Skip to main content

If you have to watch one Peacock movie this May 2025, stream this one

Tom Hanks (center right) and the ensemble of Saving Private Ryan.
Paramount Pictures

There’s a reason that Steven Spielberg has the reputation that he has. For decades, Spielberg has been considered one of the best directors in film history, and he’s got the movies to back that assertion up.

Opinions are, quite naturally, going to differ on which movies of Spielberg’s are the best. One movie that often winds up near the top of the list is Saving Private Ryan. The film, which follows a group of soldiers in the aftermath of the D-Day invasion as they are given a mission to receive a fellow soldier in France, is considered one of the greatest World War II epics ever made. Here are three reasons you should watch the movie on Peacock this May.

Recommended Videos

The opening sequence is iconic for a reason

Although Saving Private Ryan may or may not be Spielberg’s best film, almost everyone can agree that the opening sequence, which is an extended look at what the beaches of Normandy were like on D-Day, is among the most riveting and harrowing things he’s ever made.

That opening sequence is the most important part of the film, a reminder that the men fighting were just regular people and that they were faced with the kinds of horrors that they would carry with them forever. It’s not easy to watch, exactly, but it is among the most awe-inspiring sequences ever put to film, not least because it feels so raw and visceral.

It’s anchored by an unusual premise

The question of whether it’s even possible to make an anti-war movie has existed for as long as war movies have, but Saving Private Ryan uses its premise to emphasize the pointlessness of all the death it depicts. The soldiers at the center of the mission have been asked to put their lives at risk to rescue a single man, and many of them lose their lives along the way.

Because of this, we come to understand that the soldiers on the frontline have almost no control over their own fates. The movie wants you to wonder why so many people should die for a single man and whether any of this was worth the cost.

It features a roster of great performers

On top of being the first time that Spielberg and Tom Hanks collaborated on a movie, Saving Private Ryan is filled with great actors from top to bottom. Matt Damon’s Ryan feels like the kind of man worth saving and does a lot with a relatively small amount of screen time.

Jeremy Davies, Adam Goldberg, and Tom Sizemore are also standouts, as is a young Vin Diesel, who had not yet become an action icon. It’s an indelible cast, expertly chosen so that they don’t look like movie stars but instead like an actual platoon of young soldiers who are fighting for their country.

You can watch Saving Private Ryan on Peacock.

Joe Allen
Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming…
3 action movies on Netflix you need to watch in May 2025
The Joker and Batman sit across from one another at a table.

May marks the unofficial start to summer. In Hollywood, that means it's summer blockbuster season. Now is when the studios release their tentpole films to generate box office returns that approach $1 billion. F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are projected to be the summer's biggest movies. Netflix is getting in on the action with The Old Guard 2.

Speaking of Netflix, the streamer has hundreds of action movies that satisfy those blockbuster cravings. One of those movies is The Dark Knight, a brilliant Batman story. Check out The Dark Knight and two more action movies in May.

Read more
3 underrated movies on Hulu you need to watch in May 2025
Tom Cruise points a gun while a woman hugs him in Mission: Impossible III.

Franchises dominate the list of what's new in May. Andor fans can then watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story after binging the Disney+ series. After Rogue One, go right into the original Star Wars trilogy, including A New Hope. Other new franchises on Hulu are the Kingsman movies and Mission: Impossible.

Speaking of Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible III is one of our underrated movies for May. One of the key plot points in the third movie, the Rabbit's Foot, will reappear in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Check out Mission: Impossible III and two other underrated films below.

Read more
5 underrated movies on Netflix you need to watch in May 2025
Sunny Suljic and Jerrod Carmichael in mid90s.

It's summer blockbuster season in Hollywood. While Netflix has some tentpoles reserved for later this summer, the streamer began the season with a much smaller and heartwarming movie, Nonnas. The Vince Vaughn-led comedy follows a man's journey to open an Italian restaurant and hire four grandmothers to work as the chefs.

Nonnas is comforting and will put a smile on your face. While we can't promise grins with the five movies below, they will keep you entertained. These underrated movies might not be on the homepage, but they are worthy of your time.

Read more