Can I watch cowboy bebop the movie without seeing the series for context?

The stories don’t directly correlate. But I feel like you’d be missing out on the experience because the show really shows the dynamics and personality of all the characters in extreme detail. So you won’t understand the characters as well in the movie, and understand their motives and emotions behind their thoughts and actions. So I definitely recommend watching the series, period. It won’t be a chore, I promise. Cowboy Bebop is legendary and my Xbox Gamertag has been “Spike Spiegel X” for ten years because of the impression this series left on me.