Peacock is all set to release a new thriller film featuring a landmark presidential election campaign with The Independent. The political drama is joining the streaming network’s long list of the latest additions that include releases like Jurassic World: Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Black Phone, The Northman, and more. Directed by Amy Rice, The Independent follows the story of a young journalist who uncovers a major conspiracy about a U.S. presidential candidate during the last few weeks of a landmark election campaign that could change the said election, and thus, the future of the nation. Rice is a two-times Emmy-nominated filmmaker and has a resume covering politics and journalism content. She is best known for her previous projects like By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, and has also worked on the writing for the popular HBO series, The Newsroom. The Independent is written by Evan Parter, who is debuting as a feature-film writer with this movie. Parter also serves as one of the producers of the film, along with Sam Bisbee, Theodora Dunlap, Caddy Vanasirikul, and Ryan Cunningham.
The brilliant cast of The Independent headlines with Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) as Elisha James, the journalist in question, along with John Cena (The Suicide Squad) as Nate Sterling, an independent candidate running for office, Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Patricia Turnbull, the contending candidate, and Brian Cox (Succession) as Nick Booker, a legendary Pulitzer-winning journalist and mentor to Elisha. The cast also includes Stephen Lang (Don’t Breathe), Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Michael Gandolfini (Ocean’s 8), and Alysia Reiner (Orange Is the New Black), among others.
The Independent is said to be inspired by iconic series in the genre like House of Cards, The Newsroom, and the 1993 political documentary The War Room. So, if you are a fan of such exciting political thriller stories, then this new film might be right up your alley. Check out the following guide to find out when, where, and how you can watch The Independent.
Is The Independent Coming to Movie Theaters?
The Independent is an exclusive streaming movie and is not getting a theatrical release.
Is The Independent Streaming Online?
The Independent is distributed by Relativity Media and releasing exclusively for streaming on Peacock, with its premiere on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. To watch the drama-thriller film, you need to sign up with Peacock on their web or mobile app. You can bookmark the movie’s landing page on your browser and watch it directly when it arrives.
Is There A Trailer For The Independent?
Quite a few recent movies seem to be skipping the standard practice of a full-length trailer and releasing a promotional clip instead to build excitement and hook the audience into the story. The Independent also follows the same practice. A week before its release, Peacock released a teaser clip which, though not much, manages to give you a hint of what kind of narrative you can expect. If this clip is anything to bank on for the overall vibe of the story, then we would say that The Independent is just as strong, powerful, and tense as some of the most iconic political dramas on television and in films. Think popular series like House of Cards and Scandal or award-winning movies about investigative journalism like Spotlight and The Post.
The clip shows an intense conversation between Turner-Smith’s young and ambitious journalist and her mentor/boss (we are guessing because it’s not clear yet) played by Brian Cox. From the conversation, we learn that there’s a serious conspiracy brewing within the presidential campaign and if she releases the news, it could turn the whole election around, or even change the fate of the nation, for better or for worse, which is left to the audience to figure out. The heated argument between the two characters makes it clear that the senior journalist doesn’t approve of the younger one’s approach to investigation and her methods could put both of their careers in jeopardy.
Can You Watch The Independent Without Peacock?
Unfortunately, no. As we mentioned earlier, The Independent is a Peacock exclusive and releasing only as a streaming movie so it won’t be available anywhere else. The streaming service from NBCUniversal is available on a subscription basis. Though a lot of content on Peacock is free, new releases and other original productions require you to be a registered member to access the same.
Peacock streaming is available in two plans. You can either sign up with the Peacock Premium Plan costing $4.99, which includes ads, or the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus Plan, costing $9.99. You can also access Peacock via Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and other devices.
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What Is The Independent About?
The Independent is centered on a momentous presidential election in the history of America and features two landmark candidates: Nick Sterling, an independent, and Patricia Turnbull, who could become the first female President of the United States. In the last few weeks of this significant moment in American politics, a young and ambitious journalist lands on a conspiracy that could (and probably would) change the course of the election and thus, the fate of the nation. As the idealist she is, Elisha takes her investigation and findings to her mentor and legendary journalist Nick Booker, who looks at investigative journalism very differently. But this is a huge piece of news that could change everything for America and Americans, not to mention Nick and Elisha’s journalism career, for good.
Here's the official synopsis of The Independent as released by Peacock:
It’s the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president (Ann Dowd) or its first viable independent candidate (John Cena). Reporting history as it’s made, an idealistic young journalist (Jodie Turner-Smith) teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker (Brian Cox), to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
