At the end of December, you can say goodbye to almost every Christmas movie on Peacock. That’s understandable, given the change of the seasons. But subscribers will also lose the first three John Wick movies and an assortment of other films in the usual monthly churn of content.
The good news is that there are still two weeks left in the month to watch some of the best movies on Peacock before they take off. And since we’ve already written more than enough pieces about John Wick, we’re throwing the spotlight on Ray, King Kong, and Out of Sight as the three movies leaving Peacock in December that you must watch before the month’s end.
Ray (2004)
The real Ray Charles Robinson died just a few months before his biopic, Ray, hit theaters in 2004. But the film was a fitting tribute to Robinson’s life and career, earning Jamie Foxx an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Ray Charles.
However, this movie doesn’t ignore Robinson’s long addiction to heroin or his romantic relationships with Mary Ann Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis) and Margie Hendricks (Regina King) while he was still married to Della Bea Robinson (Kerry Washington). Robinson struggled to get through that period in his life, but there’s no question that he was one of the all-time music greats. The film reflects Robinson’s personal struggles as well as his ultimate triumph against adversity. That’s why Ray remains a fan-favorite nearly two decades after its release.
Watch Ray on Peacock.
King Kong (2005)
Godzilla vs. Kong and the rest of Legendary’s MonsterVerse have largely overshadowed director Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong. But it’s worth noting that this was a passion project for Jackson, who used his clout from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to get this film into theaters. Jackson even recruited LOTR standout Andy Serkis to perform the motion capture for Kong himself.
The remake maintains the same basic plot and setting of the original movie, as filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) embarks on an expedition to Skull Island to create his masterpiece with an eye toward making a star out of a struggling actress named Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts). While Ann and Denham’s screenwriter, Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), share an attraction, it’s Ann’s ability to bond with Kong himself that leads to a recreation of one of the most famous finales in cinematic history.
Watch King Kong on Peacock.
Out of Sight
Director Steven Soderbergh so successfully captured the flavor and tone of Quentin Tarantino’s movies with Out of Sight that it even crosses over with Tarantino’s Jackie Brown when Michael Keaton reprises his role as Ray Nicolette from that movie. But this film belongs to Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney, who provide the heat to this Elmore Leonard adaptation.
U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco (Lopez) stumbles upon bank robber Jack Foley (Clooney) as he breaks out of prison. After being overpowered, Karen even has to spend some time with Jack in the trunk of his getaway car. In the aftermath, Karen wants to bring Jack back to prison, but she can’t deny that there was a romantic spark between them. And she can’t stop thinking about Jack, even in her private moments.
Watch Out of Sight on Peacock.
