Peacock subscribers may not get to enjoy its new movies for more than a month at a time, but the streamer still manages to put together a solid lineup of films every month. May is no exception thanks to a strong mix of classic films and a handful of recent releases.
To get cinema lovers ready for one of the longest months of the year, we’ve put together our picks for the three underrated movies on Peacock that you have to watch in May. Our choices include a sci-fi film that’s celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, followed by a crime comedy that just arrived from a short theatrical run. And our third pick is a drama that offers an uplifting look back at the aftermath of a national tragedy.
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Pitch Black followed Richard B. Riddick (Fast X‘s Vin Diesel) as he found himself trapped on a planet with deadly monsters, and the 2013 sequel Riddick was more of the same. However, the first sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, actually tried to do something different as Riddick sought to understand who he is and where he really came from.
While trying to elude a bounty hunter, Riddick runs afoul of Lord Marshal (Colm Feore) and his Necromongers, a deadly religious cult that slaughters anyone who refuses to convert to their faith. Commander Vaako (Karl Urban) and his wife, Dame Vaako (Thandiwe Newton), correctly guess that the Lord Marshal is afraid of Riddick because of a prophecy. And if they can manipulate Riddick into weakening the Lord Marshal for them, then the entire Necromonger empire may be theirs for the taking.
Watch The Chronicles of Riddick on Peacock.
Drive-Away Dolls (2024)
If you can’t have both Coen brothers, then one will have to be enough. Ethan Coen flies solo for Drive-Away Dolls, a crime comedy that features Margaret Qualley as Jamie and Geraldine Viswanathan as her friend,\ Marian. After Jamie is kicked out of her place by her girlfriend, she convinces Marian to take her along on a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida.
Due to a mix-up, the women take the wrong rental car, which has a package that some powerful criminals want back. Jamie and Marian are far too wrapped up in their own personal issues to initially realize what’s in the trunk of their rental car. But once they discover it, trouble is going to come knocking when the criminals catch up with them.
Watch Drive-Away Dolls on Peacock.
The Great New Wonderful (2005)
Calling The Great New Wonderful a New York fairy tale doesn’t quite do it justice, since it’s not really a fantasy at all. Instead, it’s more of an off-ramp for grief and recovery in the shadow of 9/11. In series of vignettes, ordinary New Yorkers including Emme (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Sandie (Jim Gaffigan), Allison (Judy Greer), David (Tom McCarthy), and more attempt to find some sense of normalcy while chasing their ambitions or reluctantly facing their personal demons.
Not everyone finds the answers or closure they’re seeking, but there is something life-affirming about seeing the people of the city making their way forward after shared tragedy unites them.
Watch The Great New Wonderful on Peacock.
