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Nate at the Movies: February 2026 Roundup 🍿
Hey, Reader! Welcome back to my monthly roundup—let's go find you a movie or two to check out!
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🌟 This Month's Must-See Movies
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (2025)
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Easily one of the best comedies of the decade (or ever?), Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie was the shock of the year so far, and if the closest theater to me showing it wasn't in Denton, I would have already seen this again. And probably a third time.
"This was hilarious, endlessly creative and inventive, meta and tongue-in-cheek while also containing a huge amount of heart, and neatly paced and packed into an impressive 102 minutes. I meant it when I said that Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie was a feat of filmmaking".
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EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2025)
I've never been a huge Elvis fan, but this doc may have me jumping on the bandwagon, albeit 70 years late. Baz Luhrmann's maximalist direction and Elvis's passionate performing were a perfect marriage in this electric music documentary.
How to Make a Killing (2026)
While it didn't have the edge or pizzazz I was quietly hoping it would, this was still a sleek and kind of silly good time with the always-likable Glen Powell at the heart of a crazy story.
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💎 My Favorite First-Time Watches This Month
On the very last day of the month, Morgan and I finally witnessed Chicago (2002), an embarrassing musical theater blind spot for me. What followed was some of the best choreography and editing I've seen in a movie musical, paired with a fun story with memorable characters and a batch of lovely jazzy songs.
I watched Promising Young Woman (2020) in preparation for Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights, and I was floored by it. Carey Mulligan crushed at the center of a twisted and insanely satisfying story, with a ton of visual craft on display around her. Better than Wuthering Heights, if you ask me.
While talking about the late great Rob Reiner over the winter break, my dad implored me to watch This Is Spinal Tap (1984), and boy I was thrilled. It won't take the top spot away from The Princess Bride, but it was hilarious and impressive nonetheless. Plus, I have a whole new set of amazing lines to quote!
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🎯 Works in Progress
Adaptation Appreciation (2/12): This month's read was The Great Gatsby, a high school retread that I actually remembered enjoying the first time around. While the book was good, it wasn't as amazing as I remembered it being, and the Baz Luhrmann movie left a bit to be desired as well. But guys, Project Hail Mary is next, and I'm literally going to explode seeing it in IMAX opening night!
MCU (24/37): One good watch and one mid watch in the MCU this month. I loved Spider-Man: Far From Home—Tom Holland's Spider-Man is my new Tony Stark—but I could take or leave Black Widow. The best thing that movie will do for the MCU is introduce Florence Pugh; she was awesome!
Star Wars (11.1/17): I'm on my game now, guys! Morgan and I watched the entire original trilogy this month, and I'm legitimately sad that it's over. Probably the greatest trilogy of all time, unless Toy Story wants to chime in. I started The Mandalorian, too, and it's looking like it's going to be pretty good.
Oscars Death Race (37/50): Just in case you thought I didn't take this seriously, I knocked out 11 more nominees this month. With two weeks to go until Oscars Sunday, all I have left is the animated and live-action shorts (which I already have my ticket for), The Alabama Solution (on HBO Max), Children No More: Were and Are Gone (which I'll be seeing at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, of all places!) and one elusive stinker: Cutting Through Rocks. I'm crossing my fingers it'll pop up somewhere!
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🚨 Next Month's Movie Radar
I legitimately think Project Hail Mary (2026) could be the movie of the year. I've already started the book and, based on how it's going, I'm almost certain the movie is going to enter my top 25 movies of all time the instant I leave the theater. I hope I'm not overhyping it...
There are a number of movies I'm excited about besides the movie of the year (see above), like Hoppers (2026)—which I continue to believe in more—and The Bride! (2026), which will hopefully see Jessie Buckley continuing to win.
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Thanks for reading, Reader. Now go find a comfy theater chair, get a *small* popcorn and a courtesy cup, and I'll see you next month!
Your partner in film,
Nate
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