The biggest movie coming to Peacock in February is arguably “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” which is set to start streaming exclusively on the platform on Valentine’s Day. As of this writing, though, the jury’s still out on whether or not that film can make up for the mistakes of 2016’s “Bridget Jones’s Baby” and take the popular rom-com franchise back to its former heights. Fortunately, you don’t have to wonder about the quality of some of the other movies that are freshly available to stream on Peacock this month.
Here are the seven best movies coming to the platform in February.
“Gone Baby Gone” (2007)
Ben Affleck’s directorial career may have gone quiet in recent years, but his first effort as a director, 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone,” remains one of the more impressive debuts we’ve seen over the past 20 years. The film follows Patrick Kenzie (Affleck’s real-life brother Casey) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), a Boston-based private investigator couple who start looking into the abduction of a young girl from her single mother’s (Amy Ryan) home. Their investigation proves to be more morally and philosophically challenging than either see coming. Each revelation puts more stress on their relationship — forcing them to question whether actually uncovering the truth they are searching for will do more harm than good.
Behind the camera, Affleck finds the right balance between performance and story, sticking to the film’s detective-story framework even as he gives his actors the space to sink into their roles and convey the frustration and agony lurking beneath every scene. It is a thriller worth seeking out not only for its compellingly ambiguous conclusion, but also for moments like a late-night conversation between Affleck’s private investigator and a disillusioned cop (Ed Harris) whose heart aches for every neglected child he’s come across. It’s a ferocious, mesmerizing scene and a highlight of Harris’ storied career that Affleck captures with stunning patience and elegance.
“Selma” (2014)
Anchored by a commanding lead turn by David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., “Selma” is a propulsive, gripping dramatization of the voting rights marches of 1965. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film offers a clear-eyed look at the atrocities that were committed against Black Americans leading up to the marches, as well as the fierce, merciless opposition those who participated in them received. While DuVernay mines her real-life subject matter for all of its cinematic potential, she refuses to contribute to the entertainment-ification of Black suffering. More often than not, she and editor Spencer Averick opt to use a well-timed cut or reaction that makes you feel the weight of the violence inflicted on “Selma’s” Black characters without relying too much on actual, blunt-force imagery.
The result is a docudrama made with both clear artistic intention and profound empathy. This balance makes “Selma” all the more engrossing, immersive and dramatically successful. It was one of the best films of its year, and its almost complete absence from the 2015 Oscar nominations helped usher in a more diverse and expansive era of the Academy Awards. Its real-world impact is a testament to its artistry, though, “Selma” would still be remembered 11 years later whether it had helped change the Academy or not. It’s that good, and if you are looking for something to watch in honor of Black History Month this February, you can’t do much better.
“Pride & Prejudice” (2005)
February is, of course, the month of Valentine’s Day and romance. It’s with a bit of serendipitous timing then that Peacock adds “Pride & Prejudice” to its library this month. Director Joe Wright’s 2005 Jane Austen adaptation is one of the most beloved and enduring romance movies of the 2000s. That is thanks not only to the perfectly pitched lead performances given by stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, but also Roman Osin’s sumptuous cinematography and Wright’s knack for capturing the small movements and physical expressions that communicate attraction in ways words rarely do.
That skill comes in particular handy in Wright’s depiction of the unlikely, slow-burn romance between Knightley’s intelligent, fierce Elizabeth Bennet and Macfadyen’s proud man-of-few-words Mr. Darcy. There have been many adaptations of “Pride & Prejudice” throughout the years, but few that truly capture the yearning at the heart of Austen’s classic story as well as Wright’s does. It’s an emotionally involving, entrancing drama, one so full of unspoken romance that it feels, at times, like “Pride & Prejudice” is bursting at the seams with it.
“Paddington” (2014)
It may not be as good as its universally adored sequel, but that does not mean “Paddington” is not worth your time. On the contrary, the Paul King-directed 2014 family comedy is an infectiously playful, warm-hearted comedy that possesses the magical ability to lift your spirits almost as high as “Paddington 2” does. A lighthearted fish-out-of-water adventure story, the film is the perfect introduction to Ben Whishaw’s Paddington Bear. It follows the lovable explorer as he arrives in London for the first time and quickly finds a home with the Brown family (led by Hugh Bonneville’s Henry and Sally Hawkins’ Mary). Along the way, Paddington also catches the attention of a crazed taxidermist named Millicent Clyde (a perfectly scene-chewing Nicole Kidman).
As far as antagonists go, Kidman’s villain isn’t as memorable as Hugh Grant’s greedy “Paddington 2” thespian. The role nonetheless gives Kidman the rare chance to go over-the-top, which she relishes. On top of that, King injects “Paddington” with the same spirit of silent screwball comedy that elevated both “Paddington 2” and, frankly, the director’s Timothée Chalamet-led “Wonka.” The 2014 film is packed with memorable visual gags and comedic set pieces, all of which only make you fall more in rhythm with the optimistic, compassionate heart that beats at the center of it.
“The Holdovers” (2023)
Hilariously acidic, yet surprisingly tender, “The Holdovers” is an intentionally retro drama that already feels like a modern classic. Directed by Alexander Payne, the film is set at a New England boarding school in 1970. It follows a prickly teacher (Paul Giamatti) who ends up spending Christmas break with a grieving cafeteria manager (Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and an outcast teenager (breakout star Dominic Sessa) who was left by his family to spend his holidays at school. The three characters gradually grow closer and find some much-needed support in each other.
“The Holdovers” is probably best enjoyed during the Christmas season when it’s set, but its snowy landscapes and low-key vibe also make it a sneakily cozy movie to watch in February and March when everyone is simply waiting for winter to be over. What better way to pass the time in a transitional period such as this, after all, than by watching a hangout movie about a trio of misfits all stuck spending winter break together? You’ll be able to do just that when “The Holdovers” starts streaming Feb. 28 on Peacock.
“Fast Five” (2011)
Those with a hankering for fun, low-stakes action movies are in luck. Peacock is adding four “Fast & Furious” movies to its platform this month: 2011’s “Fast Five,” “Fast & Furious 6,” “Furious 7,” and “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs Shaw.” The best of the bunch — and the best film that the “Fast & Furious” franchise has produced to date for that matter — is “Fast Five.” Helmed by Justin Lin, the 2011 blockbuster is a thrilling action movie that reunites the series’ core group of heroes, led as always by Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, in a plan to steal $100 million from a rich drug lord (Joaquim de Almeida).
14 years after its release, “Fast Five” is perhaps most noteworthy for featuring the introduction of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Luke Hobbs. As exciting and fun as Hobbs’ rivalry with Diesel’s Dom is, though, it’s not the only thing “Fast Five” has going for it. The film also features several of the best set pieces in “Fast & Furious” history, including a climactic chase through the streets of Rio de Janeiro involving a bank vault tied to a pair of muscle cars that’ll exhilarate you and make you shake your head in pure disbelief. It’s in this sequence that “Fast Five” finds the mix of nonsensical absurdity and jaw-dropping action choreography that all “Fast & Furious” movies should strive to replicate.
“Dazed and Confused” (1993)
A day-in-the-life comedy so impeccably crafted that it has inspired countless imitations, “Dazed and Confused” is lightning-in-a-bottle in movie form. Written and directed by Richard Linklater, the 1993 classic follows multiple characters as they each go through wildly different experiences on the last day of school in Austin, Texas, in 1976. It is simultaneously a hangout movie in the most traditional sense of the word, a portrait of a time and way of life that has largely faded from existence and an often raucously funny ensemble comedy. (In that latter respect, it benefits a lot from the performances given by then up-and-coming stars like Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Adam Goldberg and Joey Lauren Adams.)
The film is elevated greatly by not only Linklater’s signature, keen eye for detail, but also the same laidback sense of warmth that’s present in all of his best movies. Despite the many forms of hazing and cruel pranks it depicts, it’s a tender film that clearly loves all of its characters, no matter how catty or insecure some of them may be. Its affection for its teenage jocks and stoners is infectious, and Linklater’s commitment to showcasing even the most minute details of their lives makes them and their high school experiences feel all the more real. By the time it’s done, you’ll be left longing for the very same last-day-of-school sensations that “Dazed and Confused” so lovingly recaptures. It’s a film that very easily could have fallen flat. Instead, it soars.
