With the month of August just days away, Peacock has released their highly-anticipated list of new content making its way to the popular platform. Kevin Bacon is returning to his horror roots after having previously appeared in the iconic 1980 slasher Friday the 13th, with the actor portraying an unhinged conversion camp leader in the Blumhouse original film They/Them. The horror movie has been setting the internet ablaze with its approach to the gory genre, and Bacon’s performance has been garnering rave reviews.
Peacock is also adding a slew of cherished cinema staples to their already impressive catalog, with the iconic Amy Heckerling ‘80s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High and feel-good Reese Witherspoon rom-com Sweet Home Alabama being available in the upcoming month. Whether you’re in the mood to laugh at Steve Carell’s romantic woes with The 40-Year-Old Virgin or want to go on an adventure with Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell in the exciting The Mummy trilogy, the streaming giant is sure to satisfy your entertainment needs. These are the best movies coming to Peacock in August 2022.
8 They/Them
Kevin Bacon headlines the horror flick They/Them, a new slasher movie which takes place at a gay conversion camp. Its enigmatic leader, Owen Whistler, forces his young LGBTQ+ camp-goers to undergo psychologically unsettling methods throughout the week. The teenagers attempt to seek comfort in one another from their disturbed counselors and intense manipulation, only to be later terrorized by a mysterious axe murderer.
Director John Logan opened up about what he hoped to achieve with the film, having said, “Audiences can expect a frightening, thrilling movie, but even more so, it’s a story about queer empowerment and about seven queer kids who are heroes, which is something we don’t see a lot and we really don’t see a lot in the horror genre.”
7 The Mummy Trilogy
Stephen Sommers directed the fantasy action-adventure trilogy The Mummy, a thrilling movie series that follows the swashbuckling American Rick O’Connell as he travels to the ancient city of Hamunaptra with the brilliant librarian Evelyn and her bumbling brother Jonathan, only to awaken a vengeful mummy. Sommers did not want to create a direct remake of the 1932 classic, and instead make a romantic adventure movie with horror elements and a frightening, scarier monster.
The overwhelming success of the original picture led to two thrilling and lucrative follow-up sequels, 2001’s The Mummy Returns and 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in addition to the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson standalone prequel The Scorpion King.
6 Pride and Prejudice
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Based on the beloved Jane Austen classic literature novel of the same name, the 2005 romantic drama Pride and Prejudice features the talented Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden and centers on the Bennet family as the spirited eldest daughter Elizabeth begins a courtship with the handsome yet snobbish Mr. Darcy.
The adaptation was the recipient of four Academy Award nominations including a Best Actress nod for Knightley, who garnered rave reviews by fans and critics alike; the Denver Post wrote, “Knightley is the best thing about this enjoyable adaptation, immediately owning the wardrobe and the words and the weather as if she were born to the manner -- and manor.”
5 The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The always entertaining Steve Carell skyrocketed to fame when he starred in the 2005 romantic comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, appearing as the shy but kind titular character Andy Stitzer, who’s co-workers encourage the nerdy man to lose his virginity after falling for a single mother. Carell co-wrote the sidesplitting flick with its director Judd Apatow (in his cinema debut), with the endearingly awkward character being based off a sketch Carell created when he was performing with the improv comedy troupe The Second City. The 40-Year-Old Virgin was a critical and commercial hit, firmly establishing Carell and Apatow as leading comedic forces on the silver screen.
4 Sweet Home Alabama
Touting a dynamite cast led by Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey, the 2002 romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama centers on New York City fashion designer Melanie Carmichael, who must return to her small town in Alabama after reinventing herself in order to finalize her divorce from the husband she has been separated from for years.
The charming picture certified Witherspoon as a dazzling leading lady and has since become a beloved rom-com favorite; in an interview with People Magazine the actress looked back on the film and its meaning, having expressed, “You want to leave home and then you realize that there’s so many important things about the closeness of family or people who knew you before. And I feel really like that movie really encapsulated those ideas.”
3 You're Next
Adam Wingard directed the 2011 slasher film You’re Next, focusing on the estranged Davison family as they terrifyingly find themselves targeted by assailants in animal masks during a wedding anniversary getaway. Writer Simon Barrett came up with the screenplay based on Wingard’s idea of a home invasion themed horror flick, and drew inspiration from Agatha Christie mysteries in addition to screwball comedies. You’re Next had its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it garnered widespread praise for its cynical black humor, blood and gore and impressive cast performances, and has since attracted a cult following.
2 American Gangster
The renowned Ridley Scott directed the award-winning 2007 biographical crime drama American Gangster, which tells the story of Harlem drug trafficker Frank Lucas, who during the Vietnam War used service planes to smuggle heroin into the country and used the coffins of fallen American soldiers to do so. Denzel Washington is brilliant as the conniving criminal Lucas, who squares off against Russell Crowe’s detective Richie Roberts as the law enforcement officer works tirelessly to bring an end to the drug smuggler’s operation.
American Gangster was a hit with both critics and audiences alike, with The Sydney Morning Herald calling the picture “one of the most intelligent gangster films in years” and adding that “the spectacle of grand themes and two bigger-than-life characters played by two of the best actors in cinema."
1 Fast Times at Ridgemont High
The iconic 1982 coming-of-age dramedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High centers on a diverse group of high school students in the San Fernando Valley as they experience the hardships of adolescence, with one subplot following sophomore Stacy Hamilton and her complicated love life and the other following resident stoner and surfer Jeff Spicoli as he faces off with his uptight history teacher.
The beloved ‘80s staple featured appearances by many of Hollywood’s most impressive modern day performers, most notably Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage and Forest Whitaker and has since achieved iconic cinema status, with Penn retrospectively stating about its legacy, “None of us had any idea it would take on a life of its own.”