Peacock is one of the more unheralded streaming services in the modern landscape, but that’s not necessarily because the platform lacks good stuff to watch. Between its lineup of old shows and movies and the new content that hits the service pretty regularly, there’s plenty of stuff to check out on Peacock, even if it doesn’t have the same massive subscriber base as Netflix.
If you’ve gone through all of the most obvious titles on the platform, though, you might find yourself looking for something a little more underrated. If that’s the case, we’ve lined up three great underrated titles on Peacock that are worth checking out.
Half Nelson (2006)
Ryan Gosling’s ability to shift from broad comedy to subtle drama has made him one of the most versatile leading men of the past two decades, and Half Nelson features some of his finest work. Here, Gosling plays a middle school history teacher who is well-liked by his students but spends his free time feeding a heroin addiction.
When one of his students catches him, the two form an unlikely bond as he attempts to act as something of a mentor to her. The movie is a pretty quiet, understated character study, but Gosling is thoroughly compelling from start to finish and earned his first Oscar nomination for the role. Fans of his work in Barbie may be surprised by this movie, but it’s too good not to check out.
99 Homes (2014)
Few movies have captured what it’s like to live on the edge of economic disaster better than 99 Homes. Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) plays a desperate construction worker who takes a job working for the ruthless real estate broker who evicted his family from their home.
The movie is about what it means to let yourself be corrupted and about the ways in which you can find yourself becoming the person you swore you hated. 99 Homes is a fairly blunt instrument, but it’s effective precisely because it’s not hard to understand. Exploitation is just part of the game, and you can either get taken advantage of or be the one taking advantage.
Big Fan (2009)
A darkly funny story about fandom run amuck, Big Fan tells the story of a massive sports fan who finds himself totally dispirited when he meets his idols and realizes they aren’t who he thought they were. Patton Oswalt (I Love My Dad) stars and delivers one of the finest performances of his career.
What makes Big Fan work, though, is how it taps into how regular people can become totally invested in things they have no control over. Every fan can understand what it’s like to believe in something and be crushed by the eventual realization that the things you love don’t always love you back.
