A Music-Filled Comedy, an Award-winning Drama, a Wild Road Movie, and More to Watch This September
Five movies for any mood to stream on Peacock this month.
As Fall begins, settle in with a new crop of films on Peacock—from innovative family stories to fun-filled comedies and moving period dramas.
In the mood for a heartfelt, music-filled comedy? | The Ballad of Wallis Island
Tom Basden and Tim Key in The Ballad of Wallis Island
In The Ballad of Wallis Island—directed by James Griffiths and co-written by Tom Basden and Tim Key—a two-time lottery winner, Charles Heath (Key), hires his musical idol, Herb McGwyer (Basden), to perform on a remote island. When McGwyer learns that he’ll also be performing with Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), his ex-girlfriend and former musical partner, and that the concert is just for Heath, the beloved folk musician suddenly begins to see how discordant his life and career have become. Over the weekend, the two men forge an unexpected friendship which lets them both accept the past and look to the future in equal measure. “The Ballad Of Wallis Island is a big-hearted, consoling hug of a movie,” writes Empire Magazine. The film “has a ton of heart, a generosity of spirit and an ultimately disarming sweetness,” writes The Hollywood Reporter, adding, “It’s also quite funny.”
The official trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island
In the mood for a playful road movie? | Drive-Away Dolls
Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley, and Beanie Feldstein in Drive-Away Dolls
Directed by Ethan Coen from a screenplay by Coen and Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls follows two women (Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) traveling from Philadelphia to Tallahassee, Florida. Along the way, the two cross paths with a gang of inept criminals, a shady politician, a series of memorable lesbian bars, and one pissed-off old girlfriend. With a supporting cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and Beanie Feldstein, the film is “one of those movies that you can imagine yourself watching (and enjoying) again if at the very least to memorize some of its terrifically funny and quotable lines,” writes Associated Press. Coen, Cooke, and Qualley reunite in Honey Don’t!, now in theaters.
The official trailer for Drive-Away Dolls
In the mood for a moving family drama? | Belfast
Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Ciarán Hinds in Belfast
Nominated for seven Academy Awards®, Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast won for Best Original Screenplay for its gripping tale of growing up in Northern Ireland during the start of the Troubles. Used to hanging out with friends and his beloved grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds), nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) finds his world turned upside down when his parents (Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan) debate leaving their home to avoid the growing violence. “Belfast is a love letter to both a city, and the ghosts of Kenneth Branagh’s past,” writes IGN, “told with a lightness of touch that belies the serious subject matter, making for a sometimes sad, frequently tender, and often joyous affair that celebrates family, film, and the people and places that turned Branagh into the man he is today.”
The official trailer for Belfast
In the mood for a compelling coming-of-age drama? | Armageddon Time
Jaylin Webb and Banks Repeta in Armageddon Time
James Gray’s Armageddon Time focuses on how the friendship of two boys—Paul (Banks Repeta) and Johnny (Jaylin Webb)—is torn apart by the world they live in. When things go bad for Paul, his parents (Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong) and his grandfather (Anthony Hopkins) are there to help him, a privilege not afforded to his Black friend. Set in 1980 in Queens, New York, Gray’s drama provides a snapshot of an earlier America that still haunts the country today. Filled with moving performances and lush cinematography, the film, writes AV Club, “offers a coming-of-age tale that's both timeless and timely.”
The official trailer for Armageddon Time
In the mood for an exciting tale of finding your family? | Housekeeping for Beginners
Dzada Selim and Anamaria Marinca in Housekeeping for Beginners
Writer-director Goran Stolevski’s Housekeeping for Beginners transforms the traditional family drama into something new with “storytelling [that] is fresh, authentic and genuinely exciting,” writes Screen Daily. When fate forces Dita (Anamaria Marinca) to take over parenting her girlfriend’s two children—a troublemaking little girl (Dzada Selim) and a rebellious teen (Mia Mustafi)—she turns to her community for help. From her roommate (Vladimir Tintor) and his boyfriend (Samson Selim) to local friends, everyone pitches in to help. “Stolevski’s actors deliver such naturalistic performances, and he writes such specific dialogue,” writes The Globe and Mail, “that you care deeply about what happens to these people.”
The official trailer for Housekeeping for Beginners