Download This Tax Prep Checklist for Stress-Free Filing

Tax season can reduce even the most organized individuals to stressed-out procrastinators. And if you're anything like me, you're not exactly the most organized individual in the first place. The complexity of gathering documents, understanding deductions, and meeting deadlines creates anxiety that many of us dread each year. But with a well-designed tax preparation checklist, I've been able to turn my taxes into a manageable (maybe even even satisfying?) task well before the April 15 deadline. Here's how you can, too.

A tax preparation checklist serves as your personalized roadmap through the filing process. Luckily, I've create this template to get you started. It includes sections for personal information, income documentation, deductions and credits, a tax preparation timeline, and a final verification check-list. All you need to do is to download it or make a copy in Google Docs for your own use. Here's how to make the most of this checklist, or build your own from scratch.

Gather personal information

Start with the basics. Your checklist should include spaces to confirm you have:

• Social Security numbers for yourself, spouse, and dependents

• Birth dates for all dependents

• Last year's tax return (helpful for reference)

• Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit

Identify your income sources

List all potential income sources to ensure nothing gets missed:

• W-2 forms from employers

• 1099 forms for self-employment, investments, etc.

• Income records from gig work or side hustles

• Alimony received

• Rental property income

• Social Security benefits

• Unemployment compensation

Document potential deductions

This section often represents the biggest opportunity for tax savings:

• Homeownership documents (mortgage interest, property taxes)

• Educational expenses (tuition, student loan interest)

• Medical expenses exceeding threshold amounts

• Charitable donations with receipts

• Business expenses for self-employed individuals

• Retirement contributions

• Childcare expenses

Organize by timeline

Structure your checklist with time-based sections:

• January: Collect arriving tax documents (W-2s, 1099s).

• February: Organize receipts and deduction documentation.

• March: Schedule appointment with tax professional or prepare software.

• April: Complete final review and file.

Include verification steps

Add verification checkpoints to ensure accuracy:

• Compare this year's return to last year's for consistency.

• Double-check math and entries.

• Verify all Social Security numbers.

• Confirm all required forms are signed.

• Make copies of everything for your records.

Making the most of your tax prep checklist

While the template provides a comprehensive starting point, your personal tax situation may require additional items. Customize your checklist so that it suits your tax needs. Review last year's return to identify recurring items specific to your finances.

Digital vs. physical organization

Choose the system that works best for you:

• Digital: Use a spreadsheet, note-taking app, or dedicated tax software.

• Physical: Create a folder system with labeled sections for each category.

• Hybrid: Scan physical documents and organize them in digital folders.

Begin early

The biggest tax preparation mistake is waiting until the last minute. Begin organizing as soon as all your documents first arrive, and you'll avoid the mid-April stress entirely.

Review and improve annually

After filing, take a few minutes to note what worked well and what didn't. Add a "Notes for Next Year" section to your checklist to remember adjustments needed for the coming tax season.

The bottom line

A personalized tax preparation checklist transforms tax filing from a dreaded chore into a methodical process. By breaking down the complex task into manageable steps, you'll not only reduce stress, but potentially identify additional deductions you might otherwise miss.

Again, here's my downloadable template for you. Feel free to add or remove items based on your financial circumstances and filing requirements. With this system in place, you'll be able to approach tax season with confidence rather than anxiety.

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Five Reasons You Might Qualify for Lower Car Insurance Premiums

Like homeowners insurance, auto insurance is getting significantly more expensive: Data show that policy costs rose 11% last year, likely due to factors like climate change, rising accident rates, and higher repair costs. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to offset or at least keep your car insurance premium stable, if not reduce it.

If you go through any of the following life changes, it may be time to call your insurance company about lowering your policy premium.

You've moved

A move is a major life transition—and one that could impact your auto insurance policy for the better in a few ways. First, insurers factor where you park your car into your rate, so living in a lower density or safer neighborhood can potentially save you some money. Moving also gives you the chance to bundle your renters or homeowners insurance policy with your auto policy if you haven't already, which typically reduces the cost of both. Finally, moving can change your driving habits, which we'll get into next.

You're driving less

Let's say your move has put your closer to work, or you've changed jobs or begun working remotely more frequently, or another shift in your routine has cut the number of miles you drive on a regular basis. Insurance companies consider annual mileage when calculating premiums, so a significant drop could save you some money.

Your family size has changed

If you've had a teenager on your policy who now has their own vehicle or own policy and no longer lives at home, removing them from yours can save you a significant amount of money on your premiums (potentially cutting the cost by half). On the flip side, combining your policy with a new spouse's could reduce the cost per person.

You've taken a defensive driving course

One of the many discounts available on auto insurance is for taking a defensive driving course—in fact, some states require insurers to offer this discount. Typically, these discounts are good for several years before you need to retake the class. Discounts range from 5% to 20% off your premium.

Your coverage is about to renew (or expire)

Re-upping your policy won't save you money specifically, but it is a good time to call your current insurer about options for reducing your premium as well as to shop around for cheaper options.

Other ways to lower your car insurance premium

Even if you don't have a life change that could qualify you for a lower insurance premium, there are other ways to reduce the cost of your policy:

• Increase your deductible: Raising your deductible (the amount you'll pay out of pocket before your policy kicks in) can lower your premium. Most policies have a $500 deductible, but bumping that up to $1,000 can potentially save you 25% on your policy cost, according to Consumer Reports. However, you'll want to consider whether you have an emergency fund to cover the added potential cost.

• Decrease certain types of coverage: Collision and comprehensive coverage may be optional in your state, and dropping one or both can reduce your policy premium. Collision may be an unnecessary expense if your car's value is especially low (and if your premium is more than 10% of that value).

• Ask about discounts: Many insurers offer policy discounts for things like setting up autopay or paperless statements, paying your premium upfront, maintaining a clean driving record, and bundling with other policies.

• Drive a cheaper car: This may not be a change you can make immediately, but when you're in the market for a vehicle, consider a make and model that's cheaper to insure.

• Look for usage-based policies: Usage-based insurance calibrates your policy to your real-life driving habits, so low-risk drivers pay less. However, this typically requires you to have a tracking app that sends data to your insurance company, which raises privacy concerns, and risky driving can actually increase your policy cost.

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This Simple Text Document Could Replace Your Calendar App

Gina Trapani, founder of the website you're reading right now, popularized a plaintext format for to-do lists way back in 2006 (please excuse any weird formatting on that nearly 20-year-old article). Called Todo.txt, it is used by many people to this day, in part thanks to an ecosystem of applications built around the format.

I recently stumbled on Calendar.txt, by author and teacher Tero Karvinen. It's a text document based on a similar philosophy—a stripped down, just-the-basics take on your overloaded calendar app. It's a concept worth considering. We're at least a decade into the "using a separate app for everything" era, and sure, a lot of those apps are pretty great. I've spent years recommending software-based tools for everything from managing tasks to making drinks, and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

But not everyone needs a bespoke app for everything they do. Productivity is personal, and everyone has different needs. I've known several highly technically competent people who still use paper day planners to track their appointments and tasks—a simple notebook is flexible in a way that no app can match.

One line of text per day

I view plaintext tools like Calendar.txt in a similar light. This specific tool is about as simple as it gets: It uses one line of text for every day. You can download a pre-made file with lines for dates that stretches through the year 2033, or you can just make your own.

Every line starts with the date, followed by the week number, followed by a three-letter week name. The idea is that you write your appointments after that, by simply writing the time, followed by the name of the event. Events are simply added, in order, to the line.

So, for example, a line for today, with one appointment/task (me cleaning the house this afternoon) would look like this:

---

2025-03-06 w10 Thu 14 cleaning the house

---

There are many shortcomings to this approach. There's no built-in tool for reminding you of events, for one thing, and there's no way to invite others to your appointment. But this simple approach might work for you.

And, as todo.txt demonstrated two decades ago, there are benefits to using plaintext files. Plaintext is versatile, can be opened on any device, and your files won't disappear because some software company decides it wanted to change its priorities. If you're familiar with the command line, you can use existing tools in all kinds of interesting ways. For example, the calendar.txt documentation shows how you can use grep, a tool for searching text documents, to pull up today's appointments:

---

grep 2025-03-06 calendar.txt

---

You could use the same command to search for events by the day.

Credit: Justin Pot

Again, this approach won't seem useful to everyone—especially if you never open the command prompt—but not every tool needs to be for every user. Only you can decide which tools work best for you.

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This Refurbished iRobot Roomba Is $250 Right Now

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If you don’t mind going the renewed route for automated home cleaning, you can now grab a refurbished iRobot Roomba j7+ for $249.99—a fraction of the cost compared to the $799 price tag on a new unit at Amazon or Best Buy. This deal gets you a Refurbished Premium model, meaning it’s been tested, inspected, and reconditioned to meet Amazon's "Renewed" standards, so you can expect it to work as intended. PCMag gave this vacuum an Editor’s Choice award for its ability to detect and avoid common household obstacles like power cords using its PrecisionVision Navigation system and machine learning technology. Plus, iRobot backs this model with its P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise) guarantee, which means they’ll replace it for free if it fails to dodge solid pet waste in its first year. Also, it learns from your feedback to improve over time.

iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) Self Emptying Robot Vacuum (Renewed Premium)

$249.99 at Amazon

$249.99 at Amazon

Beyond the smart navigation, this Roomba takes convenience up a notch with self-emptying capabilities. Once it’s done cleaning (or when its bin is full), it returns to its base and dumps the dirt into an allergen-sealed bag—holding up to 60 days' worth of debris, depending on how often you vacuum, making upkeep a lot simpler. Just a note, though, that it does get a bit loud during that process, but only for about 15 seconds. It’s also smart enough to resume cleaning after recharging, so if its 86-minute battery life isn’t enough for one run, it’ll pick up where it left off. If you are considering alternatives, the Eufy RoboVac G30 is a solid choice at $199.99. (Here is our full list of the best robot vacuums.)

The Roomba j7+ moves efficiently across hard floors, carpets, and rugs, adjusting suction as needed, notes this PCMag review. Additionally, it works seamlessly with Alexa and Google Assistant, meaning you can start or stop a cleaning session by speaking your commands. The mapping feature of the J7+ takes a few runs to learn the layout, but once set up, you can enable targeted room cleaning, scheduled cleanings, customized clean zones for high-traffic areas, set up no-go zones, and more in the companion app. The app also tracks its cleaning runs, showing you exactly where it’s been, how much dirt it found, and whether it automatically emptied its bin when it docked.

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This Tool Turns Any Wikipedia Topic Into an Interactive Timeline

It can be useful, while studying any topic, to get an overview of when major events happened relative to each other. History textbooks commonly use a timeline for this—a chronological chart that shows when various events happened. WikiTimeline is a free website that uses a large language model to turn any Wikipedia article into a visual timeline you can use to see major events in a sequence.

Wikipedia's open nature means there's all kinds of third party tools that use the articles in interesting ways. There's WikiTok, a sort of TikTok for Wikipedia, which allows you to scroll through articles to learn topics at random. WikiTimeline is another tool like that, putting the free and open information into a new context. To get started, just head to the home page and search for anything—you will see suggested articles.

Select the article you want to turn into a timeline. WikiTimeline will scan the article, note everything in the article that happened on a particular date, then compile it all into a timeline. You can start exploring right away. You can click any item to read a few more details, typically the year and a one-sentence summary of the event. You can zoom in and out, depending on how crowded the timeline is, and you can use the arrows on the side to jump between events. You can also add multiple articles to one timeline, allowing you to compare the relative history of two people or organizations.

Credit: Justin Pot

You can then copy the URL to your timeline and share it. An embed code is offered if you want to put the timeline on a website. There's even the option to customize the color scheme, if you want.

Credit: Justin Pot

As for the timelines themselves, they're pretty good. I'd say they're useful as a quick study aid than anything as authoritative as the timelines in a history textbook. And all of the usual nuances that apply to large language models are relevant here—it might get facts wrong or miss certain things. The product's about page recommends actually reading the Wikipedia article: "Our tool is meant to be a visual aid and should not be used as the sole source of information."

In other words, it's probably best to think of this tool as a visual supplement. It's a potentially useful one, though.

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Amazon Prime Members Can Get Two Free E-Books in March

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You can get thousands of free e-books over the course of 2025 if you know where—and when—to look. All year long, Amazon is offering free Kindle e-books to readers, with new opportunities popping up every month. In March, Prime members can get two free Kindle e-books from Amazon's First Reads program.

What is Amazon's First Reads?

Amazon First Reads is a program aimed at Prime members that offers early access to new e-books across many genres, as curated by First Reads editors (one of your many Prime Member benefits). Prime members can choose to download one free e-book every month from a rotating list—though some months that number is bumped up to two—and non-members get them for a discounted price. These e-books can be read on any compatible Kindle device or via the free Kindle app.

Amazon Kindle (16 GB)

Display size: 6⁠″ glare-free, Resolution: 300 ppi, Storage: 16 GB, Battery life: Up to 6 weeks.

$109.99 at Amazon

$109.99 at Amazon

How to get your free Amazon Kindle e-books in March

Go to the First Reads landing page to see the full list of e-books available this month. Once you find a book that seems interesting, click the "Shop Now" button from the First Reads landing page. Make sure you’re not being redirected to the Kindle or Amazon mobile application, because you won't see the free book option there; instead, use your internet browser on your phone or computer.

Make sure you’re not clicking the ”Pre-order for...” button, as that will direct you to pay; instead, click the “Read for Free” or the "Buy Now with 1-Click" button under the "First Reads" banner on the book's Amazon page (don't worry, you won't be charged). This will send the e-book directly to the Kindle linked to your Amazon account.

You can see what it should look like from the screenshot below.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

You’ll know you did it right when you see a “Thanks, [your name]!” order summary indicating the e-book is being auto-delivered to the Kindle Cloud Reader.

Free Amazon Kindle e-books available in March 2025

This month, you can choose one from eight new Kindle e-books plus a free short story, The Sublet. Amazon notes the genre for each of the books above the title, offering a quick way to narrow down your options. (If you hover over the "See Editor Notes" under the "Shop Now" button, you'll be able to read a short description from the First Reads editor who picked the book.)

Here are your options for March 2025. You can choose one of these e-books, plus the short story The Sublet:

Short Story by Greer Hendricks.

The Sublet: A Short Story

$1.99 at Amazon

$1.99 at Amazon

Suspense by Wendy Corsi Staub.

The Fourth Girl: A Novel (Haven Cliff Book 1)

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Historical Fiction by Anita Abriel.

American Housewife: A Novel

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Horror by Dawn Kurtagich.

The Thorns

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Women's Fiction by Allison Ashley.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Psychological Thriller by Douglas Corleone.

Falls to Pieces

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Speculative Fiction by Lauren Stienstra.

The Beauty of the End: A Novel

$5.99 at Amazon

$5.99 at Amazon

Thriller by Elizabeth Rose Quinn.

Follow Me: A Thriller

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

Romance by Dani Atkins.

Always You and Me

$4.99 at Amazon

$4.99 at Amazon

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Siri's Apple Intelligence Upgrades Are Still a Couple of Months Away (at Least)

When Apple first revealed Apple Intelligence, its slate of generative AI features, a huge part of that announcement was a super-charged Siri. No longer would Apple's digital assistant be lagging behind competitors like Google: With the power of AI, the new Siri might actually be useful.

When Apple Intelligence drops in full, Siri will reportedly be much more contextually aware, and be able to scan what's on your phone to understand and answer questions you ask. If your friend sends you their new address, you can ask Siri "add this address to their contact card." You don't need to specify which address or which contact, because the assistant will, according to Apple, be able to understand that by what's currently on-screen. Another huge feature is the ability to ask Siri to take action for you: You can ask Siri to send an email you have in your drafts, edit an image on your behalf, or add a photo to a specific note.

If your iPhone is compatible with Apple Intelligence, you might have assumed it supports this new Siri. iOS 18 has been out for a bit, after all, and Apple has been pushing Apple Intelligence (and the new Siri) hard, including with a campaign featuring Bella Ramsey. Some Apple Store employees even started a chant about AI during the iPhone 16 launch.

A waiting game

The thing is, the new Siri isn't here yet. Apple did upgrade Siri a bit with iOS 18.1, and its the first wave of new AI features: That includes Siri's new design, which glows around the edges of the display; the ability to type to Siri by double-tapping on the bottom of the screen; Siri's ability to understand requests even when you misspeak; and a new feature that turns Siri into impromptu tech support (e.g., "How do I turn off Do Not Disturb?").

But iOS 18.1 came and went without any further updates to Siri. iOS 18.2 added more Apple Intelligence features, including ChatGPT integration, but no major Siri changes. iOS 18.3 was a smaller update (Apple even disabled notification summaries for certain alert types), but, again, skipped any upgrades for Siri. At one point, iOS 18.4 appeared to be the likeliest Siri update, but, alas, no dice. (It does bring a number of new features, though.)

It's not clear when Siri's full form will arrive

Anyone hotly anticipating Siri's AI promise will need to keep waiting. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported back in September that Apple was planning on rolling out most of Siri's big features by iOS 18.4. However, shortly before Apple dropped the first 18.4 beta, Gurman said issues and bugs are plaguing the engineering team, who are having trouble getting Siri's AI features working consistently. As a result, Siri could be delayed even further. It turned out his reporting was correct.

Now, the attention turns to iOS 18.5. Gurman's report said Apple hopes to ship these new AI Siri features with the next update, which would likely roll out sometime in May. (The 18.5 beta would ship earlier.) In order to make it work, Apple has had to separate Siri into two parts—or brains, as Gurman puts it: One brain handles the traditional Siri tasks we've come to know over the years (setting reminders, making calls, choosing a song, etc.), while the other handles the new AI features. Ideally, these two brains would be morphed into one, to offer the most complete Siri experience possible. That simply isn't ready yet—even for 18.5. Whenever these Siri features do arrive, they'll be a bit underpowered compared to what Apple wants them to be.

Gurman says this theoretical super Siri (codenamed LLM Siri) won't arrive until at least iOS 19 (and likely iOS 19.4), which Apple could introduce at this year's WWDC. Like iOS 18.4, iOS 19.4 won't arrive until the following year, 2026. Apple also reportedly wanted to make Siri more conversational, perhaps akin to ChatGPT's Voice Mode, but, like other Apple AI features, it's also delayed, and probably won't be shown off at WWDC. In fact, it might not arrive until iOS 20, as late as 2027. Who knows where competitors like ChatGPT will be by then.

Not all iPhones will get new Siri features

While Apple supports iPhone as old as the XS with iOS 18, not many iPhones will actually get these new Siri features. That's because Apple Intelligence is limited to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 series—including the new iPhone 16e. If you have an iPhone 15 or older, you won't see these new upgrades, even when you update to iOS 18.5, or whichever update contains the AI-overhauled Siri.

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You’ll Soon Be Able to Send Video and Screenshares to Google’s Gemini AI

As part of Mobile World Congress, happening this week in Barcelona, Google has teased that its Gemini AI is finally ready to see the world. Literally.

Originally teased as Project Astra in May of last year, Google’s Gemini Live with Video and Gemini Live with Screenshare features each have a new trailer, showing how the search giant plans to catch up with ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode. Soon, Google One AI Premium subscribers will be able to share their phone screens and real-time video with Gemini, which the chatbot will then be able to use to answer questions.

ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode got these features late last year, but it also requires you to shell out at least $20/month for a ChatGPT Plus subscription. While a Google One AI Premium plan is priced identically, it also throws in 2TB of storage for your Drive and Gmail accounts, so depending on your needs, it could be the better pick for you.

In the trailers, Google shows users accessing Gemini Live via the Gemini phone app to open a real-time conversation with the AI, then tapping either a video or screen sharing button at the bottom of the screen to get started. In the Gemini Live with Video demo, we see someone showing the chatbot some vases they’ve just fired as well as some glaze swatches and asking for advice on which one to choose. In the Screenshare demo, the chatbot instead looks at a store listing for a pair of jeans and gives advice on which type of clothes to pair with them. 

I’d love to meet the type of person who would go through all of the effort of spinning and firing a vase without knowing what color to glaze it, but the point is clear. Gemini will soon be able to use real-time video and screen captures as input when answering prompts.

Unfortunately, Google hasn’t yet said much more than that. When Project Astra was originally teased, it boasted such impressive (and creepy) abilities as “being able to tell where you live just by looking out the window.” These trailers seem significantly scaled back in comparison, but they're also clearly just short demos. I’m curious to see how the feature actually functions once users get their hands on it, which Google says will happen “later this month.”

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

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I've scoured the February releases on Amazon's Prime platform to find the best new and new-to-streaming movies and shows. My pick for best of the month is Holland, a thriller starring Nicole Kidman that reminds me of The Stepford Wives. There are also the final season of Bosch: Legacy, and don't sleep on Anora; it's excellent.

Holland

Nicole Kidman stars in an off-kilter thriller from director Mimi Cage. Kidman plays Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher in the idyllic town of Holland, Michigan, where everyone is way into their Dutch heritage and they smile at each other with straight, white teeth. But (as you'd probably guess) something sinister lurks beneath the surface of this town, and Nancy is about to take a big bite into a rotten apple. If you're into strange suspense, check out Holland.

Starts streaming March 27.

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The Wheel of Time, season 3

If fantasy is your sort of thing, check out Prime's sprawling sorcery and orcs (sorry, "trollocs") series The Wheel of Time. The show is returning for a third season, and the White Tower is really in peril now. Right off the bat, Liandrin is revealed as a Black Ajah in front of the Hall of the Sitters. Later, Rand, Moiraine, Lan, Egwene, and Aviendha embark on an epic journey to the Aiel Waste. If you haven't seen the first two seasons or read Robert Jordan's 14(!) Wheel of Time novels, there's no better time than now to dig in.

Starts streaming March 13.

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Bosch: Legacy, season 3

The third and final season of hard-boiled police procedural Bosch: Legacy sees retired LAPD homicide detective turned private eye Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch (Titus Welliver) confronted by his daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz). Last season, Maddie learned that Bosch may have killed the man who previously kidnapped her. This season, the investigation into the kidnappers' death could bring ruin to Harry, Maddie, and Honey "Money" Chandler (Mimi Rogers), who's running for Los Angeles district attorney.

Starts streaming March 27.

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Anora (2024)

Director Sean Baker's radical empathy shines in Anora, a romantic comedy about a sex worker who hooks up with the son of a Russian billionaire, to the great displeasure of his family. In other words, this is not Pretty Woman. Mike Madison turns in a brilliant, nuanced performance in the main role of a film that revels in life's gray areas. Anora refuses to simplify the complexities of love, money, and power in 2025, while refusing to ignore the humanity of its characters. There's a reason this movie killed at Canne and critics love it.

Starts streaming March 18.

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Picture This

Picture This is a romantic comedy starring Bridgerton's Simone Ashley as Pia, a talented photographer who receives a surprising prediction: both true love and success will follow from the next five dates she goes on. With her sister's wedding looming, Pia's family busily lines up potential suitors giving Picture This's character actors (including Ted Lasso's Phil Dunster) a chance to shine. But when Pia's ex Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) returns, things get complicated.

Starts streaming March 6.

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Last month's picks

Clean Slate

This Amazon original series was dreamed up by the late, great Norman Lear, a man who was known for spinning comedy gold from hot-button social issues with grace. Clean Slate stars actress and trans activist Laverne Cox as Desiree, who returns to her hometown after decades of living in the city. She's been gone for so long, her father, played by George Wallace, doesn't recognize her, mainly because she used to be his son.

Starts streaming February 6.

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Reacher, season 3

Universally praised action series Reacher returns for a third season. Based on Lee Child’s seventh Reacher novel, Persuader, season 3 sees former military operative Jack Reacher going undercover for the DEA in New England and facing off against a character played by Olivier Ritchers, the seven-foot bodybuilder called “the Dutch Giant" in muscle-show circles, and Zachary Beck, played by Anthony Michael Hall, the six-foot tall American actor called "The Geek" in 16 Candles.

Starts streaming February 20.

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House of David

No matter what you think of this "God" person, the Bible contains a lot of great stories, including that of David, who, like Madonna, needs no last name. This faith-based series begins with the fall of King Saul and the anointing of his successor, David, a teenage outcast who seems to have no business being king of anything. But David embarks on a personal journey of discovery and eventually (spoiler alert) becomes the greatest king of Israel. God, as they say, works in mysterious ways.

Starts streaming February 27.

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Invincible, season 3

Both critics and fans love superhero cartoon-for-adults Invincible; the rotten tomato scores for season 1 are 98% and 93% respectively, and one critic called it "the Game of Thrones of the Superhero genre." If you're unfamiliar, Invincible is based on Robert Kirkman’s comic and tells the story of 17-year-old Mark Grayson. Mark is just like any teenager, except his dad is Omni-Man, and he's developing super powers. Season 3 sees Mark meeting up with tons of villains, including Powerplex, voiced by Aaron Paul, The Elephant, voiced by John DiMaggio, and the merciless leader of The Order, Mr. Liu, voiced by Tzi Ma.

Starts streaming February 6.

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My Fault: London

My Fault: London is a British romantic drama based on the novel Culpa mía by Mercedes Ron. It tells the story of Noah, played by Asha Banks, whose mother marries a rich British man and drags her daughter from Florida to London (oh no!). Despite the tony Notting Hill address, things in the UK don't go great for Noah, especially when she meets Nick, played by Matthew Broome, her mother’s new husband’s privileged and snobby son. But, surprisingly, love blooms between the the extremely attractive couple, who then must navigate a chaotic life of partying in Ibiza and driving around in cars worth a million dollars each.

Starts streaming February 13.

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The Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch on Netflix in March 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. My must-watch of the month: The Electric State, a comedy sci-fi movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and adorable (but maybe deadly) robots. I'm also psyched for Chaos: The Manson Murders, a new film from documentary GOAT Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Mr. Death), and I'll be checking in on Everybody’s Live, a talk show hosted by John Mulaney that's streamed live.

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The Electric State

Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State is a sci-fi comedy set in a retro-future version of America in the years after a war between humans and robots nearly wiped out humanity. Most people, understandably, don't trust robots, but main character Michelle, played by Millie Bobby Brown, is traveling with a pair of mysterious 'bots, searching for her lost brother. Also on hand: a drifter named Keats, played by Chris Pratt. The Electric State's big stars and intriguing premise make it a must-watch.

Starts streaming March 14.

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Chaos: The Manson Murders

Legendary film-maker Errol Morris turns his always-revealing lens on the Manson Family murders in this provocative new documentary. Not satisfied with "official" explanations of Charles Manson's motives and strange personal charisma, Morris ties the crimes to a larger narrative involving the CIA, LSD, Jack Ruby, The Beach Boys, and who knows what else. Chaos: The Manson Murders features interviews with experts, living witnesses, and archival footage of the Manson clan, combined by a master of the craft.

Starts streaming March 7.

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Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney

Netflix is entering the talk show world with Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, a weekly live show hosted by Mulaney, who also serves as co-showrunner, and executive producer. If his first Netflix live show, John Mulaney’s Everybody’s in LA, is the model, expect eclectic celebrity guests, phone calls with the viewing audience, and the spontaneous magic that only working live brings. At a recent press event, Mulaney promised, "We will never be relevant. We will never be your source for news. We will always be reckless. Netflix will always provide us with data that we will ignore.” Sounds promising.

Starts streaming March 12.

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Million Dollar Secret

British comedian Peter Serafinowicz hosts this Netflix reality show in which 12 cutthroat competitors travel to an opulent mansion to try to get rich. One contestant finds a million dollars in their room. They get to keep it, but only if no one else discovers their secret. The combination of exotic locations, intricate schemes, a hilarious host, and a contest with a million dollars on the line sounds like reality-show gold to me.

Starts streaming March 26.

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With Love, Meghan

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has her own reality show. According to Netflix, in With Love, Meghan, Markle "challenges us to pursue joy over flawlessness—to revel in the small, meaningful touches that may make a loved one’s day." Right away, Your Grace. The show features a mix of practical how-tos and conversation with guests like chef Roy Choi and Mindy Kaling that take place in Markle's kitchen, garden, and even her beehive. I love beehive talks!

Starts streaming March 5.

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The Leopard

Based on the best-selling novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard is set in late 19th century Sicily and tells the story of the redshirt army's attempt to conquer the Italian island. It's the last days of the European aristocracy, and Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, realizes that his family's lives of privilege and frivolity are at their end, so he must forge new alliances and make difficult choices so they can survive in the modern world.

Starts streaming March 5.

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Delicious

This Netflix original from Germany tells the story of a wealthy family unraveling during their summer vacation in Provence. After they hit a woman with their car, the family agrees to take her on as their maid. It seems like kindness, but it's anything but: Each member of the family secretly wants something different from this beautiful young woman, leading to consequences that spin out of control and shatter the facade of their perfect lives.

Starts streaming March 7.

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Plankton: the Movie

Who doesn't love Plankton from Spongebob? This animated Netflix original finally gives the little copepod with big dreams a starring role. As you'd probably expect, Plankton is trying to destroy the world, but his plans are complicated when domestic problems inspire his sentient computer wife Karen to destroy the world without him. Don't despair, Squidward fans: favorite Spongebob characters like Patrick and Sandy will appear in Plankton: The Movie, and so will the voice actors who bring them to life.

Starts streaming March 7.

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American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden

Remember Osama Bin Laden? This suspenseful documentary tells the story of how he was tracked, caught, killed, and had his corpse dumped in the sea. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with the CIA agents who were there, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden gives viewers an inside look at one of the most complex and extensive manhunts in history.

Starts streaming March 10.

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Adolescence

The dramatic question at the center of four-part Netflix series Adolescence is "What would you do if your teenage son was accused of murder?" Stephen Graham plays Eddie Miller, whose 13-year-old son Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, is arrested for the murder of a teenage classmate. To illustrate the provocative premise, each episode of Adolescence is presented as a single, continuous shot, so both film nerds and drama fans should put this on their watch list.

Starts streaming March 13.

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The Twister: Caught in the Storm

Tornadoes are the most visually interesting natural disaster, and this documentary takes full advantage of their awesome cinematic power. The Twister: Caught in the Storm tells the story of the massive tornado that tore apart the town of Joplin, Missouri in 2011 through interviews with survivors and tons of harrowing footage shot by people who were right freakin' there when disaster struck.

Starts streaming March 18.

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The Residence

If you like a good whodunit, check out The Residence. Uzo Aduba plays Cordelia Cupp, a brilliant but eccentric detective tasked with solving a murder that takes place during a state dinner at the White House residence. Everyone is a suspect: the staff, the guests, maybe the president himself. With a killer on the loose in the halls of power, Cupp must navigate a complex web of politics and personalities if she's going to crack the case.

Starts streaming March 20.

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Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn's Treasure

Forrest Fenn was a strange old rich guy who buried a chest full of gold somewhere in the Rockies, published a poem full of cryptic clues to its location, then invited everyone on Earth to try to find it. This Netflix original documentary examines the decade-long treasure hunt that followed. As you'd probably guess, it got way out of hand: Searching for Fenn's treasure ended up costing people their families, their jobs, and even their lives.

Starts streaming March 27.

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Survival of the Thickest, season 2

Comedian Michelle Buteau is the co-creator and star of Survival of the Thickest, an ensemble comedy that earns high praise from critics. Season 2 of Thickest finds main character Mavis Beaumont, a large and in charge fashion stylist, in Italy, rebuilding her life, chasing her dreams, looking for love, and scoring designer swag. Series regulars Tone Bell, Tasha Smith, and Marouane Zotti will return, and we'll meet new characters played by Anderson .Paak, Deon Cole, Sandra Bernhard, and more.

Starts streaming March 27.

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The Life List

If you're in the mood for a rom com, check out The Life List. Sofia Carson stars as Alex Rose, a young woman on a quest to check off all the items on a bucket list she made when she was 13. By following through on entries like "go all out in a mosh pit" and "do stand-up comedy," Rose opens her world, but one of the entries is "find true love," and you know that's gonna drive this heartfelt, emotional romantic comedy.

Starts streaming March 28.

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Last month's picks

Zero Day

This is the first time Robert De Niro has starred in a TV series, so Netflix is going big with Zero Day, a political drama/thriller series detailing the aftermath of a deadly cyberattack. De Niro plays respected former President George Mullen, who's heading up the investigation of an information attack that killed thousands of Americans. Mullen must navigate a world of shady tech moguls, government power brokers, and his own past if he's going to prevent a second, even deadlier cyber-disaster.

Starts streaming February 20.

Kinda Pregnant

In this Netflix original romantic comedy, comedian Amy Schumer plays Lainy, a woman who is so jealous of her pregnant friend, she straps on a fake stomach and tells everyone she has a baby on board too. Her mountain of lies grows with her fake belly, but things get really complicated when Lainy meets the man of her dreams. If you're into Schumer's brand of comedy or just like a little frothy rom-com action, check out Kinda Pregnant.

Starts streaming February 5.

La Dolce Villa

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes La Dolce Villa, a Netflix original rom-com set in a romantic Italian village. Scott Foley plays Eric, a businessman who's lost his mojo, who travels to Italy to stop his daughter from wasting her money restoring a crumbling villa she bought for a Euro. Along the way, he rediscovers his lust for life, laughter, beauty, and love. I bet the old Villa actually isn't such a dump after all. La Dolce Villa also stars Maia Reficco, Giuseppe Futia, and Violante Placido.

Starts streaming February 13.

Home Improvement, Seasons 1-8

If you're in the mood for comforting nostalgia, you could do much worse than Tim Allen's iconic late 90s/early aughts series; it's the ultimate, mildly amusing, totally mindless family sit-com. Allen plays Tim Taylor, host of home improvement show-within-a-show Tool Time and patriarch of a suburban Detroit family that has all kinds of sit-com style dilemmas. The Taylors' mix-ups and lighthearted hassles fill up eight seasons of episodes, so feel free to binge them all at once while pretending it's 2004.

Starts streaming February 1.

Space Jam (1996)

Speaking of comforting nostalgia, 1996's cartoons-meet-basketball comedy Space Jam is coming to Netflix. The movie pairs ancient sports superstars like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley with ancient cartoon superstars like Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, and Daffy Duck, and then has them play basketball on another planet. Somehow, this weird concept works and results in a movie that's great fun and superior in every way to the recent reboot.

Starts streaming February 1.

Celebrity Bear Hunt

In this reality show version of The Most Dangerous Game, professional survival guy Bear Grylls hunts a group of 12 celebrities in the jungles of Costa Rica. Sadly, the cast is made up of British celebrities like Shirley Ballas, Mel B., and Boris Becker, and losing contestants aren't gunned down like rabid wildebeests when Grylls catches 'em; but still, Celebrity Bear Hunt puts privileged people in uncomfortable situations (always good TV), and the scenery is beautiful.

Starts streaming February 5.

Grimsburg

In this Fox cartoon for adults, Jon Hamm voices hardboiled detective Marvin Flute. Flute has cracked some of the most complicated and dark cases in history, and now he's returning to his home town to tackle his most puzzling mystery: his own family. Judging from the trailer, Grimsburg looks pretty funny with sharp writing and a talented voice cast, so I'm going to give this one a shot.

Starts streaming February 5.

Sweet Magnolias, season 4

Sweet Magnolias is the kind of feel-good, heartfelt, emotional series that never makes it past my algorithm, but enough people dig it that it's coming back for a fourth season. In season 4, The Magnolias' world is shaken and their bonds are tested by a town tragedy and a destructive storm. I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling that love and hope will ultimately save the day—it seems like that kind of program.

Starts streaming February 6.

The Åre Murders (Season 1)

I'm not sure why icy Northern European nations make such great neo-noire murder series, but I'm glad they do. Swedish Netflix original The Åre Murders tells the story of one of Stockholm's finest, officer Hanna Ahlander, whose vacation at a ski resort in Åre is interrupted by a missing person case. A young woman has disappeared, and the understaffed local cops need Ahlander's skills to solve the mystery, but can they trust her enough to work together?

Starts streaming February 6.

Surviving Black Hawk Down

This Netflix original documentary series tells the story of the Battle of Mogadishu made famous in Black Hawk Down. Speaking of, both that film and Surviving Black Hawk Down. were produced by Ridley Scott, who gathered survivors of the incident on both sides to tell the story of the harrowing day when two American helicopters were shot down in Somalia. If you like true-life war stories, don't miss it.

Starts streaming February 10.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep

It's probably going to be more than a year until a new Witcher game comes out, but in the meantime, check out The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, a feature-length anime movie that continues the adventures of the famous monster hunter Geralt. Based on one of the original Witcher stories, Sirens of the Deep finds Geralt at a seaside village, investigating a series of attacks. At the risk of spoiling the story, there are monsters bedeviling the town—merpeople, mankind's ancient, soggy enemy.

Starts streaming February 11.

Cobra Kai, season 6 – part 3

This is it: the end of the Cobra Kai saga that began back in 1984 with The Karate Kid. (But since Cobra Kai never dies, it might not actually be the end.) The new version of the Karate Kid story takes place in a weird alternative universe version of the San Fernando Valley where everyone's life revolves around youth karate, and literally everyone remembers the All Valley championship of 1984. Cobra Kai's mix of campy, "remember the 80s?" nostalgia, fighting, and over-amped teen drama shouldn't be as entertaining as it is.

Starts streaming February 13.

Resident Alien, season 3

I don't feel like Resident Alien gets enough love. The quirky, inventive comedy sci-fi series is entering its third season, and the first two were awesome. The titular alien, played by Alan Tudyk, is no longer on a quest to destroy all mankind. With the gray aliens on the way to end humanity, Harry (or more accurately, the alien wearing Harry's skin) now wants to save the earth and thwart the invasion, all while trying to navigate the weird culture of people without blowing his cover.

Starts streaming February 13.

Love is Blind, season 8

It's been five years since Love is Blind launched, and to mark the anniversary, Netflix is releasing a new season of the romance-based reality show. Season 8 is set in Minneapolis and finds another crop of singles agreeing to meet and date romantic partners—and potentially get engaged—without ever seeing each other. As a life choice, waiting until the wedding to lay eyes on your fiancee seems unwise, but as a television diversion, it's top notch.

Starts streaming February 14.

Running Point

Kate Hudson stars in this basketball-based comedy series created by the always inventive Mindy Kaling. Hudson plays Isla Gordon whose family owns storied Los Angeles basketball team, the LA Waves. When her brother is forced to step down as president, Isla takes over, setting up a classic culture-clash of a woman entering a massively male-dominated space. Will she win over skeptical players, fans, investors, and her own brothers? I'd bet on "yes," now that sports betting is allowed in the U.S.

Starts streaming February 27.

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