Peacock Just Added a Community Star’s Surprising 2020s Horror Movie

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Many consider NBC’s Community to be one of the best sitcoms of recent years. The show, which originally aired from 2009 to 2015, gained a dedicated following and launched the careers of its actors. Now, five years after the series ended, one of its stars has found success in a different genre, appearing in a highly-rated horror series currently available on Peacock.

Gillian Jacobs is widely recognized for her role as Britta Perry on the comedy series Community. However, she showcased her versatility in the 2020 horror film Come Play, where she played Sarah, the mother of an autistic boy terrorized by a monster named Larry that appears through technology. This was Jacobs’ breakout role in the horror genre, leading to her appearance as adult Christine “Ziggy” Berman in Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy.

Gillian Jacobs’ Come Play Is a Hidden Gem of 2020s Horror

If you missed Come Play in theaters, it’s worth checking out on Peacock. This horror film takes the classic ‘monster in the house’ story and updates it for the digital age, making everyday technology genuinely scary. The monster, named Larry, is particularly well-done. The director skillfully keeps Larry mostly hidden, relying on shadows, sound, and subtle cues to create a constant feeling of dread. When Larry is fully revealed, his creepy, puppet-based design – created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop with some digital enhancements – is truly unsettling.

Beyond its scary moments, Come Play effectively explores deeper emotional themes. The film’s scares are rooted in the loneliness of a young boy, Oliver, and the difficulties his parents face, with the monster, Larry, representing feelings of isolation, the desire for connection, and the potential downsides of relying too much on technology. The actors, especially Jacobs and Robertson, deliver strong performances that make the family’s struggles feel authentic and moving. While critics were divided – it has a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes – audiences seem to connect with the film more, giving it a 67% rating on the Popcornmeter, making it one of Jacobs’ better-received movies.

What’s New on Peacock?

Peacock added the horror film Come Play on March 31st, wrapping up its new releases for that month. April brought even more movies to the streaming service, including the Blade trilogy, Dazed and Confused, Interstellar, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. More titles are coming later in April, such as Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (April 3rd), Nosferatu (April 21st), and the original Five Nights at Freddy’s (April 26th).

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2026-04-01 19:41