Welcome to See/Hear, InsideHook’s deep dive into the month’s most important cultural happenings, pop and otherwise. Every month, we round up the biggest upcoming movie, TV and album releases, make you a playlist we guarantee you’ll have on heavy rotation and recommend a classic (or unduly overlooked) piece of pop culture we think is worth revisiting.
MOVIES
Solo Mio
in theaters Feb. 6
Solo Mio looks to be a bit of a departure for Kevin James — and an opportunity to show off his range. James plays Matt, a man who decides to go on his Italian honeymoon by himself after his fiancée leaves him at the altar. Alyson Hannigan, Nicole Grimaudo and Kim Coates also star.
Pillion
in theaters Feb. 6 (limited), wide release Feb. 20
If you were a fan of 2002’s Secretary, you’re not going to want to miss this one. Written and directed by Harry Lighton, it features Harry Melling as Colin, a shy gay man who finds himself tied up (uh…no pun intended) in a BDSM relationship with a local biker named Ray (Alexander Skarsgård).
Crime 101
in theaters Feb. 13
This crime thriller’s A-list cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro and Nick Nolte. Hemsworth plays Mike Davis, a jewel thief being hunted by Detective Lou Lubesnick (Ruffalo), and who ropes insurance broker Sharon Colvin (Berry) in on his scheme.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
in theaters Feb. 13
This sci-fi comedy from director Gore Verbinski boasts a pretty stacked cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz and Juno Temple, and even though it’s meant to deliver laughs, it feels eerily relevant to the times we’re living in. Rockwell plays The Man From the Future, who claims to have traveled back from the future to warn humanity of its impending doom and winds up holding a diner full of people hostage in an attempt to recruit them to join him in a battle against some rogue artificial intelligence. It’s being described as “Terminator meets Groundhog Day,” and it reportedly includes a speech from Rockwell that took the actor four months to lock down — one that gives his infamous White Lotus monologue a run for its money.
Wuthering Heights
in theaters Feb. 13
Will Saltburn and Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell’s new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, starring Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine, be a faithful interpretation of the source material or will it take some creative liberties? That remains to be seen (although one might argue that having 35-year-old Robbie play a teenager is a liberty of its own). But, based on the trailer, it looks like this one’s gonna give Heated Rivalry a run for its money when it comes to steamy sex scenes — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie
in theaters Feb. 13 (limited)
Based on the Canadian TV series Nirvanna The Band The Show, Matt Johnson’s latest movie finds “Nirvanna the Band” stuck in the year 2008 after their DeLorean-inspired RV sends them back into the past. The time-travel comedy earned rave reviews after it debuted at SXSW this year, and it currently has a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
How to Make a Killing
in theaters Feb. 20
Based on the 1949 movie Kind Hearts and Coronets, this dark comedy is led by Glen Powell, who plays Beckett Redfellow, who was disowned by his wealthy family at birth and is determined to eliminate any relatives getting in the way of his inheritance. Margaret Qualley, Zach Woods, Ed Harris, Topher Grace and Jessica Henwick also star.
The Bluff
Feb. 25, Prime Video
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good pirate movie, and the verdict is still out on whether or not The Bluff can deliver all the onscreen swashbuckling we crave, but it looks compelling. Set in the Caribbean in the 19th century, it features Priyanka Chopra as Ercell Bodden, a former pirate who must protect her family when her past life catches up to her.
Paul McCartney: Man on the Run
Feb. 27, Prime Video
There have been countless documentaries about the Beatles, but far fewer about Wings, the group Paul McCartney put together after his time in the Fab Four had come to an end. Director Morgan Neville’s Man on the Run looks to be the most in-depth yet, featuring rare unreleased music and footage courtesy of McCartney himself.
Scream 7
in theaters Feb. 27
After some offscreen drama led to the departure of Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, Scream 7 introduces some new characters, but never fear: Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox are back as Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers, respectively. This time around, they’ll have to fend off a new Ghostface killer who starts targeting Sidney’s daughter.
TV/STREAMING
The 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Feb. 6, NBC/Peacock, live coverage starts at 2 p.m. EST with a primetime replay at 8 p.m. EST
There’s nothing quite like the spectacle of an Olympics Opening Ceremony, and Milan Cortina’s kicks off the festivities at Milan’s San Siro Stadium. The theme to this year’s ceremony is “Harmony,” and it will feature performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Cecilia Bartoli, The White Lotus‘s Sabrina Impacciatore, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Italian rapper Ghali and more.
The ‘Burbs
Feb. 8, Peacock
This mystery-comedy is inspired by the 1989 Tom Hanks movie of the same name, but don’t expect a shot-for-shot remake. Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall play Samira and Rob, a newlywed couple who move to an idyllic suburban town, only to discover it has some pretty dark secrets. Julia Duffy, Paula Pell and Mark Proksch also star.
Super Bowl LX
Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock
Even if you don’t care whether the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots win this year’s Super Bowl, it’s still worth turning in to see Bad Bunny’s halftime show and take in the buzziest commercials. Plus, as always, it’s an excuse to feast on snacks.
How to Get to Heaven From Belfast
Feb. 12, Netflix
Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee is back with a new series that follows a trio of lifelong friends who find themselves trekking across Ireland to investigate the suspicious death of their old classmate.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Feb. 12, FX/Hulu
It was only a matter of time before Ryan Murphy tried his hand at a series about the Kennedy family. The mix of glamor, tabloid fodder and tragedy all falls in line with his aesthetic, and sure enough, Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette chronicles the high-profile couple’s romance before they both died in a plane crash in 1999. Paul Kelly plays JFK Jr., Sarah Pidgeon stars as Bessette, and interestingly, Naomi Watts will try her hand at playing Jackie O.
56 Days
Feb. 18, Prime Video
Based on Catherine Ryan Howard’s novel of the same name, 56 Days follows the intense relationship between Ciara Wyse (Dove Cameron) and Oliver Kennedy (Avan Jogia). They meet in a supermarket, but don’t confuse this for a rom-com: when an unidentifiable body is found in a bathtub, they find themselves tangled up in a murder investigation.
Paradise Season 2
Feb. 23, Hulu
Sterling K. Brown has already been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for his work in the first season of this post-apocalyptic political thriller, and yet somehow it feels like the show hasn’t quite made its way into the zeitgeist yet. Will that change with the second season? You’ve got a little less than a month to get up to speed and find out.
Scrubs Season 10
Feb. 25, 8 p.m. EST on ABC, on Hulu Feb. 26
Look, do we need a Scrubs revival 16 years after the Bill Lawrence hospital sitcom ended its original run? Absolutely not. And yet, color me intrigued: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley all return to Sacred Heart to reprise their roles, and Braff directed the debut episode. “We were kids when we made the original show,” Braff said in a recent interview. “When Donald and I started, we were 25 years old, and now we’re 50. Donald and I still love to laugh at silly shit. And so do the characters. They can still be really excellent doctors and be mature 50-year-olds in many ways, but at the same time, like many other people in their 40s and 50s and 60s, they retain their goofy side.” Noticeably absent from the nine-episode new season are Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins) and the Janitor (Neil Flynn), though Braff has hinted that if the show gets renewed, we might see them in season two (or, technically, season 11).
The Gray House
Feb. 26, Prime Video
This eight-episode miniseries was produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, and it’s centered around Union spies during the Civil War. Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen star, and none other than Willie Nelson contributes an original song to its soundtrack.
MUSIC
![Ratboys - "Anywhere" [Official Music Video]](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/KYUMoL9FrIA/hqdefault.jpg?ssl=1)
Ratboys, Singin’ to an Empty Chair
Feb. 6
Chicago’s Ratboys have been indie-rock staples for over a decade now, but if early singles are any indication, their forthcoming LP seems to be poised to carry them to new heights. Of “The World, So Madly,” Julia Steiner says in a statement, “Looking back at my voice memos, I recorded the original idea for this song on January 1st, 2023, and it feels like a song of new beginnings: we recorded it almost entirely in the morning throughout the sessions, and the lyrics focus on making peace with big life changes, and really with the ever-changing nature of life in general. I was thinking a lot about certain events unfolding in the news at the time, but I wanted to keep the lyrics open, so that anyone can listen and find their life in the song.”
Gogol Bordello, We Mean It, Man!
Feb. 13
Gypsy-punk mainstays Gogol Bordello are back with their first batch of original material since 2022. Of the titular lead single, frontman Eugene Hütz says in a statement, “‘We Mean It, Man!’ is like taking the inner temperature of the eternal seeker and surfer of positive vibrations. It’s someone who is bellydancing on status quo-tables and healing itself from the world’s lies and irony while reaching for rays of joyous healing unity. This is the inner temperature of Gogol Bordello.”
Jill Scott, To Whom It May Concern
Feb. 13
The queen of neo-soul is back with her first album in over a decade. “It’s a lot of living in this album. It’s a lot of revelation. Musically, it’s a full spectrum. Had some wonderful musicians come in. I feel touched all over, literally,” Scott said recently of the 19-track follow-up to 2015’s Woman. “The musicianship on this project and the people that gravitated towards it, I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t have ever even imagined who is on this album.”
Mumford & Sons, Prizefighter
Feb. 20
The so-called “stomp clap hey” music of the 2010s will always feel like a relic from another time, but Mumford & Sons have remained surprisingly active in recent years after the departure of their banjo player Winston Marshall over his right-wing beliefs. Prizefighter follows 2025’s Rushmere, and it features contributions from Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Chris Stapleton and Gigi Perez.
Bill Callahan, My Days of 58
Feb. 27
For his latest album, My Days of 58, the now 59-year-old Bill Callahan is joined by guitarist Matt Kinsey, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi and drummer Jim White. “With this record I kept thinking of it as a ‘living room record,’” Callahan writes in the album’s press materials. “I’m not talking about fidelity at all here. Living room attitude. Living room vibe. Not too loud, not otherworldly. I asked for the horns to be relaxed like someone on the couch playing, not a blast from heaven or hell.”
![Bruno Mars - I Just Might [Official Music Video]](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/mrV8kK5t0V8/hqdefault.jpg?ssl=1)
Bruno Mars, The Romantic
Feb. 27
It’s hard to believe that in 16 years or so of being a famous pop star, Bruno Mars has only released three solo albums thus far. It’s equally hard to believe that it’s been nearly 10 years since his last one, 24K Magic. (To be fair, he’s kept busy throughout the past decade with countless guest appearances and collaborations with other artists.) If lead single “I Just Might” is any indication, The Romantic is full of the same catchy, retro-inspired grooves Mars fans have come to love.
Buck Meek, The Mirror
Feb. 27
Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek’s follow-up to 2023’s Haunted Mountain is technically a solo album, but it features some familiar faces. The Mirror was produced by Big Thief drummer James Krivchenia, and it features guest vocals from Adrianne Lenker (also of Big Thief), along with the likes of Mary Lattimore, Jolie Holland and Meek’s brother, Dylan Meek. (You can check out our profile of Buck Meek here.)
Gorillaz, The Mountain
Feb. 27
Gorillaz’s ninth record is a star-studded affair; it features contributions from Black Thought, IDLES, Johnny Marr, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, and Yasiin Bey, among others. Thematically, the 15-track LP deals with grief and hope, and “The Hardest Thing” opens with the voice of Tony Allen, Damon Albarn’s longtime friend and collaborator who died in 2020.
Iron & Wine, Hen’s Teeth
Feb. 27
Hen’s Teeth is sort of a sister album to 2024’s Light Verse — the two records were recorded during the same sessions, with the same musicians, at Laurel Canyon’s Waystation studio. “I’ve always wanted to use that title,” Sam Beam explains in a statement. “I just love it. To me it suggests the impossible. Hen’s teeth do not exist. And that’s what this record felt like: a gift that shouldn’t be there but it is. An impossible thing but it’s real.”
Mitski, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me
Feb. 27
Mitski’s eighth studio LP Nothing’s About to Happen to Me is a concept album centered around a reclusive woman living in an unkempt house. (Think Grey Gardens with more guitars.) As the album’s press materials describe it, “Outside of her home, she is a deviant; inside of her home, she is free.” The video for lead single “Where’s My Phone?” pulls inspiration from Shirley Jackson’s novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and it hints at a return to a more rock-oriented, fuzzy sound that fans of 2014’s Bury Me at Makeout Creek will certainly appreciate. The follow-up to 2023’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We also features live instrumentation from that album’s touring band as well as some orchestral contributions arranged and conducted by Drew Erickson.
YOUR MONTHLY PLAYLIST
You don’t need me to tell you that this time of year can be unbearably cold and depressing. We all have our own ways of coping with the harshest part of winter, whether it’s a spiked hot chocolate or a hot toddy to lift our spirits and warm our bellies, a nice warm bath or just doing our best to convince ourselves that it’s not actually that bad. For some of us, however, the best way to beat the winter blues is to put on some tunes that evoke warmer climates and imagine we’re on a beach instead of in the frozen tundra.
There are some artists whose music just sounds warm, no matter what season it’s released. Certain sounds just have a tendency to conjure up memories of hot sun, cold drinks and carefree relaxation. And that goes for much more than stuff like the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” or Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville.” With that in mind, we’ve put together a playlist of the songs that make us feel warm; some are more overtly summery than others, and they span a variety of genres, but they all make things feel a little sunnier. Give them a spin, and trick your body into forgetting your toes are numb.
WORTH REVISITING
I, Tonya (2017)
We’re less than a week away from the 2026 Winter Olympics kicking off in Milan, so what better time to revisit one of the most dramatic scandals to ever rock the world of figure skating? I, Tonya is about far more than the 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan orchestrated by her rival Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. It covers Harding’s whole life, from her unhappy childhood — which, according to the movie at least, consisted primarily of skating and getting beaten and berated by her abusive mother — to her marriage to Gillooly (also abusive) and the highs and lows of her career, from when she became the first woman to ever land a triple axel in competition to her infamous breakdown over a broken shoelace during her free skate in Lillehammer. If anything, I, Tonya challenges us to reconsider our opinion of Harding, now that we’re decades removed from the media circus surrounding her, and recognize some of the classism and unhealthy beauty standards that remain an issue in her sport to this day.
Somehow, despite tackling such serious issues, I, Tonya is also extremely fun. It’s got a killer soundtrack and a narration style that feels extremely Goodfellas-esque, with Margot Robbie as Harding staring down the camera and breaking the fourth wall. It’s the movie that made Paul Walter Hauser’s career; he stole every scene he was in as Gillooly’s extremely dumb co-conspirator Shawn Eckhardt, lending the film some much-needed comic relief. Allison Janney is also excellent as Harding’s cold, cruel mother — and completely deserving of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar she won for it — but a movie like this simply wouldn’t work without the kind of performance Robbie delivered. (No offense to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but that 2018 Best Actress trophy should have gone to Robbie.) She’s tasked with a lot here: speaking in Harding’s Pacific Northwest accent, doing (some) of her own skating and recreating some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history — ones that were watched by millions and live forever on YouTube — beat by beat. She nails it all, but in a weird way, it’s kind of fitting that she never won gold for her performance as Harding. This is, after all, an underdog story.
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