Heated Rivalry lived up to the hype — here are 9 other movies and shows I wish I’d watched sooner

I'd do anything to spend a fortnight at the cottage

31 Jan 2026, 17:00 · TechRadar

Features By Rowan Davies published 31 January 2026

From Heated Rivalry to The Lord of the Rings, these are my top 9 movies and shows from January. (Image credit: Now TV) Share Share by:

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The first month of 2026 is already coming to a close, and despite the dreaded January blues, it's been solid streaming-wise – well, at least it has been for me. Last year, I embarked on an ambitious mission to document my favorite movies and shows across the best streaming services each month — and I'm doing it all over again in 2026.

One of the defining new series from the past month has been the new HBO Max show Heated Rivalry, which has been hyped up on all my social media pages. More often than not, hype like this would be very off-putting for me, but it turned out to be so much more than what I was expecting.

As well as watching the latest streaming releases, I spent much of my time catching up on the ones I've pushed aside for years, as I find myself doing every month. This time, I finally checked off The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Manchester by the Sea (2016). Am I really starting to change this early into the new year? I think so.

Heated Rivalry (2025)

Heated Rivalry | Official Trailer | HBO Max - YouTube

Watch On

Creator: Jacob Tierney
Age rating: TV-MA
Runtime: ~ 43 minute episodes
Where to stream: HBO Max (US); Now TV (UK); HBO Max (AU)

While I'm waiting patiently for HBO Max's long overdue UK launch in March, Now TV has been a reliable placeholder for catching up on the most talked-about TV shows of the moment. I haven't been able to escape the online hype over Heated Rivalry, and now I can see why it's got so much attention.

The world of ice hockey is full of complications, at least it is for Major League Hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). As the two rival hockey players climb to the top of their game, an unexpected relationship blossoms between them, sparking a hidden romance that they shun from the public eye, but what starts off as an exclusively sexual relationship evolves into something much more.

If you're looking for a show to really add some heat to the winter evenings, look no further.

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