Mark These 2025 Celestial Events on Your Calendar

Celestial enthusiasts have much to look forward to in 2025, with eclipses, meteor showers, and planetary alignments lighting up (or darkening) the sky. Here are the events to add to your calendar.

January

The first month of the year will bring a lesser-known meteor shower and some planetary action.

• Jan. 3–4: Quadrantid meteor shower. The Quadrantids are active from Dec. 28 to Jan. 12 but are expected to peak around 4 a.m. EST on Jan. 4. The moon will be only 47% illuminated, and the shower can produce more than 100 meteors per hour in ideal conditions. Viewing is best in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Jan. 13: Wolf Moon. The first full moon of 2025 has extra appeal, as it will pass close to (almost in front of) Mars. The red planet will appear to disappear behind the moon at 9:16 p.m. EST and reappear at 10:31 p.m. EST.

• Jan. 15: Mars at opposition. Peak Mars viewing is happening in January. When at opposition, the Red Planet's entire illuminated face is toward Earth. Look for it in the eastern sky as the sun sets toward the west.

February

February's main event is a planetary parade, when the planets appear to be in one line in Earth's sky. The parade actually begins on Jan. 10 when the Moon joins up with Jupiter and continues through February. Saturn will drop off mid-month, but tiny Mercury will be barely visible in the parade on Feb. 28.

A crescent Venus will also be visible on Feb. 19 when the planet is at its closest point to Earth.

March

March has a pair of eclipses:

• March 14: Total lunar eclipse. As the moon passes through Earth's shadow, it'll cast a deep red hue. Though the total lunar eclipse will be visible around the world, the full 65-minute totality will only happen in the Americas and Antarctica.

• March 26: Partial solar eclipse. Canadians and Americans along the east coast will get the best view of March's partial solar eclipse, which will cover up to 93% of the sun. If you can't travel to see it, you can watch the livestream on YouTube.

April

The Lyrid meteor shower will be active between April 15 and April 30, with a peak on the night of April 21–22. Around 10–20 meteors (and possibly fireballs) are visible per hour in ideal conditions. For best viewing, look for the shower before the moon rises.

May

The Eta Aquarids—one of two showers resulting from Halley's Comet—is expected to peak on the night of May 6–7. Viewers in the Southern Hemisphere may see up to 60 meteors per hour. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will still get a show, but a less spectacular one.

July

The Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids are both peaking at the end of July (29–30). The former may have up to 20 shooting stars per hour with best conditions in the Southern Hemispherel the latter has fewer meteors, but they are very bright. The sky should be relatively dark for good viewing.

August

The usually spectacular Perseids will be a bit less so in 2025; the shower's peak on Aug. 12–13 lands just a few days after the full moon. However, it may still be worth looking for, as it often produces nearly 100 meteors per hour. At the same time, though, you can catch the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the eastern sky (an hour before sunrise on Aug. 12).

September

Saturn will be at opposition on the night of Sept. 21. Just like Mars in January, this event will show Saturn at its brightest, visible to the naked eye.

(There's also a second partial solar eclipse visible from New Zealand on the same day.)

October

The Orionids are active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 12, with a peak on the night of Oct. 22–23. The moon will be only 2% full, leaving the sky dark for solid viewing. The shower produces 10–20 meteors per hour.

While the Draconids are peaking just one day after October's full moon (the Hunter's Moon on Oct. 6), astronomers say there's a tiny possibility of a meteor storm this year.

November

The moon and meteors will light up the sky in November:

• Nov. 5: Supermoon. The second supermoon of 2025 will be the biggest and brightest since 2019 thanks to its proximity to Earth.

• Nov. 16–17: Leonid meteor shower. In idea conditions, the Leonids, which come from the 55P/Temple-Tuttle comet, produce 10–15 meteors per hour. On peak night in 2025, the moon will be just 9% full.

December

Finally, the brightly colored Geminids will be active from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24 with a peak predicted for Dec. 13–14. Unlike 2024, the moon won't interfere with viewing. Look for them between mid-evening and 2 a.m., when it's possible to see 120 meteors per hour in the Northern Hemisphere.

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All the Smart Tech I Use to Get Better Sleep

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I was a bad sleeper. I often had trouble falling asleep, I was easily woken up because I wasn’t sleeping deeply, I tossed and turned, and I woke up tired, sometimes with headaches, even after a long night’s sleep. Over the past year, I have slowly adjusted every aspect of how I slept, from the bed itself to the climate, sound, and lights in my room, and ultimately solved most of my sleep problems. Here's everything I recommend, based on a variety of sleep-related challenges.

If you have trouble falling asleep during the day

It’s critical to your sleep for your body to think it's nighttime. Luckily, there are a number of brands that offer smart blackout shades, so you can block out all the light from your windows with one command. I installed Rolli shades, a colleague enjoyed Smartwingz, but I’m also excited about Switchbot’s Roller Shade, coming in February, which will be inexpensive and adjustable for any window's width. 

An alternative is a mask, and I believe I found the holy grail of smart sleep masks: The Aura is pillow soft, even if you sleep on your side. You can place scented lavender layers inside, and then use the Aura app to set up meditation or white noise programs to listen to, or you can simply use the mask as a Bluetooth speaker for any music you like. There are lights inside the mask, so you can set an alarm and it will gently bring up the lights like a sunrise to wake you up. It controls all your senses, and while I’ve never been a sleeping mask kind of person and found the idea of a scented smart mask absurd, it is legitimately relaxing and effective for me. 

If you have trouble falling asleep at night

On nights that I know I need to go to sleep but am not quite ready for it yet, I get into bed with my Kindle, turn off my overhead lights and turn on a calming program on my Nanoleaf lights. They project calming waves of light and motion across the room, and I find they truly affect your mood. 

If anxiety or a busy mind is keeping you from sleeping, your voice assistant might help. Whether you use Siri, Alexa, or Google, let your assistant remind you of all your calendar items for the next day, so you don’t feel like you’re forgetting something.  If thoughts often pop into your head as you’re about to go to sleep, you can ask your voice assistant to remind you of them tomorrow rather than staying awake ruminating on them. (You can also use them to check to make sure smart appliances are off so you don’t have to get back up.) 

If you toss and turn at night

An inability to stay asleep can be attributed to a number of factors like climate and distractions, but ultimately, the solution lies in how comfortable your body is in bed, and how well supported your body is, which is decidedly un-technological. While there are a number of websites and even apps to help you choose beds, I found there is no substitute for going to a store and laying on each bed to try them out, and choosing the one right for you. Particularly if you are larger or suffer from body aches, you may want to choose a bed that is made more traditionally with coils, rather than foam. Where foam may be helpful is pillows. Moving away from the traditional pillow shapes full of down, choose foam shapes that work for your body, not just under your head but between your knees or behind your back. I really liked Bearaby pillow shapes, particularly the Cuddler, which is a long body pillow you can wrap around you.

If you are easily woken up at night

You can use your smart speaker to drown out random noise in the background that might startle you. First, use your voice assistant to turn your devices to “do not disturb” while you sleep. Your smart speaker offers white noise options: You can ask your assistant to play a standard white noise, but there are also a plethora of natural options like whale song and rainforest. You can adjust the sound level as needed using your voice. Of course, if you prefer, you can listen to music, too. 

If you sleep too hot or cold

I have found that having multiple forms of climate control works best. I have smart air conditioner units and heaters. For the A/C, I rely on my Midea U-Shaped Smart A/C, which I’ve had for a few years; it works with my voice assistants and powers on and off on a smart routine in Google Home. For heat, I use a Smart Envi wall heater, which works the same way. 

Adding climate control to my bed was the chef’s kiss. The BedJet 3 shoots hot or cold air into your bed, either into a pillowy top sheet or directly on you, under your top sheet or blanket. You can tune it to cold or hot air from the phone app or a remote, but it will also allow you to create custom programs for the whole night. My favorite feature turns out to be a ten minute blast of 110 degree air which is perfect for slipping into bed on cold nights or for frosty toes first thing in the morning. 

The solutions aren’t all technical, either. Some sheets (brushed cotton) are made for hot sleepers, and some for cool sleepers (linen), and choosing the right sheets can make a big difference for you. 

If you get headaches or sinus problems at night

I often woke up with headaches or sinus issues, which I thought were due to having air blowing directly at me. A fan that I can actually stand is any Dreo model—they have a “natural” setting that mimics a breeze. Also, you can really clean a Dreo fan—they come completely apart—which means less dust blowing around, which can aggravate sinuses. I added in a smart air purifier that adjusts on the fly as needed to the conditions in my room. I use a Mila in my room to remove dust, pollen and dander, and my headaches and congestion went away. 

It also helped to adjust the angle at which I sleep. Many brands offer electric base layers that will turn any bed into an adjustable one, where you can lift your head, knees, or feet. I chose one from BedJet, called the Power Layer. Subtle adjustments can keep your head upright enough to stop you from snoring, or alleviate a stuffed up nose. You use a remote or an app to connect to make adjustments. 

If snoring keeps you awake

If you’re wondering if you’re a snorer, an app like SnoreLab will provide very humbling evidence by listening to you overnight. This can be the push you need to get a sleep apnea test, which you can now do at home using, you got it, smart monitoring devices. 

If you wake up tired

How well you’re sleeping isn’t only how long you slept. I started measuring the quality of my sleep using my Oura ring. This wearable device uses heart rate, respiration, skin and body temperature, movement, and heart rate variability to create a sleep efficiency score. Using the metrics above, Oura determines when you enter REM and deep sleep, and for how long. 

The night before and after the Saatva HD arrived Credit: Amanda Blum

While seeing how long I was in bed for versus sleeping was often disheartening, if eye opening, the efficiency score created by those metrics was more usable for determining how effective various changes I made to my sleeping ritual were. Oura provides an overall sleeping score daily as well, which is a mix of the efficiency, how much activity you had while you slept tossing and turning, how much time you spent in REM or deep sleep, and how quickly you fell asleep. If you don’t like the idea of a wearable, you can try non-wearables like a Chilipad Sleep Tracker or Withins Sleep Tracking Pad.

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All the Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in January

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Due to the weather in many parts of the U.S., January's home maintenance tasks are often limited to indoor areas, as it’s usually more difficult to do outdoor projects like painting. Also, because you will probably be spending more time indoors during the colder parts of winter, keeping the inside of your home safe and comfortable should take priority.

Here are all the home maintenance tasks you should handle in the month of January.

Check your indoor vents

In the winter, vents in your kitchen and bathroom can get a workout, with holiday cooking and houseguests adding to your regular use. Remembering to clean your vents, check or replace filters, and do any minor repairs that are needed are important steps to keeping your indoor air quality at healthy levels.

To perform maintenance on vents, you can unscrew the cover from the housing and vacuum the dust out of the slats. If you have a washable filter, you can remove it and follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning. If the air filter in the vent is a disposable type, you can replace it. While the vent cover is open, inspect the interior parts and check for any damage.

Check your tub and sink caulking

Once a year, it’s a good idea to check the caulking around your tub and sink. If you notice that it’s beginning to peel or develop cracks, it's a good idea to remove the old caulk with a putty knife and replace it. Using a tube of caulk and a five-in-one tool, seal around the edges of your sink, your tub, and between the tub and tile to keep water from getting onto your walls, running into cracks, and causing unseen damage. You can also opt for a caulk repair tool kit that comes with removal tools as well as shaping tools.

Perform an annual Wi-Fi security update

Given the convenience of using wireless internet and connected devices, it might not occur to you to update your device lists and passwords every once in a while. Let January be your time to take a few minutes to check your current list of connected devices to ensure that old devices you aren’t using don’t have access to your home internet, and also make sure that there aren’t any unfamiliar devices using your wifi. You should also take a moment to update passwords for your home internet and other connected devices to keep your network more secure. While these steps might seem small, they can help you to protect your personal data.

Clean out washer drain filters and dryer vents

January is an excellent time to clear all the gunk out of dryer vents and washing machine drain filters. You might not even realize you have a filter for your washer’s drain until it gets clogged and backs up into a fresh load of laundry. Washers that drain onto a utility sink or basin often have a screen to prevent lint from clogging the drain. It can get full of lint and stop draining, so taking a second to empty it can save you a lot of hassle. Some washers also have a screen built into the drain mechanism that’s meant to be removed and cleaned; you can locate that on the back side of your washer, near where the water drains through the hose.

Your dryer vent should be inspected and cleaned out at least twice a year. This can be done by removing the connection from the dryer on the indoor end and the vent cover on the outdoor end and using a vent cleaning brush to remove any lint build-up from inside. When you’re finished cleaning it out, reattach the hose and the vent cover.

Start a home maintenance calendar

January is the perfect time to begin a home maintenance calendar if you don’t already have one. While home maintenance calendars used to be mostly paper files, you can also opt to keep a digital file. Your calendar can include important maintenance dates, like when your furnace filters need to be changed next, when you need to recharge your fire extinguishers, and your next planned chimney cleaning. Other items to include can be things like maintenance records and phone numbers for maintenance professionals so that you will have all the information you need in one place in case you need a repair.

Keeping track of filters and important cleanings will help you to plan ahead for maintenance and remember when it’s time to take care of certain chores.

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The Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Prime This Month

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I've scoured the January releases on Amazon's Prime platform to find the best new and new-to-streaming movies and shows. The days of tons of innovative streaming shows and movies seem done for now. Prime is focusing on sure shots: There's You're Cordially Invited, a can't-miss comedy with Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon; Unstoppable, an inspiring sports drama with Jennifer Lopez; On Call, a police procedural created by Dick Wolf; a new season of Harlem; and a playoff football game. All safe bets—solidly entertaining without pushing the envelope.

Comedic icons Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon star in a domestic comedy in which bridal parties battle for supremacy. A terrible planner booked both Ferrell's daughter's wedding and Witherspoon's sister's weddings for the same time and place. Instead of cooperating, the families go head-to-head and try to destroy each other. You're Cordially invited was directed by Nick Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors), so you're in good hands if you like solid comedy from solid comedy professionals.

Starts streaming January 30.

On Call

Police procedural series have been a staple of television since Dragnet premiered in 1951 for good reason: What's more dramatic than good guys chasing bad guys? On Call makes a classic cop show set-up (a veteran Long Beach, Calif. police officer teams up with an idealistic, wet-behind-the-ears rookie) more visceral and immediate by presenting the action through footage shot on dashcams, bodycams, smartphones, and security cameras. Joe Friday probably wouldn't approve of On Call's vérité style, but it's an interesting new wrinkle in the genre.

Starts streaming January 9.

Unstoppable

Jennifer Lopez anchors this inspiring story based on the real life of one-legged wrestler Anthony Robles, played by Jharrel Jerome. In Unstoppable, Lopez plays Anthony's mother Judy, one of those devoted movie moms who will not let her son give up on his dream of becoming a college wrestling champion, no matter how many sacrifices she has to make. Man, isn't the human spirit something?

Starts streaming January 16.

Harlem, season 3

In season 3 of Harlem, the drama continues as four best friends in the city navigate career struggles, motherhood, singlehood, sisterhood, and more. Cast members Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, and Shoniqua Shandai return, but there are some new faces too, including Kofi Siriboe who plays Seth, a handsome MLB player who catches one of the ladies’ attention.

Starts streaming January 23.

The Rig

The Rig has a perfect set up for a horror-thriller: A mysterious fog rolls over an offshore oil rig, cutting off all communication. Paranoia, claustrophobia, and terror rise and the tension becomes unbearable. Then the crew learns that the fog besetting the oil rig leads to something unnatural and unspeakable, forcing desperate men to work together to survive.

Starts streaming January 2.

NFL Wildcard Game

For the first time ever, an NFL playoff game will not be available on broadcast television, nor will be available to subscribers to the NFL package sold on YouTube TV. I'd like to tell you who is playing and when the game will be played, but that information won't be locked in until January 5, so the best I can do is tell you that the game will be called by Al Michaels and analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and point out that Amazon's optional "alternative stream" of the game (all the action is shown from an overhead camera) can be kind of cool if you're a football nerd who wants to watch the whole play instead of just the ball carrier.

Starts streaming January 11 or 12.

Last month's picks

Beast Games

YouTube’s most famous creator, Mr. Beast, makes a bid for crossover success with this competition reality show where 1,000 competitors compete for a grand prize of $5 million. If you’re in the market for a real-life version of Squid Game, or you find mindless spectacle TV an engaging time-waste, you’ll want to check out Beast Games.

Starts streaming December 19.

Pop Culture Jeopardy

Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost hosts this Jeopardy spin-off in which all of the questions are about pop culture, so it’s like Jeopardy for people don’t read books. Jost has the perfect persona to host a light game show, and a modernized version of Jeopardy is a great idea, so check out Pop Culture Jeopardy if you’re into game shows.

Starts streaming December 4.

The Sticky

Get ready for a quirky crime comedy. The Sticky fictionalizes the story of a gang of Canuck criminals who boosted around 300 tons of maple syrup in 2011 and 2012 from Canada's strategic reserve of maple syrup—that's about $18-million in pancake sauce. So if you're in the mood for a Fargo-style series with colorful characters up to dark deeds, check out The Sticky.

Starts streaming December 6.

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

This prequel to A Quiet Place brings us back to the start of the series, the day the blind, noise-averse aliens invaded earth and killed almost everyone in the world. Lupita Nyong'o stars as Sammy, a terminally ill woman whose journey to New York City for a slice of pizza is interrupted by the end of the world. A film that’s equal parts horror and character study, A Quiet Place: Day One is a great movie for fans of horror movies looking for something a little more elevated than the “teenagers get murdered” flicks typical of the genre.

Starts streaming December 31.

Secret Level

Secret Level is an animated anthology series featuring stories set in the universe of various video game franchises. From the team behind the excellent sci-fi series Love Death + Robots, Secret Level features episodes set in the worlds of Pac-Man, Warhammer 40,000, Mega Man, Unreal Tournament, and many others—it's the perfect show for gamers.

Starts streaming December 10.

Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story

Designer Lisa Frank is known for a unicorn-and-rainbow-overdose style that captured the imaginations of flighty people all over the world, but, as this documentary shows, things were not all cotton-candy-pink behind the scenes of the Lisa Frank empire. Through interviews with people who were there, Glitter and Greed lays out the toxic work environment and tumultuous personal drama under the surface of the Lisa Frank dream world.

Starts streaming December 5.

ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing

You don't have to be a football fan to watch documentary ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing. It's not about the team; it's about their biggest fan, Xaviar Babudar. Babudar's character, ChiefsAholic, was fan-famous for showing up at every Chief's game in a wolf costume. But NFL tickets aren't cheap, and it turns out that the "-aholic" part of ChiefsAholic wasn't a lie. Dude was robbing banks to pay for his Chiefs addiction—and his gambling addiction.

Starts streaming December 24.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

A harrowing look at mental illness from Ari Aster, Beau is Afraid isn’t like any other movie. It’s a terrifying, surreal, and often inscrutable journey into the psyche of the main character, played by a fully committed Joaquin Phoenix. Beau's routine trip to visit his mother turns into an epic personal journey in which reality and delusion merge.

Starts streaming December 13.

Jack in Time for Christmas

In this star-encrusted holiday romp, British comedian Jack Whitehall is stranded in the United States with just four days to make it back to the UK for Christmas. For “just go with it” reasons, every flight is canceled, forcing Whitehall to spend time with celebrities like Michael Bublé, Dave Bautista, Rebel Wilson, Jimmy Fallon, Daisy May Cooper, and Tom Davies, doing things like playing hockey and going bobsledding. Told through a mix of scripted segments and improv, Jack in Time for Christmas lives (or dies) on the strength of its stars’ charisma.

Starts streaming December 3.

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Don't Use Your Christmas Tree for Firewood (but You Can Recycle It in Other Ways)

When it comes time to take down your natural tree, you might think that tossing it in the fireplace is an economical and simple solution for disposal. However, it’s not a good idea to burn your Christmas tree for firewood—it can cause issues with your fireplace and chimney. Rather than risking your safety, there are other more sustainable ways to reuse your tree and still cut down on disposal costs.

Evergreen trees tend to have pitch or sap, as well as needles. Because of these differences from traditional firewood, your tree could burn very hot, throw lots of sparks, and cause creosote build-up in your chimney. Creosote can cause a chimney fire if it gets thick enough before your chimney is cleaned. An overly hot fire could also damage the bricks or masonry of your chimney, causing it not to work properly to carry smoke safely to the outdoors. An overly smoky fire from uncured wood is also a danger when using a Christmas tree as fuel, so the best practice is to only use seasoned firewood that’s intended to be burned as fuel.

Best ways to recycle a Christmas tree

There are other ways you can "recycle" a Christmas tree, though, that are safer. Here are some ideas:

• Use it as firewood in an outdoor fire pit. Although you should take precautions to avoid igniting surrounding brush or dry grass from escaped sparks, you can choose to burn your Christmas tree in an outdoor fire pit. Since a fire pit doesn’t require a chimney or a flue, you don’t need to worry about causing a chimney fire with pitchy wood. Because needles can cause very hot and unpredictable fires, you should always have proper fire extinguishers and hoses at the ready just in case.

• Use it for mulch. Christmas trees make great wood chips and they can be used as a weed barrier for landscaping projects. In some places, your local trash pick-up might have a tree pick-up program where trees can go to be recycled into wood chips. If not, you can always decide to split a chipper rental with the neighborhood and get some low-cost, fresh-smelling mulch from the deal.

• Get out your chainsaw for some DIY projects. Cutting up the wood from your tree to make some clever DIY coasters from the rounds of the trunk of your tree is a fun way to recycle your tree. You can make a border for your garden bed with sections of your tree’s trunk. As with any chainsaw project, make sure you wear a face shield, heavy gloves, and protective clothing to avoid turning your holiday recycling project into a trip to the ER.

• Use smaller branches as plant markers and plant stakes. Select your branch and remove all the smaller twigs and needles from it. Then, use a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife to remove the bark. You can write the name of your plant on the stake or marker with a permanent marker once the bark is removed.

• Make sachets from pine needles. Using scraps of fabric sewn into small pillows and stuffed with the needles, this type of sachet can be used to keep drawers and cabinets fresh. You can also use needles (or branches with lots of needles) to cover vegetable gardens or perennials during the winter. This practice can add nutrients back into the soil, as well as help prevent mold.

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The Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix in January 2025

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I've pored over Netflix's release schedule to bring you the best movies and TV shows premiering on the service this month. At the top of the list is Back in Action, a domestic spy thriller/comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. There's also a new Wallace and Gromit movie, and, most importantly to me, Cunk on Life, in which my hero Philomena Cunk makes her triumphant return to Netflix. 2025 is going to be the best year ever; I can feel it.

Back in Action

In Back in Action, the star power is turned up past 11. This action-comedy stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz as CIA agents who left the undercover life to raise a family together. But when their cover is blown, these seemingly normal parents come out of retirement to kick ass, take names, and make jokes. It's been over a decade since Diaz has appeared in a feature, so expect something special, and expect extreme leves of screen charisma from Back in Action's stars.

Starts streaming January 17.

Cunk on Life

Cunk on Life illustrates what would happen if the BBC hired the dumbest person on Earth to host a sweeping documentary that examines the meaning of life. Philomena Cunk, played by comedian Diane Morgan, travels the world to interview real academics, philosophers, and other very smart people, ostensibly to ask big, important questions, but really to test their patience with her deadpan, stupid persona. If you like comedy that's actually funny, don't miss Cunk on Life.

Starts streaming January 2.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The beloved stop-motion characters created by Aardman Animations are back in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, in which Gromit (he's the dog) becomes concerned with his master's over-reliance on technology. Wallace has invented a high-tech garden gnome, but it turns evil, forcing an absurd showdown. The roller coaster pace and precise comic timing raise the chaos high enough to earn Vengeance Most Fowl a rare 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starts streaming January 3.

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan directed this science fiction story about a group of astronauts who fly through a wormhole in search of a new home planet for humans to crap up. With a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine, thoughtful ideas about down-to-earth values, and a heavy dose of Nolan's unique cinematic style, Interstellar is required viewing.

Starts streaming January 1.

Don't Die: the Man Who Wants to Live Forever

Sorry for spoiling this Netflix original documentary, but its subject, entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, is not going to live forever. He's not going to achieve his more modest goal of living to 200 either. That foreknowledge adds to the poignancy and ridiculousness of Johnson's pursuit—dude is spending millions per year to forestall Death, and Death just does not care. While you and I are probably not going to that level, we're all doing something (even if it's just fretting) and Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever asks some interesting questions about our relationship to the end of life.

Starts streaming January 1.

Missing You

Missing You is a mystery-thriller from novelist Harlan Coben, so expect plot twists that will leave you saying "whoah." Rosalind Eleazar plays detective Kat Donovan whose fiancé Josh, played by Ashley Walters, disappeared years before. When she sees his face on a dating app, Donovan tries to get to the bottom of a mystery that spins in wildly unexpected directions. If you're looking for a potboiler-mystery series, check out Missing You.

Starts streaming January 1.

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

If you wanted to pinpoint the moment Western Culture fell off the cliff that led to—gesturing vaguely at everything—this, the popularity of The Jerry Springer Show is a solid contender. Through interviews with the people responsible and plenty of footage from the show, Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the Chicago-based talk show that built an empire on fistfights and scandals, both in front of and behind the camera.

Starts streaming January 7.

American Primeval

This limited series takes viewers back to an 1857, and explores the explosive collision of culture, religion, and community that gave birth the American West. American Primeval doesn't shy away from the darkness and despair of history as its characters fight for survival and control in a lawless, brutal frontier. The cast includes Taylor Kitsch as Isaac Reed, a broken man intent on self-destruction, and Kim Coates as Mormon leader Brigham Young, who uses his personal army, the Nauvoo Legion, to keep his followers alive at any cost.

Starts streaming January 9.

Hereditary (2018)

I love horror movies, and Hereditary is the best one that been made in the last decade at least. Ari Aster's masterpiece is not a movie for the faint-of-heart. It's legitimately disturbing in a primal way, a carefully paced, slow-burn of dread that becomes builds to a shocking conclusion. The cast is amazing, but Toni Collette's portrayal of a mother struggling with mental illness stands out as one of the most unsettling performances in horror movie history.

Starts streaming January 15.

You Hurt My Feelings

It's impossible to not like Tina Fey. In You Hurt my Feelings, the writer-turned-actress plays a novelist whose world is shaken when she overhears her husband's actual opinion of her newest book. Directed by Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money) and bearing the A24 Films mark of quality, You Hurt my Feelings earned unqualified raves from critics for its subtle, smart story about the lies we tell each other.

Starts streaming January 26.

Last month's picks

Squid Game, Season 2

Netflix's big Christmas present is coming a day late with the December 26 release of season two of Korean dystopian sci-fi drama Squid Game. Season two was written, directed, and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the genius behind season one, and Lee Jung-jae will return as Player 456, who's re-entering the game to tear it apart from the inside. Season one cast members Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo are coming bac,k too, where they'll join a fresh crop of competitors, so everyone can play a new bunch of deadly games. Can't wait.

Starts streaming December 26.

No Good Deed

Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow star in this black comedy about the cutthroat world of real estate in Los Angeles. No Good Deed follows three families competing to buy the same 1920s Spanish-style villa in Los Feliz, each convinced the house will make their dreams come true. But it's actually all a bigger nightmare than trying to buy a real house in Los Angeles. The all-star cast also includes Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, and Denis Leary.

Starts streaming December 12.

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

Wanna hear something weird? Last week I was reading about a ricin attack on President Obama that the FBI traced back to Tupelo, Mississippi and a feud between a karate instructor and an Elvis impersonator. I thought, "I need a documentary series about this right away, so I can learn more about the eccentrics involved and the place that gave birth to them." Then Netflix announced The Kings of Tupelo. Maybe I should have wished for world peace, but this show is a more-than-adequate consolation prize.

Starts streaming December 11.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Based on the masterpiece of magical realism by Nobel-Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the epic story of generations of the cursed Buendía family, condemned to solitude for 100 years. José Arcadio Buendía (Marco González) and Úrsula Iguarán (Susana Morales) are cousins and lovers who set out to build a perfect town called Macondo, but the result is not the Utopia they'd envisioned.

Starts streaming December 11.

Churchill at War

There's a time in every man's life when he become extremely interested in World War II. If you or anyone you know has reached this point, you should be aware of Churchill at War. This Netflix original docu-series looks at the role Britain's leader played during World War II and examines how his complex character affected the fate of his nation and Western Civilization at the time of its greatest peril. If your dad is visiting for the holidays, plop him in front of the TV for this one.

Starts streaming December 4.

Black Doves

In Black Doves, Keira Knightley plays a no-nonsense wife and mother who happens to be a a top-level spy. Ben Whishaw plays a suave assassin who never met a bottle of Champagne he wouldn't drink. This unlikely pair are thrown together by dire circumstances and must find a way to work together to prevent geopolitical catastrophe. If you like international intrigue, dry British humor, and knife fights, don't miss this series. It's currently sitting at 97% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starts streaming December 5.

Compliance (2012)

Not enough people have seen 2012's Compliance, an unnerving thriller that becomes even more disturbing when you learn that it all happened, almost exactly as filmed, many times. Compliance tells the story of an online weirdo who gets his kicks by calling fast-food places and pretending to be a cop so he can talk wage slaves into doing horrible things to each other. It's an examination of both cruelty and subservience that's difficult to watch but totally fascinating for the points it makes about human nature under capitalism.

Starts streaming December 5.

Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld

Ali Wong, Bowen Yang, and Lori Tan Chinn lend their voices to this animated fantasy series about a seemingly ordinary teenager whose life is turned inside out when she discovers she has supernatural fire-abilities. The title character is thrown into a confrontation with demons and uncovers shocking secrets from her family's mysterious past, all while navigating high school. This is going to be a lot of young people's favorite show.

Starts streaming December 5.

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter

In A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, pop star Sabrina Carpenter performs holiday standards and newer songs, acts in comedy sketches, and has many celebrity friends drop by to join her to make jokes, drink eggnog, and sing duets. It's like a throwback to the star-driven variety shows of the 1970s, but instead of Ruth Buzzi and Rip Taylor, you get Chappell Roan and Shania Twain, as well as a ton of other celebrity "friends."

Starts streaming December 6.

Biggest Heist Ever

I cannot get enough of freakshow crime documentaries, and Biggest Heist Ever might be the freakiest. It tells the story of aspiring rapper Razzle and her tech-mogul-wannabe boyfriend. Like the title says, these two doofs pulled off the biggest heist in human history, making off with billions in Bitcoin, despite being absolute idiots. I mean, look at this video; this lame stole more money than anyone else, ever. Every other thief in history should be ashamed.

Starts streaming December 6.

Mary

This biopic (I guess?) tells the story of Mary, no-last-name-needed, the mother of God. According to The Telegraph, this movie "angered Palestinians and Christians alike" before it even came out. (Agnostics, on the other hand, just shrugged.) This is enough of a reason to see it. Here's an unrelated fun fact about Mary: According to C

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Is at Its Lowest Price Ever

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If you're an Android user looking to upgrade your smartwatch game, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is now available for $219.99 (down from $399.99), its lowest price ever, according to price-trackers. Available in 43mm and 47mm (which costs $30 more) sizes, the Watch 6 Classic sports a stainless steel case, a sophisticated eco-leather band, and a rotating bezel. Besides giving it a premium look, the bezel also enhances functionality and protects its Super AMOLED always-on display (which boasts up to 2,000 nits of brightness, making it easy to read even in direct sunlight). However, keep in mind that using the display at full brightness can significantly drain the battery. Samsung claims up to 30 hours of battery life with the always-on display active, but heavy use could require daily charging.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 43mm Bluetooth Smartwatch

$219.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $180.00

$219.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $180.00

Built to endure, the Watch 6 Classic boasts 5ATM water resistance, an IP68 rating, and meets the MIL-STD-810H standard, making it resistant to dust, water, extreme temperatures, vibration, and shock. In other words, you can take it just about anywhere (if you're an Android user; the Watch 6 Classic does not support iOS). Additionally, its 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage reportedly ensure smooth and responsive performance, with apps loading quickly and the interface remaining lag-free. For connectivity, the Watch 6 Classic offers Bluetooth and wifi, with an option to add LTE connectivity for an extra $50. A heads up, thought, that while this smartwatch can pair with non-Samsung Android devices, some features are exclusive to Samsung Galaxy handsets.

The Watch 6 Classic runs on Wear OS 4 and Samsung’s One UI 5, which is said to provide a smooth and customizable user experience. Plus, it supports a wide range of apps, from Google Maps to Spotify, and integrates seamlessly with Samsung Galaxy devices. Health tracking is a major focus too, with features like heartrate monitoring, ECG readings, blood pressure monitoring, and sleep tracking, among others. That said, according to this PCMag review, the Watch 6 Classic exhibits a slight delay in detecting rapid heartrate changes. If you're considering other options, the Google Pixel Watch at $173.98 (down from $189), makes for a solid alternative.

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Four Easy Tech Jobs to Do for Elderly Family Members While You're Home for the Holidays

There are some traditions that go along with the holidays and visiting family: Eating lots of food, reminiscing about old times, watching classic movies, and of course: fixing all the tech difficulties that your parents or other elderly family members have managed to get themselves into over the previous 12 months.

Of course, the time will most likely come for all of us when we're confused by the latest gadgets and gizmos, and pine for simpler times. However, during your stint as the resident family tech expert, there are some simple jobs you can take care of for your relatives and make sure they're well set up for another year.

Get everything updated

Get phones and laptops right up to date. Credit: Lifehacker

Software updates are important for a whole host of reasons: They squash bugs, they tighten security, they add new features, and they improve compatibility with apps, hardware, and websites. If your parents have been neglecting to get their devices set up with the latest updates, you can sort this out for them.

Checking for updates and getting them installed isn't difficult: Head to Windows Update in Windows Settings, General > Software Update in macOS System Settings, System > Software updates in Android Settings, and General > Software Update in iOS Settings. If you see an option for automatic updates, turn it on.

You might find that really old devices aren't eligible for the latest updates from Microsoft, Apple, and Google—if that's the case, it might be worth having a discussion about whether it's worth the time and money to upgrade to something newer (which will probably be faster, less error-prone, and more secure).

Check app permissions

App permissions in macOS. Credit: Lifehacker

A quick check of app permissions can make a real difference when it comes to device security: You don't want any apps accessing camera and microphone permissions, for example, without explicit permission (and it's all too easy to tap through on these permission requests when they pop up).

You can find these by heading to Privacy and security in Windows Settings, Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings, Security and privacy > Privacy controls > Permission manager in Android Settings, and Privacy & Security in iOS Settings.

If you see an app you're not sure about, check with your parents: If they don't actually use it or have no idea where it's come from, uninstall it from the device and you don't have to worry about what it might be doing. You can always reinstall it again later if it is something your parents have been using.

Audit browser settings

Chrome will warn you about unsafe extensions. Credit: Lifehacker

A lot of screen time is web browsing time, and an insecure and outdated browser can leave you vulnerable. This is particularly true on Windows and macOS, where browsers are dealing with more advanced web apps, managing third-party extensions, and getting deeper hooks into the operating system.

Here are some quick checks to make on your parents' browser of choice: Make sure the latest version of the browser is being used (this is usually handled automatically), look through the list of browser extensions to see if there's anything suspicious or unnecessary, and check the home page and default search settings to check they haven't been hijacked by scammers or affiliate marketing companies.

The exact steps for doing this will vary between browsers, but you should be able to find the necessary options without too much difficulty. In Chrome, for example, you can check for updates by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings, then About Chrome. Click Extensions on the same Settings page to check the installed add-ons.

Check password security

Apple devices have their own Passwords app. Credit: Lifehacker

Passwords can be a real security problem, whether it's forgetting them, having them hacked and leaked, or revealing them through clever phishing schemes. If your parents have their passwords sorted, that's a significant step towards keeping them and their accounts protected in the future.

You know what's best for your own relatives, but ideally you want to get them to sign up to a password manager of some kind: This means everything gets safely secured, passwords won't be forgotten, and warnings will appear for passwords that are repeated or not strong enough (a good password manager will suggest strong passwords too).

It's also important to have two-factor authentication enabled wherever it's offered (most digital accounts now support it). It adds a little bit of extra inconvenience when logging in to new devices, but it makes accounts much more secure, and protects against password leaks: Again, this is something that the best password managers can handle.

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The Best TV Series to Stream This Week

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If you're looking for a new show to watch this week, the vast landscape of streaming networks will provide plenty of them. The biggest news: A new season of Squid Game is on Netflix now.

Squid Game, Season 2

Netflix's big Christmas present is coming a day late with the Dec. 26 release of season two of Korean dystopian sci-fi drama Squid Game. Season two was written, directed, and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the genius behind season one, and Lee Jung-jae will return as Player 456, who's re-entering the game to tear it apart from the inside. Season one cast members Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo are coming back too, where they'll join a fresh crop of competitors, so everyone can play a new bunch of deadly games. Can't wait.

Where to stream: Netflix

Landman

In Landman, Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, a "crisis executive" (aka fixer) for a major oil company. Created by Yellowstone auteur Taylor Sheridan and set in the boomtowns of West Texas, Landman dramatizes the ethical quandaries and moral gray areas that are inextricably linked to the juice we use to power everything in our lives.

Where to stream: Paramount+

The Secret Lives of Animals

Apple TV+ and the BBC teamed up for The Secret Lives of Animals, a for-the-whole-family documentary series that takes us deep into the worlds of bears, birds, monkeys, and other critters as they leave home, look for food, find mates, and generally do their animal things. If you have smaller kids, rest assured this is not one of those traumatizing nature documentaries in which the strong prey upon the weak and death is all around.

Where to stream: Apple TV+

Last week's picks

Beast Games

YouTube’s most famous creator, Mr. Beast, makes a bid for crossover success with this competition reality show where 1,000 competitors compete for a grand prize of $5 million. If you’re in the market for a real-life version of Squid Game, or you find mindless spectacle TV an engaging time-waste, you’ll want to check out Beast Games.

Where to stream: Prime

Laid

Peacock describes Laid as "a f*cked up rom com" and it's not wrong; the title refers to both getting laid and being laid to rest. Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) plays Ruby, a perpetually single woman whose body count becomes a body count when everyone she has ever had sex with starts dying. Along with warning past lovers and trying to figure out what's going on, Ruby has to navigate dating knowing that having sex with anyone could result in their demise.

Where to stream: Peacock

Dream Productions

Set in the world of Pixar's Inside Out franchise, Dream Productions takes us inside Riley's unconscious mind and shows us how the production studio that creates her dreams works. Paula Pell voices dream director Paula Persimmon whose constant struggle to produce hit dreams on time and under budget is complicated when Xeni, voiced by the great Richard Ayoade, shows up. He's a smug daydream director trying to break into the big time world of sleeping dreams.

Where to stream: Disney+

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The Best New Movies to Stream This Week

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Looking to settle in with a good movie? Me too. That's why I've pored over release schedules to bring you the best original and new-to-streaming movies you can watch on Netflix, Prime, Max, Hulu, and other streaming platforms this week.

Between the Temples (2024)

This quirky screwball comedy casts Jason Schwartzman as a grieving cantor and Carol Kane as his former music teacher. She wants to have an adult bat mitzvah; he wants his voice back; so you know they're going to form an unusual bond. As film critic Isaac Feldberg puts it, Between the Temples "revels in capturing the alchemical, off-kilter chaos of oddballs in proximity." Sign me up!

Where to stream: Netflix

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

In Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya turns in a mesmerizing performance as Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party. LaKeith Stanfield plays William O’Neal, aka Judas, an informant who has Hampton in his crosshairs because the FBI is dangling a pardon in front of him. Based on a true story, Judas and the Black Messiah has a 96% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 95% "fresh" rating from viewers, so if you haven't seen it, now's your chance.

Where to stream: Paramount+

ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing

You don't have to be a football fan to watch documentary ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing. It's not about the team; it's about their biggest fan, Xaviar Babudar. Babudar's character, ChiefsAholic, was fan-famous for showing up at every Chief's game in a wolf costume. But NFL tickets aren't cheap, and it turns out that the "-aholic" part of ChiefsAholic wasn't a lie. Dude was robbing banks to pay for his Chiefs addiction—and his gambling addiction.

Where to stream: Prime

Last week's picks

Juror #2

Directed by 94-year-old icon Clint Eastwood and starring Tony Collette, J.K Simmons, Chris Messina, Kiefer Sutherland, and Nicholas Hoult, Juror #2 is a legal drama exploring justice and personal responsibility. Hoult plays Justin Kemp, an everyman serving on the jury of high-profile murder case. When Kemp realizes he might have personal knowledge of the crime, he must decide whether he'll try to sway the rest of the jury. This movie is getting extremely good reviews from critics.

Where to stream: Max

Blink

Directed by Oscar winners Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher, Blink is a family-friendly documentary about the Lemay-Pelletier family of Montreal. After three of their four children are diagnosed with incurable, degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa, their parents take them on a trip around the world to see the most beautiful and majestic things on Earth before their vision disappears forever.

Where to stream: Hulu

The Six Triple Eight

Tyler Perry gets historical in The Six Triple Eight, a movie detailing World War II's only Women’s Army Corps unit of color, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Their job during the war was sorting through a backlog of millions of pieces of mail addressed to American soldiers. Kerry Washington plays Captain Charity Adams who heads up a division of 855 women who help defeat Hitler by making sure letters get to their intended recipients. Because you can't win a war with low morale.

Where to stream: Netflix

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