I've just binged 'The 'Burbs' on Peacock — and this twisty dark comedy mystery is a wild ride

Opinion
By published

Keke Palmer leads a silly new spin on the 1989 Tom Hanks horror-comedy

Samira (Keke Palmer) pushing a stroller in a scene from Peacock's "The 'Burbs"
(Image credit: Elizabeth Morris/Peacock)
Tom's Guide Verdict: 'The Burbs'

  • Verdict: Led by the ever-charismatic Keke Palmer, "The ’Burbs" is a playfully melodramatic dark comedy that successfully updates the cult classic into a twisty, modern caper. While it leans into its silly, "just one more episode" energy, the mystery is genuinely engaging enough to make this eight-episode binge a top-tier recommendation for your weekend watchlist.
  • Premiere date/time: Out now
  • Channel: Peacock

I know most people opening Peacock will be doing so to catch the Super Bowl today (Sunday, Feb. 8), but the NBCUniversal streaming service has also just added a new Peacock original that you'll want on your radar. This is Celeste Hughey's "The 'Burbs," a dark comedy/mystery series inspired by Joe Dante's Tom Hanks-fronted horror-comedy movie of the same name.

I had the opportunity to stream the full season in advance of their release today, and I'd definitely encourage you to add it to your Peacock watchlist — read on to find out why.

What is 'The 'Burbs' about?

The 'Burbs | Official Trailer | Peacock Original - YouTube The 'Burbs | Official Trailer | Peacock Original - YouTube
Watch On

Celeste Hughey's "The 'Burbs" brings us back to suburbia for a new nightmare neighbor scenario. This time, we follow a young couple — Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob (Jack Whitehall) — who have just moved back into Rob's childhood home on Ashfield Place, which is part of the picture-perfect suburb of Hinkley Hills.

Their life is turned on its head when new neighbors move into a dilapidated Victorian home across the street. Suspecting something is amiss, Samira spends her maternity leave investigating their neighbors' suspicious behavior and soon finds old secrets of the cul-de-sac start coming to light. Turns out Hinkley might not be "The Safest Town in America" after all...

In addition to Palmer and Whitehall, "The 'Burbs" cast also includes Paula Pell, Julia Duffy, Mark Proksch, Kapil Talwalkar, and Justin Kirk (among others).

'The 'Burbs' is a fun comedy romp that's packed with secrets

L-R: Rob (Jack Whitehall) and Samira (Keke Palmer) look around a corner in a scene from Peacock's "The Burbs"

(Image credit: Elizabeth Morris/Peacock)

If a light, funny and twisty mystery series sounds like your kind of show, you should seriously consider making time to stream "The 'Burbs" — I'm confident you'll have a good time.

Tonally, "The 'Burbs" feels like it knows what's going on is a little silly, and everything's playing into that melodramatic vibe; you get a grand music sting whenever something dramatic happens, or someone drops a mysterious line, the street's home to big, strange characters, and occasionally corny dialogue. As a dark comedy/mystery built for the streaming era, it all comes together into a genuinely fun caper.

The main reason it worked, for me, is the fact that "The 'Burbs" has the ever-charismatic Keke Palmer leading proceedings. The other performers that populate Ashfield Place are a quirky, watchable set, but it's Palmer's show. Samira makes for a thoroughly entertaining amateur sleuth, deftly juggling the daft and dour notes of this suburban nightmare, and is, for me, the best part about the show.

L-R: Naveen (Kapil Talwakar), Rob (Jack Whitehall), and Samira (Keke Palmer) stand in a kitchen in a scene from Peacock's "The Burbs"

(Image credit: Elizabeth Morris/Peacock)

It makes perfect sense that Peacock has decided to drop all eight episodes of "The 'Burbs" at once, too, as the show's really good at laying fresh info or throwing us a red herring at just the right time to keep you in the "just one more episode" mood. It's playful and still a comedy, sure, but the core mystery still had me engaged, waiting to see who was behind the dark goings-on in Hinkley Hills. Post-viewing, I think it's a smart choice not to have viewers waiting to finally see the mystery through to its end.

All in all, "The 'Burbs" really worked for me, and it's definitely a binge-watch I'd recommend. In a week where we haven't had a major new release from some of the other major streamers on the block — and many people will be picking up Peacock for all the live sport on offer — it feels primed to find some fans, and I really hope it does.

"The 'Burbs" is now available to stream on Peacock

Google News

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

Martin Shore
Martin Shore
Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.