The First Must-See Movie of 2015

Because you don’t have time to find your horizons (let alone broaden them), we give you Meanwhile Elsewhere: InsideHook’s essential guide to cultural happenings that, interested or not, you should at least be aware of this month. If you’re just here for the music, here’s our January Spotify playlist. Enjoy!

WATCH: Predestination

On the surface, it’s a Looper/Minority Report hybrid: Ethan Hawke stars as a temporal agent sent through time to stop major crimes before they happen (watch the trailer here). But Predestination also brings big twists, a gender-bending love story and the gritty NYC of the ’70s. Note: do NOT read the source material (a Robert Heinlein short story) if you want to keep the ending a surprise. (Jan. 9)

LISTEN: Mark Ronson

The go-to UK producer (Amy Winehouse, Wale, Black Lips) goes the all-star route on his fourth release, Uptown Special, a collab with Tame Impala, Bruno Mars, Simian Mobile Disco and — why not — author Michael Chabon. Offbeat, funky and unapologetically pop, but all in a forward-thinking way. (Jan. 13)

READ: America’s Bitter Pill

Steven Brill wrote the definitive story on the high cost of American healthcare a few years back for TIME (note: you’ll need a subscription to read it). Here, he expands the narrative, following the troubled introduction of the Affordable Care Act while also grilling drug lobbyists, insurance execs and the real villains of the story: the so-called “hospital chargemasters.” Don’t get sick. (Jan. 5)

FOLLOW: CES 2015

What to watch for this week at the year’s big tech event: a bevy of activity trackers (that are not the Apple Watch). Ultra-thin 4K TVs with “quantum dot technology.” New phones from Samsung and HTC. A zillion new Internet of Things/smart-home devices (Nest seems to be leading the way). Long-awaited updates on the Oculus Rift. And a whole lot of hype. Our suggestion: follow The Verge for smart, ridiculously comprehensive coverage.