The Best TV Shows & Movies To Watch In February

Anticipation. In the pop culture sphere, it’s what keeps us going as we wait for debuts or season premieres of beloved shows, setting hype and expectations while we wait to dive into the narratives we love. This month’s slate of TV shows and movies may be slight, but it’s still rife with anticipation. There’s the anticipation that bubbles up during awards season — will our fave artists walk away with the hardware at the 2025 Grammys and SAG Awards? Meanwhile, can the third season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO anthology The White Lotus — this time set in Thailand and features an all-star cast that includes Natasha Rothwell (stepping back into her Season 1 role), Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, and Blackpink’s Lisa — live up to the thrills of the first two seasons? And what about Yellowjackets, the unsettling (and cannibalistic) drama that follows the survivors of a high school soccer team plane crash? Will its third season return to the glory of its addictive first?

All of these questions can now only be left in the hands of the viewer. Scroll on to discover what other TV shows and movies we’re anticipating this February.

The critically acclaimed anime Attack On Titan is taking its final bow (again) by combining its last two episodes into a special one-night theatrical release. Obviously, this screening is designed for AOT devotees who want the rare chance to rewatch the conclusion of a decade-long journey on the big screen and as director Yuichiro Hayashi envisioned it to be experienced. But I want to make the case to those who’ve never really dabbled in anime or who haven’t watched AOT on why you need to queue up this epic series. 

The initial premise: Giant humanoids called titans have put the human population on the brink of extinction, and after they destroy his hometown, young Eren Jaeger vows to eliminate them once and for all. I say initial though because the once-in-a-generation series, which premiered in 2013, goes beyond anything you can imagine as the mystery behind the titans and the world order as Eren knows it unravels. If you thought the Red Wedding was the most shocking thing you’ve ever seen on television, AOT has that covered — and then some (IYKYK).

I’m hardly an anime expert. In fact, I’m very particular on which ones I watch — I enjoy fantasy elements but internal conflicts and character development have to be rooted in reality. AOT checks all those boxes with its deep intellectual questions surrounding morality, freedom, and the meaning of life. It’s hard to fully describe the emotional rollercoaster this show takes you on without giving away major reveals (and there are a TON) so if you’ve ever been curious to dive into the world of anime, I highly recommend you start here. And yes, you should always watch the subbed version. I now rest my case. 

Where to watch: Theaters for one day only
When: February 10
Watch if you like: Game Of Thrones, The Witcher, Code Geass

There is, potentially, a lot riding on Yellowjackets Season 3. The second season of the drama — which follows a high school soccer team that turns to (among many freaky behaviors) cannibalism after their plane crash lands in the Canadian wilderness, and a few of the survivors some 20 years later — wasn’t bad, per se. That said, it didn’t exactly live up to the can’t-stop-watching hype of the first either. 

But in Season 3, things are about to get more unhinged than ever — and that’s a good thing. Yellowjackets is a show that isn’t afraid to take big creative swings, which you need when you’re trying to make something as horrifying as eating people entertaining (and, dare we say it, understandable?). In the ’90s timeline, the teens are dealing with the aftermath of their shelter mysteriously burning down, hunting down their coach (who they think is the arsonist), and rising tensions as a grieving Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), who lost her baby, questions why Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) was named leader of their new creepy paranormal cult. Meanwhile, adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) is unraveling further after almost being killed by adult Lottie (Simone Kessell), while Van (Lauren Ambrose) and Taissa (Tawny Cypress) seem to be sliding back into the disconcerting supernatural belief system they formed in the wilderness. Plus, Oscar winner Hilary Swank is joining the cast in a top-secret role, so let the guessing games begin. The journey is dark and twisty, filled with bumps along the way, but, ultimately, it feels great to be reunited with this cast of very weird characters. 

Where to watch: Paramount+
When: February 14
Watch if you like: Lost, The Wilds, The Society

The pods are once again open. Every season I tell myself I already know the answer to the Lacheys’ question on whether love is truly blind, but dammit this show keeps reeling me back in. This time we’re in snowy Minneapolis as singles once again vie to find their life partner and commit to marriage — all before seeing them in person. Love Is Blind has been publicizing that this season has the biggest age range of people looking for love (the youngest is 26 and the oldest is 43), but after screening the first three episodes, I’d say it’s all pretty standard. 

Religion is a common topic as well as a person’s politics, at least in terms of what made the final cut, and I can’t help but think that it’s all feeling very, very white, which makes sense given where our newest pod crew hails from. That being said, February is the month of love so there’s nothing more appropriate than watching people try to find their spouse no matter how unconventional the search is so grab your gold cups and get ready for another inevitably messy ride.

Where: Netflix
When: February 14
Watch if you like: Love Island, The Ultimatum

Honestly, it’s hard to know what to expect from The White Lotus Season 3 — but I think I actually prefer it that way. Spending winter nights whisked off to a lavish resort waiting to see what acclaimed creator Mike White is going to do next with his acclaimed anthology series is exactly how I want to be spending my Sundays. 

It’s safe to say that Season 3 will hit on some signature features that made the first two seasons of the HBO show so popular: we’ll be watching mostly wealthy people on their worst behavior, showing a lack of consideration for the local setting, and there will, most likely, be a death with a victim that won’t be revealed until the finale. Actual details are scarce though. We know that this season is set at a White Lotus resort in Thailand, and that Natasha Rothwell is back in her Season 1 role as Belinda, who was the spa manager at the Hawaii hotel. The ensemble cast is also quite large, and full of notable names, including Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, and Blackpink’s Lalisa Manobal. Pack your bags, because mine already are. 

Where to watch: HBO and Max
When: February 16
Watch if you like: The White Lotus Seasons 1 + 2, Nine Perfect Strangers

From The Mindy Project to Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls, I’ve never met a Mindy Kaling-created show I wouldn’t watch, and Running Point carries that tradition. This comedy is a bit glitzier than Kaling’s past works: it has an expensive-feeling sheen, its cast is stacked (stars include Kate Hudson, Brenda Song, Jay Ellis, and Justin Theroux), and its premise is super buzzy. Hudson plays a woman who takes the reins of the prestigious Los Angeles Waves basketball team that her family owns and becomes determined to prove a lifetime of doubt wrong. (And, if this sounds even slightly familiar: yes, Lakers boss Jeanie Buss worked on the show.) But even with the gloss, Running Point has all the hallmarks of a solid Kaling show. The jokes are sharp and witty, and never stop flying, there are tantalizing hints of romance, and incredibly out-of-pocket characters. Even if it’s not your favorite Kaling show, you’ll be glad to have it on. 

Where to watch: Netflix
When: February 27
Watch if you like: The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, Ted Lasso

Awards season is going strong, with not one but two major ceremonies taking place this month. First up is the 2025 Grammy Awards, where Beyoncé has a field-leading 11 nominations after her genre-expanding country album Cowboy Carter. Will the artist who holds the record for most-ever career nominations (that’s 99, btw) finally win a long-overdue Album Of The Year award? The show is all but guaranteed to be huge for women: six out of eight nominees for AOTY are women, and Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and Chappell Roan are all nominated for the night’s three top prizes. 

Later this month are the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards, hosted by Kristen Bell. The SAGs are distinctly different from other awards shows in that only acting and stunt acting performances are honored and the voting body is made up entirely of actors themselves. So get ready for major star power as our fave on-screen people fete each other throughout the night. Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Emilia Pérez, and Anora are among the most nominated movies, while Shōgun, The Bear, and The Diplomat lead the way on the TV side. 

These will also be the first big awards shows since the devastating wildfires broke out in LA, and both events are set to find meaningful ways to honor and support the affected communities.

We’ll be covering it all on Refinery29’s Instagram and TikTok so make sure to watch with us there!

Where to watch: CBS/Paramount+ (Grammys); Netflix (SAGs)
When: February 2 (Grammys); February 23 (SAGs)
Watch if you like: Any awards show