The revolving door nature of streaming libraries means that some titles unfortunately fall through the cracks, leaving some beloved TV shows and movies unavailable for streaming. A beloved ‘80s dark comedy that has been unavailable to stream for some time now just reappeared on Peacock, bringing it back to streaming just in time for an upcoming reboot series.
Before Peacock’s upcoming The ‘Burbs TV show drops on February 8th, subscribers can catch Joe Dante’s original film this month. The 1989 dark comedy starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, and Gale Gordon joined the NBCUniversal streamer on February 1st. The cult classic ‘80s comedy centers around a family man who becomes convinced that the mysterious, rarely-seen newcomers to his suburban cul-de-sac are harboring a dark secret, leading to a series of chaotic and paranoid investigations.
The ‘Burbs Is a Staple of 1980s Dark Comedy
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The ‘Burbs was far from a massive hit upon its release. The movie was only a modest financial success with a $49 million worldwide box office gross, and it earned mixed reviews from critics and holds a mid-tier 56% Tomatometer score. However, the movie, rated fresh with audiences with a 71% score, has evolved to become a quintessential cult classic and a staple of 1980s horror comedy.
What makes The ‘Burbs so good is its ability to balance so many things at once. Dante crafts a unique tone that feels both comforting and unsettling with a mix of sharp satire of suburban paranoia with slapstick humor and suburban paranoia with legitimate horror elements. The movie constantly pivots between hilarious, over-the-top moments and genuine, creeping paranoia and does a fantastic job at building and maintaining tension by never quite letting the audience know for sure if the new neighbors are actually murderers or just weird, innocent people until the very end. The movie serves as both a scathing social commentary and a laugh-out-loud piece of entertaining escapism, and Hanks’ high-energy performance as Ray is unforgettable.
The ’Burbs is one of those movies that never gets old, regardless of how many times you watch it, and so it’s not all that surprising that it is being brought into the modern day. Peacock’s upcoming eight-episode mystery-comedy reboot stars Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall as a newly married couple whose quiet lives are shattered by a new neighbor, deadly threats, and hidden secrets.
What’s New on Peacock?
The ‘Burbs was part of a massive content wave that crashed into Peacock’s streaming library on February 1st, meaning subscribers now have a lot more options for movie night. Everything from The Boss Baby to Talk to Me is now streaming on Peacock. Subscribers will also find movies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Fences, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Man on Fire, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and What Happens in Vegas lining the shelves of Peacock’s streaming library, with even more great titles set to arrive throughout February.
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