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

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Community fans best know her as Britta Perry, the well-intentioned but misguided activist-turned-psychology student who appeared in all six seasons of the show, but Gillian Jacobs took on a much different role for Jacob Chase’s 2020 horror film Come Play. In the movie, Jacobs starred as Sarah, the mother of a young autistic boy named Oliver, who is targeted by a monster named Larry that manifests through digital devices. The movie marked Jacobs’ first prominent role in a horror movie, which she ultimately followed with the Netflix horror trilogy Fear Street, appearing as the adult Christine “Ziggy” Berman.

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

Come Play is a relatively under-the-radar horror film that many missed, but those who check it out on Peacock won’t be disappointed. The movie modernizes the “monster in the house” subgenre, transforming everyday technology into sources of genuine fear. And the monster itself, Larry, is wicked good. Kept mostly in the shadows with Chase’s deliberate less-is-more approach, using lighting and sound design like shadow-play and slow, clicking footsteps, Larry’s constant, mostly unseen presence builds palpable unease. When he is revealed in full, the spindly and grotesque design of the monster, brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop using a practical puppet enhanced with CGI, is truly unsettling.

More than just the genuine horror elements, Come Play does a great job of bringing an emotional undertone to the movie. The film centers its scares on the deep emotional loneliness of Oliver and his parents’ strained relationship, with Larry ultimately serving as a metaphor for isolation, longing for friendship, and the dangers of technology-induced disconnection. The cast, Jacobs and Robertson in particular, give great performances that make their struggles feel real and heartbreaking. Although the movie failed to win over critics and received a mixed 57% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes which puts it in the bottom half of Jacobs’ overall film rankings, Come Play is the Community star’s seventh-highest-rated movie by the audience, with a 67% Popcornmeter score.

What’s New on Peacock?

Come Play joined Peacock on March 31st as part of a final list of arrivals for the month. The streamer has since welcomed April with even more titles, with movies like the Blade trilogy, Dazed and Confused, Interstellar, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Later in the month, Peacock will add Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (April 3rd), Nosferatu (April 21st), and Five Nights at Freddy’s (April 26th).

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