What’s New in Pop Culture: January 27-February 2, 2025
Releases this week in TV, Music, Movies & Games
New This Week: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man swings into Disney+; The Weeknd releases Hurry Up Tomorrow; Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon come to Prime Video.
TELEVISION
Check out our Best of 2024: Television list for great shows you might have missed last year.
Tuesday 1/28: Paradise (Hulu; Political Thriller)
Sterling K. Brown stars in this new series about a secret service officer who is implicated in the assassination of the American President, trying desperately to clear his own name. With James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson, and Sarah Shahi.
Wednesday 1/29: Mythic Quest (Apple TV+; Comedy)
Rob McElhenney’s workplace comedy about a software company behind a massive video game returns after more than two years.
Wednesday 1/29: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+; Animated, Super Hero)
This new cartoon explores an alternate-reality Peter Parker’s early life as a teenager and burgeoning superhero, taking inspiration from the classic comics, even down to the art style. Expect appearances from various villains including Scorpion, Rhino, and Chameleon.
Thursday 1/30: Scamanda (ABC 9pm; True-Crime Documentary)
This mini-series is based on the chart-topping true-life podcast that followed the case of Amanda Riley, whose battle with cancer captivated social media, until an investigation turned the story upside down.
Sunday 2/2: 67th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS/Paramount+ 8pm; Music, Award Show)
Trevor Noah returns to host music’s biggest night for the fifth consecutive year. Look for performances by nominees Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and more.
MUSIC
Check out our Best of 2024 Music list for great albums you may have missed last year.
Friday 1/31: Cymande Renascence (Funk/Soul)
Friday 1/31: Kim Wilde Closer (Pop/Dance)
Friday 1/31: Manic Street Preachers Critical Thinking (Alt Rock)
Friday 1/31: Michael Medrano THE PENTHOUSE (Nu Disco/Electro Pop)
Friday 1/31: The Weeknd Hurry Up Tomorrow (R&B/Pop)
MOVIES
Check out our Best of 2024: Film list for great movies you might have missed in 2024.
Thursday 1/30: You’re Cordially Invited (Prime Video; Comedy)
Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon play parents of children who both book the same vacation getaway wedding venue for the same weekend, sabotaging each other’s events.
Friday 1/31: Companion (Wide; Horror, Thriller)
Jack Quaid (The Boys) and Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) star in this film by the creators of Barbarian about a sex android gone haywire.
Friday 1/31: Dog Man (Wide; Animated, Family)
Dav Pilkey’s popular series of children’s graphic novels gets the film treatment, as the titular hero — a cop and police canine unit whose lives are saved by being merged together — attempts to save the city from supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson).
Friday 1/31: Green and Gold (Wide; Drama)
Craig T. Nelson plays a Wisconsin dairy farmer on the verge of losing his family’s land, whose granddaughter is torn between family duty and her dreams of becoming a musician.
Friday 1/31: Valiant One (Wide; Military Drama, Action)
An American military squad is shot down in North Korean territory, and must survive until the can find their way back through the Demilitarized Zone and into safety.
GAMES
If you’re looking for new games to play, check out our Best of 2024 Games list.
Tuesday 1/28: Cuisineer (Roguelite, Dungeon Crawler; PS5, Switch, Xbox S|X)
Play as Pom, an adventurer and restaurateur who uses her cooking utensils and skills to fight her way through food-based enemies and dungeons.
Thursday 1/30: Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero (Tactical RPG; PS4, PS5, Switch)
This sequel to 2004’s Phantom Brave has you exploring pirate-infested waters as you bind phantoms to various items to make your way through the world.
Thursday 1/30: Sniper Elite: Resistance (Shooter/Adventure; PC, PS5, Xbox S|X)
Fight alongside the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied France as you attempt to prevent the Third Reich from creating a powerful weapon that could change the outcome of WWII.