While it’s not one of the most popular streaming options, Peacock has earned a reputation as a streaming service that punches above its weight. It’s got football, original series, as well as a pretty impressive library of movies that you might not even realize are there. From recent releases to older titles, the streaming service has a little bit of everything for you to choose from.
If you’re actually trying to pick a title, though, The Fall Guy might be the perfect place to start. This recent release didn’t perform super well at the box office, but is well worth checking out from the comfort of your couch. Here are three reasons to watch it.
It features Ryan Gosling at the top of his game
Coming off of an Oscar-nominated performance in Barbie, Gosling’s performance in The Fall Guy is a huge part of the movie’s overall appeal. Here, he plays Colt Seavers, a former stuntman who walked away from the game after sustaining a major injury, and left a potential love interest hanging in the process.
Colt is forced to do some real stunts after the star of the movie he’s working on disappears, and he’s tasked with finding him. The movie spirals out from there, but a huge part of its appeal comes from Gosling himself using all of his movie star charisma to its fullest effect. His age-appropriate chemistry with co-star Emily Blunt is also nothing to sneeze at.
The stunts are actually pretty great
The Fall Guy is in many ways a tribute to the art of performing stunts, so it’s only fitting that many of the stunts in this movie are wildly impressive. There’s an elaborate car chase through the streets of Los Angeles, a desert sequence that would make even the filmmakers behind Dune jealous, and plenty of hand-to-hand combat that looks and feels real.
Although Gosling is playing a stunt performer in the film, he would be the first to admit that much of this impressive stunt work was done by actual stunt performers, who deserve way more credit than they get inside the industry.
The movie has a wonderful sense of humor
Although there’s plenty of action and crime happening in The Fall Guy, the movie is fundamentally a romantic comedy, and it has that spirit throughout its runtime. Colt is a sarcastic, funny guy who feels very much like the standard Gosling archetype, and most of the jokes here actually deliver.
The Fall Guy is a movie that very much celebrates movies as a way to have fun, and it tries to maximize that fun wherever it can. Is it a masterpiece? No, but The Fall Guy would probably be a worse movie if it was at all focused on trying to become high art.
The Fall Guy is streaming on Peacock.