic Park franchise are of varying and sometimes questionable quality, the original is unquestionably a classic. It’s based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name — the same author who wrote and directed the movie Westworld, which would later be adapted by HBO. And like Westworld, Jurassic Park takes place at an awe-inspiring amusement park powered by unbelievable science. Unfortunately, when the people running the park lose control of what they’ve created, things go unbelievably wrong.
Starring Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Richard Attenborough as Dr. John Hammond, Jurassic Park is an incredible piece of cinema. It has everything you could need — a phenomenal cast, an excellent director (Steven Speilberg), an iconic John Williams score and CGI from Industrial Light and Magic. Frankly, it’d almost be more shocking if this wasn’t one of the greatest movies ever made. So make sure to watch it while it’s on Peacock.
Genre: Science Fiction/Action
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream on Peacock
Shaun of the Dead
I said this in my Hulu movies roundup this month, but Shaun of the Dead may be the best zombie movie of all time. And it’s certainly the funniest. The movie stars Simon Pegg as the lazy, titular Shaun and follows him and his friend Ed (Nick Frost) as they try to survive a zombie-infested London. Sometimes they’re saving their friends and family and sometimes they’re killing their friends and family. But every time it’s hilarious.
Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Pegg, this film would go on to launch the careers of both, though they had accumulated some success from their TV series Spaced prior to Shaun of the Dead. It’s a partnership that would be repeated twice more in Hot Fuzz (more on that shortly) and The World’s End, but Shaun of the Dead is still the peak of their partnership.
Genre: Comedic horror
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Watch on Peacock
Hot Fuzz
“From the guys who watched every action movie and created Shaun of the Dead.” If that doesn’t sell you on Hot Fuzz, I don’t know what will, but I’ll try my best to get you there. Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as police constables Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman, Hot Fuzz is the follow-up to the previously discussed Shaun of the Dead. In it, Angel and Butterman must uncover who is behind a series of gruesome deaths that were previously deemed accidents.
While I prefer Shaun of the Dead, there is certainly an argument to be made for Hot Fuzz being the better of the two movies. Both are hilarious from start to finish, I just find Hot Fuzz to be slightly more unhinged.
But what I can’t argue with is the incredible cast that Pegg and director Edgar Wright assembled for this movie. Alongside Pegg and Frost, Hot Fuzz stars Jim Broadbent as Inspector Frank Butterman, Paddy Considine as Detective Sergeant Andy Wainwright, Timothy Dalton as supermarket manager Simon Skinner, Bill Nighy as Chief Inspector Kenneth and Olivia Colman as police constable Doris Thatcher. And when Olivia Colman is just one of many incredible actors in a movie, you know you’re in for a treat.
Genre: Action comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch on Peacock
Traffic
Speaking of movies loaded with acting talent, 2000’s Traffic is especially loaded with acting talent. Starring Benicio del Toro as Mexican police officer Javier Rodriguez Rodríguez, Michael Douglas as U.S. judge and “Drug Czar” Robert Wakefield, Don Cheadle as DEA agent Montel Gordon and Dennis Quaid as drug lord Arnie Metzger, this Stephen Soderbergh crime drama would go on to win multiple Oscars, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (del Toro), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
It’s also a quintessential Soderbergh movie and even just watching the trailer you can’t help but get Ocean’s Eleven vibes, the film Soderbergh would release the following year. In classic Soderbergh fashion, the movie centers around multiple narratives that connect at the end. While the interwoven plots of Traffic don’t tie quite as tightly together as later Soderbergh films, it’s still incredible to watch. Especially since as complex as things get in Traffic, you never feel overwhelmed. Definitely don’t miss this one while it’s on Peacock to stream.
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Watch on Peacock
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