Top 10 Movies To Watch This Week on Peacock | August 31-September 6, 2025

“This is not a democracy, it’s a cheerocracy.”

Twenty-five years later, Peyton Reed’s teen cheer comedy still slaps. Kirsten Dunst takes over as captain of the Toros only to realize all their winning routines were straight-up stolen from the East Compton Clovers, led by a fierce Gabrielle Union. It’s snappy, messy, and endlessly quotable. If you grew up in the 2000s, you probably know at least one cheer by heart.

2. M3GAN (2022)

Friendship bracelets? Nah, friendship firmware.

Allison Williams builds her niece a hyper-smart AI doll, and things get messy fast. “Messy” as in: viral TikTok dances, meme-worthy one-liners, and some genuinely gnarly kills. James Wan and Jason Blum produced it, Gerard Johnstone directed, and Peacock’s streaming both the PG-13 version and the unrated cut with extra blood. You’ve been warned.

3. Madagascar (2005)

“We like to move it, move it.”

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer voice a group of pampered zoo animals who break free—only to land on the island of Madagascar. Cue lemur royalty, neurotic penguins, and Hans Zimmer’s mischievous score. It’s loud, silly, and exactly the kind of family movie that never stops being rewatchable.

4. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

From Central Park to the savanna.

The gang’s still stranded, but now Alex the Lion reconnects with his long-lost family in Africa. Bernie Mac voices his dad, will.i.am adds some beats, and the penguins keep running side hustles. DreamWorks leaned into bigger spectacle, but the jokes hit just as hard.

5. R.I.P.D. (2013)

It’s Men in Black—but with ghosts.

Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges play mismatched cops… except they’re dead, and their beat is wrangling rogue souls for the “Rest in Peace Department.” Based on a Dark Horse comic, it bombed in theaters but has found a second life as a “so-bad-it’s-good” cult watch. On Peacock, it’s basically comfort junk food for late-night scrolling.

6. Mean Girls (2024)

The Plastics can sing now.

This Broadway-inspired reboot turns Tina Fey’s 2004 classic into a full-on musical. Angourie Rice plays Cady, Reneé Rapp channels Regina George, and Auli’i Cravalho belts her way through Janis’s big numbers. Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their old roles for good measure. If you know the original by heart, this version feels like slipping on a pink hoodie—just with more choreography.

7. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Yes, the title tells you everything.

Daniel Craig wakes up with a mysterious shackle, Harrison Ford growls like only he can, and then—boom—aliens crash the Old West. Jon Favreau directed, Spielberg and Ron Howard produced, and Olivia Wilde glows (literally). It’s messy, sure, but when was the last time you saw six-shooters versus spaceships on this scale?

8. Oblivion (2013)

Tom Cruise versus the future.

Set on a ruined Earth, Cruise plays a drone repairman who slowly realizes nothing about his mission—or himself—is what it seems. Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko co-star, Morgan Freeman pops up in a cloak, and M83’s synth score makes everything sound cooler. Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) directed, so the visuals are chef’s kiss.

9. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

The one where Po gets serious.

Jack Black’s lovable panda faces his biggest challenge yet: Gary Oldman as a peacock villain with a cannon that could destroy kung fu itself. Jennifer Yuh Nelson directs with real heart, blending slapstick with surprisingly deep backstory. Bonus: it scored an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

10. Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Passing the torch, panda-style.

Po’s ready to move from Dragon Warrior to spiritual leader—but first he has to train a successor and battle Viola Davis’s shape-shifting Chameleon. Awkwafina joins as sly fox Zhen, and yes, the Furious Five still bring the kicks. It’s a bright, fast-moving adventure that proves there’s plenty of gas left in the franchise.

And That’s a Wrap

From Kirsten Dunst’s cheer drama in Bring It On to Tom Cruise floating above a ruined Earth in Oblivion, Peacock’s lineup this week is nothing if not eclectic. Craving nostalgia? Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda 2 will hit the spot. Want something darker? M3GAN and R.I.P.D. scratch that itch in very different ways.

Whatever your vibe, this week prove one thing: sometimes the hardest part isn’t finding something good—it’s deciding what to play first.