If you work a job with limited paid time off, you have to be strategic about using it, whether you want to have more short breaks throughout the year or have an extended trip planned that requires banking days and using them all at once.

We’ve written before about how to maximize annual vacation days by stacking them up against weekends as well as federal and state holidays so your time off feels like more than it is. The Stretch My Time Off tool can actually do that for you based on the exact number of PTO days you have—whether you get a paltry two weeks or want to take several dozen days with an unlimited policy—as well as the national holidays in your country (and state-specific holidays if you’re in the U.S.). The calendar gives you a visual of when your maximized vacation will fall, and you can even set it for a future year if you want to really plan ahead.

Even if you don’t use the tool’s complete recommended schedule, it’s helpful to see suggestions for extending weekends as well as where you could assign a vacation day or two during a holiday drought (in that long stretch between President’s Day in February and Memorial Day in May, for example).

As a self-employed worker, I don’t have a set number of days off each year, but I used this tool to identify options for a week-long trip in 2026 based on my partner’s anticipated PTO.

How to use Stretch My Time Off to plan vacations

The Stretch My Time Off interface is simple: Select your country (and state if in the U.S.), enter the number of days off, and choose the year you want to view. The tool will automatically block national (and state) holidays and arrange your PTO around them. You can also hide specific holidays or change your “weekends”—if you work Saturday/Sunday and have Monday/Tuesday off, for example—to further customize the suggestions.

One limitation is that it won’t show you more than one configuration of vacation time by rearranging your days off, but with the full calendar view, it’s easy to see alternatives. For example, Stretch My Time Off placed four vacation days around Veteran’s Day (in November) for a full week off, but instead of having two weeks in November (with Thanksgiving week off), those days could just as easily be used the week of July 4th or Memorial Day or for extending any other four-day week into a nine-day trip.

With Apple finally killing the Home button in today’s iPhone 16e announcement, the company’s phones have now all adopted the same general look: boring. Apple’s latest budget phone might have a bigger battery and surprising power for a follow-up to the iPhone SE, but anyone looking for something that breaks the mold will have to wait for the iPhone 17. 

That’s because Apple’s next lineup of phones finally seems to be doing something different with the iPhone’s design. For the first time since the Dynamic Island was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro, it looks like you might finally be able to tell if someone has a new iPhone from a simple glance.

Is the iPhone 17 getting a camera bar?

According to leaks from YouTuber Jon Prosser, the iPhone 17 might be taking cues from Google, making for a significant change to its design. Notably, it’ll supposedly be ditching its camera bump for a full-on camera bar.

In a video posted to YouTube over the weekend, the leaker posted renders of what the iPhone 17 Pro might look like, based on information from a number of unnamed sources, as well as a model he has supposedly seen. 

In the render, the iPhone’s camera lenses appear to be laid out in a similar triangular fashion as on current iPhones, but the bump housing them is now extended across almost the entire phone’s back. The flash, LiDAR, and mic are also now sitting opposite the lenses, on the other side of the extended bump.

If true, the new iPhone would definitely need a new case, but it would also be aping Google’s Pixel series of phones, which adopted a “camera bar” back in 2021 that looks suspiciously similar to this leak.

Reviews, including my own, haven’t always been kind to the camera bar, which can stick out of an otherwise slick looking phone like a sore thumb, so it’s not clear at first why Apple would make this change. Some social media users have speculated that Apple might use the camera bar’s extra space to add a small display to the phone’s back to aid in taking selfies or seeing information from widgets, but these are just guesses for now.

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Granted, that’s the nature of leaks in general. While Prosser claims to have seen the phone, other sources are more split on the camera bar idea. Most notably, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has his own sources within Apple, insinuated that Prosser’s renders appear to be based on a fake CAD design from January. Leaker Majin Bu had already shown this CAD to designers, who said it was likely not real.

Prosser, however, isn’t the only one predicting a camera bar for the iPhone 17. Both supply chain analysis from technology publication The Information and assertions from Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station have hinted at a pill-shaped camera bump, which would be similar in design to the Pixel camera bar.

Both rumors have issues, though, which has led to doubt from other known leakers including Instant Digital and Ice Universe. Most notably, a pill-shaped camera bar would interfere with how the iPhone currently captures spatial video, while Prosser’s design would put the flash and LiDAR far away from the camera lenses, which could impact their usefulness.

Whatever camera layout the iPhone 17 gets, there is more to be excited about with this phone, even if it may not be as immediately visually interesting.

The iPhone 17 Air

Alongside its base iPhone 17 and two iPhone 17 Pro models (the typical Pro and Pro Max), the iPhone 17 is rumored to introduce a new, lighter version of the phone called the iPhone 17 Air. The new model would take the place of an iPhone 17 Plus, although it wouldn’t be directly comparable.

Rumors of an iPhone 17 Air started in November with Korean social media account yeux1122 and have since been repeated by Apple analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors), The Information, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Supposedly, the phone would roughly be between 5mm and 6mm thick, depending on which source you go with, which would still make it far thinner than Apple’s current thinnest phone, the 6.9mm iPhone 6. As for how big the phone would be, despite it not having the “Plus” branding, it will supposedly be a little taller than the 17 Pro and a little shorter than the Pro Max, with specifics again depending on which rumor you go with.

The Information also claimed a camera bar will be present on the Air, reporting it will be pill-shaped with a centered camera. It’s possible this is where the iPhone 17 line’s camera bar rumors began, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pro models skip the camera bar while the Air has one, but nobody seems to know for sure. It would make sense, though, as a way for the Air to save some thickness. Additionally, Prosser also has a render of an Air with a pill-shaped camera bar, although his model places the lens closer to the edge of the phone, once again far away from the flash and microphone.

The standard iPhone 17

While the iPhone 17 Pro and Air models might bring some new excitement to Apple’s traditional candy bar layout, current rumors put the base iPhone 17 about where you’d expect based on the past few models. No camera bar is currently rumored for this phone, although MacRumors is speculating, based on the iPhone 17 Pro’s expected size, that it might get a slightly bigger screen at 6.3-inches as opposed to 6.1-inches. Instant Digital also claims that the base iPhone 17 will get an improved OLED panel, which will allow it to hit higher frame rates using Apple’s ProMotion feature.

The usual improvements

In addition to new design quirks, the iPhone 17 series is also expected to get the usual lineup of improvements. The Pro models will likely upgrade from the A18 chip to an A19 chip, while the base model will possibly stick with the A18 chip instead. Similarly, we might see camera specs increase, with Jeff Pu (via MacRumors) expecting all iPhone 17 models to have a 24MP selfie camera, up from 12MP across the iPhone 16 line. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is also expecting the iPhone 17’s Pro models to upgrade all lenses to 48MP next year, which would improve the 12MP telephoto lenses from the current batch.

A report from The Information also points to a potential mechanical aperture on at least one model, which would let users control how much light their lens sees, while Chinese site MyDrivers speculates that the entire lineup will use a vapor chamber for improved cooling. These would indicate entirely new directions for Apple, and should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

There’s also one potential downgrade in store, with The Information’s analysis pointing to the possibility that Apple might return to an aluminum frame for its Pro models rather than the current titanium frame. This could reduce cost, but might also make the phones slightly heavier.

Price and release date

A report from the Wall Street Journal estimates that Apple will price the iPhone 17 Air somewhere between the base 17 and the 17 Pro models, but aside from that, cost is still up in the air. The base iPhone 16 costs $799 while the Pro costs $999 and the Pro Max costs $1,199, so expect to pay at least as much for these upgrades—although with tariffs inbound for Chinese parts manufacturers, there could be a slight price bump.

As for a release date, Apple usually launches new iPhone series in September, so expect the iPhone 17 line to debut sometime this fall.

Searching for a job can feel like a full time job itself. It’s easy to feel defeated when it feels like you’re sending your resume out into the void and hearing nothing back the majority of the time. Maybe you’re graduating soon, or making a career pivot, or jumping back into the workforce after some time away—the job hunt humbles us all.

An action plan is key to turning your overwhelming job search into a much more manageable process—both in terms of your sanity and to increase your chances of getting hired. Personally, I love a good spreadsheet. Whether or not you’re Team Spreadsheet, you should create some form of a career search action plan.

Why you need an action plan for your job hunt

Your career search action plan is an organization tool to keep all the elements of your job hunt in one place. This not only helps you stay on top of action items, but also visually represents your progress when you need a motivational boost after getting ghosted by Indeed.com. I’ve made a template you can use here.

Your action plan will be catered to your specific career search, but there are three main steps to get started:

1. Goal setting and preparation

2. Tracking progress

3. Evaluating and self check-ins

So, let’s get into some of the specific action plan items.

Goal setting and preparation

The first steps are always the hardest. When your career search is getting started, here are some concrete things you can do in the first major section of your action plan.

1. List out career goals. What are you looking for in your next position?

2. Research the types of roles you’re interested in, taking note of the qualifications you need to highlight in your application.

3. Identify key words to add to your resume (which you should tailor to each job posting, no matter what).

4. Search for new contacts. Spend some time on LinkedIn, Twitter, and company websites to try and find anyone who could potentially aid your search, whether that’s by their insight and expertise or their ability to put you in touch with someone else who’s hiring.

5. Clean up your social media presence, if need be.

6. Create and update an online portfolio or website for yourself, if applicable.

Tracking your progress

This tracker is the meat of your action plan. With sites like Indeed and LinkedIn, it’s easy to send off application after application without much thought. To stay on top of all the different openings out there, get creative with all the ways you monitor your job search process.

1. Organize links to job postings. Compile all the positions you’re considering, working on, or have applied to all in one place. Visualize this list with color-coded columns for your application status, interest level, potential contacts for the position, and a space for general notes about the position.

2. Compile a master list of contacts. Don’t hold back here: Brainstorm a list of family friends, former coworkers, HR managers, people in your dream job who you found on LinkedIn, and general networking opportunities as described in step four above. Not every person you reach out to will want to talk, and not every person you talk to will lead you to a job. Still, you never know what opportunities might come along from getting the conversation started.

3. Prepare for interviews. Schedule out any interviews you get and map out strategies to prep for them. Make a checklist for interview prep: Research the company, your interviewer, and script answers to common interview questions.

Evaluating and self check-ins

One of the biggest mental roadblocks to any job search is keeping up the momentum. Whenever things lag, and it feels like the job market is hopeless, this tab is where you can check in on your progress.

1. Follow up with anyone you networked with. Be reasonable—don’t keep nudging the same people over and over every week.

2. Consider learning new skills or doing volunteer work to pad your resume while you search for a permanent role.

3. Analyze your goals and identify what you might need to adjust going forward. Write down what you are willing to compromise and what is non-negotiable for you. This might lead to applying to different kinds of positions, which could give your career search another surge of motivation.

For most of us, finding a new job is a daunting and disheartening slog. Your career search action plan is an organization tool that is as important mentally as it is professionally. And if you find yourself staring at a long list of rejected applications, you can always delete this spreadsheet and start fresh.

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Over the years, I’ve accumulated dozens of makeup brushes, which means I’ve also spent far too much time cleaning them. Dirty brushes can screw up your glam, but can also cause breakouts and distribute bacteria and whatever else lurks in your makeup bag across your skin. In worst-case scenarios, you could even get an infection. Cleaning them regularly—every seven to 10 days—is important, but so, too, is doing it right. Some cleaning methods are ineffective and others are downright bad for the brush. Here’s what to know about cleaning not only your brushes, but your sponges.

How I clean my makeup brushes

There are loads of tutorials all over TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, showing how influencers and makeup gurus clean their brushes, but a lot of them are full of bad information. For instance, using oil is a no-no; it’s extremely difficult to remove from bristles, which can make the brushes less effective and cause breakouts on certain skin types. I’ve also seen loads of videos where users are fully submerging their brush heads in soapy water. Again, no: Eventually, that can damage the glue, too. I am fortunate enough to be friends with a real-life professional makeup artist and model, Rachel DeFluri, and for years, I have followed her advice instead of tips from self-proclaimed online gurus.

First, I start with a basic rinse to get the most obvious, external makeup off, filling a small bowl with micellar water and swirl each brush tip around in there. Ever since DeFluri told me to use micellar water to clean makeup brushes, I’ve loved it because, just as it somehow removes makeup from your skin with ease, it does the same thing here—very gently and easily. If you don’t have any, just run the brush tips under a faucet. Regular water will take a little longer, but the powders and liquids on the outer parts of the brush will eventually come off, leaving you to deal with the stuff that’s really deep inside.

DeFluri adds that micellar water can be used if you’re in a rush and don’t have time for any other steps: “Simply soak a cotton pad or towel with micellar water and wipe your brushes clean. While this won’t fully disinfect, it’s a great option for spot cleaning between deep washes.” She also points out that if you are in a hurry and are sure your brushes are made of synthetic fibers, you can do this same technique with 70% isopropyl alcohol by applying it to a pad or rag and gently running it over the brush head. She cautions that while it “breaks down stubborn product buildup and kills bacteria on contact” and is great for disinfecting, “it can be drying over time, so use it sparingly.”

Only swirl the tips so the glue inside the brush doesn’t get wet. At the end, your micellar water should look dirty, like the picture on the right.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson

If you’re not in a rush and want to do a full deep-clean, you move on to the next step. I refill that same bowl with plain, clean water and add a few drops of gentle dish soap (though you can also use baby shampoo). Avoid using anything else, like hand soap. Some bloggers have recommended Dove body wash in the past, too, but that contains some conditioning agents that can, over time, coat your bristles with a film. Our goal here is to strip everything from the bristles, not add anything to them, so plain dish soap is your best bet. The gentler and plainer, the better. Plus, according to DeFluri, it works the same whether you’re cleaning synthetic or natural bristles, so you don’t have to play any guessing games. Swirl your brush tips in there again, this time massaging them with your hands to “scrub” them. Any time the water gets too dirty, toss it and refill the bowl. Eventually, each brush will stop releasing powders and liquids and, when run back under the faucet, the water coming from them will be clear. 

A lot of influencers recommend using a bumpy silicone mat as a scrubber during the cleaning process, but those are specialty products that aren’t really necessary. They’re convenient, yes, but run the spectrum of costliness ($5 for a simple one at Ulta, $37 for the big one on Amazon) and don’t do much more than a good massage with your fingers can do. Their greatest benefit is that, by running your brushes over them, you get a lot of water out, but you can do that yourself by gently squeezing the bristles over your cleaning bowl or sink. My little hack is that I use my silicone dish sponge, the one I rave about for general cleaning, and it functions just as well as the specialty mats I’ve tried, plus I can use it for my dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Best of all, this multi-purpose wonder comes in a two-pack for just $9.

Massage the product out of each brush with a mat or by hand, then carefully lay them out to dry.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson

When the water runs perfectly clear through them, it’s time to fully dry your brushes. Lay them flat on a paper towel or a microfiber cloth. (I recommend the cloth because you’ll actually need about seven paper towels stacked up to catch all the water that comes out over time.) A tip DeFluri is really serious about is this one: Don’t splay the bristles out unnaturally to dry them because they’ll dry that way and be difficult to use afterward. Instead, gently shape the bristles back into whatever shape they were before and let them air dry. I usually leave mine at least overnight and come back a few times to flip them over. Whatever you do, do not dry them upright in a container; this will affect the glue on the bristles, as the water will run down. You can even dry them while they hang upside down, but I don’t have the space or mechanics necessary for that. If you figure out a way to affix a bunch of handles so the brushes are airborne, you let me know. Drying them flat is perfectly fine, but rotating them periodically so the bristles don’t flatten on one side is a smart move. 

How to clean a makeup sponge

Makeup sponges, which had a popularity boom around 2016 but are still a staple in most makeup kits, are much easier to clean than brushes, since you can fully submerge them in water with no problem. You can do it in micellar water first and then switch to your soap-and-water mixture, or just go straight to the soap and water. (A lot of makeup sponge brands sell their own cleanser, but baby shampoo is just as good.)

Submerge the sponge and massage it with your hands, squishing it around until you see makeup start to come out into the water. If it’s really, really dirty, let it sit in that soapy water for 10 minutes or so. Take it out and put some soap directly onto the wet sponge, working it into a lather. Run the sponge under a faucet to rinse it and don’t stop until the water runs clear. 

To dry the sponge, prop it up, if you can, and let it air dry. It can air dry flat, but you’ll want to turn it over a few times. Let it dry overnight to make sure there are no wet spots deep inside that could get mildewy. When you think it’s dry, give it a good squeeze to make sure you don’t feel any dampness. Don’t put it back in the drawer or its container until it’s fully dry. 

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Like most tech products, the Apple Watch has a basic model (the SE), a mid-tier model (the Series 10), and a high-end version (the Ultra 2). But the older Series 9 offers a sweet spot for those looking for a budget mid-tier option. The Series 9 offers many high-end features at a price that’s closer to the price of the SE than the Ultra 2, and cheaper than the newer Series 10. Right now, the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 is $370.99 for the GPS and Wifi version (originally $529), currently matching its lowest price since its release, according to price-checking tools.

Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cellular 45mm

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If you’re not sure whether the Series 9 is a better choice over the Ultra 2 or the Series 10, you can read our full breakdowns. Essentially, the Series 9 is a smaller watch with fewer features for outdoor enthusiasts than the Ultra 2. But if you want to save yourself a few hundred dollars and don’t need a brighter screen or a more rugged design, the Series 9 is a great choice. PCMag gave the Series 9 an “outstanding” review for its powerful processor, the in-demand double-tap gesture for hands-free operation, access to Siri, and its bright display.

You can expect up to 18 hours of battery life (or 36 hours in low power mode), sleep tracking, mental health and vision health tools, additional cycling and compass features, and more. This GPS and cellular version means you can access your phone without the need of a wifi network. In other words, you’ll be able to go on a run without your iPhone, play music on your AirPods, and take calls.

Right now, only the bigger 45mm sized screen is available for this deal, but the band size fits people with wrists from 140mm to 190mm.

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Apple has been top dog in the premium tablet space for years, and the iPad Pro with an M4 chip released last year solidified their dominance. If you’ve been waiting for a discount on the best-performing tablet you can get, take your pick from the available options: the 11-inch iPad Pro wifi and celular version is $1,099 (originally $1,199), the 13-inch iPad Pro wifi version is also $1,099 (originally $1,299), and the 13-inch wifi and cellular version is $1,299 (originally $1,499). These deals bring all versions down to the lowest prices these iPad models have been since their release, according to price-tracking tools.

Ultra Retina XDR Display, 256GB, 12MP Front/Back Camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular.

Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch (M4, Wifi + Cellular)

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at Amazon

$1,199.00
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Ultra Retina XDR Display, 256GB, 12MP Front/Back Camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 6E, Face ID.

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4, Wifi)

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at Amazon

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Ultra Retina XDR Display, 256GB, 12MP Front/Back Camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 6E, Face ID.

Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4, Wifi + Cellular)

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The M4 is about 1.5 times faster than the M2, the chip used in the previous generation of iPads. That’s a big difference for anyone looking to use their iPad for more than just navigating the web and streaming media apps. The 11-inch screen is an OLED display with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, making it ideal for creators who need to see accurate colors for pictures or videos. The processing power can easily handle heavy-duty apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, or Photoshop. A 120Hz refresh rate also means games will look smooth.

As far as battery life, you can expect about 10 hours depending on your use, and a charge that takes about two hours to get to full. Keep in mind Apple switched to USB-C charging, and this iPad does not support wireless charging. If you don’t get the cellular version, you’ll be limited to wifi signal. You can get the Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard if you want to complete the set, but of course, they’re not necessary.

If you’re not going to be doing heavy work, the iPad Air will do just fine. But if you’re looking for the best tablet to perform professional tasks, the iPad Pro M4 is at a great price right now.

Your eyes are fragile, complex, and important to your well-being, but taking care of them can be expensive. First of all, it’s not easy to get glasses without a recent prescription, and the average cost of an eye exam without insurance coverage is close to $200. The average cost of the glasses themselves is about $230—and that’s before you add on the coatings you need. This can be a real challenge for the estimated 63% of Americans who don’t have vision insurance, meaning they’re paying out of pocket.

There are resources that can offer low-cost or even free eye exams and glasses, however, if you meet certain requirements (like income level and lack of insurance). If you or someone in your family desperately needs new glasses, here’s where you can look for those services.

Free exams

Whether you’re shopping at a cheap online store for glasses or trying to get a free pair, you’ll need a relatively recent prescription (generally within the last two years). If you don’t have one, you can find cheap or free examinations using the following resources:

• EyeCare America offers eye exams and ongoing vision care at no cost to people over the age of 65 and people who are at a higher risk of glaucoma. These services are provided by volunteer ophthalmologists around the country. They don’t provide eyeglasses.

• All Children See offers vision care for children under the age of 18 who have failed a vision screening, have some other vision problem, and who are uninsured or unable to afford care.

• InfantSEE is administered by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and offers free eye assessments for babies ages 6 to 12 months, regardless of income or insurance status.

• Government programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP also offer low-cost or free eye exams, including VA Vision Care for veterans.

• Eyes of Hope offers no-cost eye exams to adults and children who have no insurance coverage and meet their income requirements.

• Many community health centers offer eye clinics with free or low-cost exams and eyeglasses. You can locate a CHC near you at this site.

Free glasses

Once you have your prescription, you need to fill it. The following programs offer free or super-cheap eyeglasses once you have a prescription in hand:

• New Eyes provides a “basic” pair of eyeglasses for a $10 non-refundable application fee. You have to apply online (do it here).

• Eyes of Hope also provides free eyeglasses to adults and children who meet their income requirements.

• Lions Club International clubs collect and distribute donated eyeglasses. You can find a local club here and contact them directly to find out if they participate in the recycling program and how to start the process.

• Promotions. Many online stores offer a free first pair of glasses when you shop with them. While there’s no guarantee that these programs will be offered when you need them, sites like GlassesShop and Abbe offer a free pair of basic glasses (shipping and handling is extra) if you have a recent prescription.

As much as Apple would like it, iMessage is not the only messaging platform in the world. Yes, RCS is nice, but a lot of people prefer using WhatsApp and Telegram instead. And given the divisive state of world politics right now, secure apps like Signal have their own appeal.

The reality is that, instead of just sticking to your default texting program, you’re probably juggling between multiple messaging apps right now. Unfortunately, the iPhone doesn’t really make this process easy. Now, there’s a new app called DefaultSMS that’s trying to bridge this gap.

DefaultSMS uses a new, obscure iPhone setting to change your default messaging app for you. It’ll kick in whenever you start up a new message, whether from a link, a preview page, or a contact page. This lets you automatically text using whatever app you want, even if that app doesn’t yet officially support Apple’s new setting.

DefaultSMS works with WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal, but conveniently, it also comes with the option to bring up a menu to instead choose between all of your messaging apps every time you go to text, so you can more easily navigate between them on a case-by-case basis. No matter your preference, there’s a lot to like here.

How to set up DefaultSMS on iPhone

After downloading the app from the App Store (it costs $0.99), make a trip to the Settings app. Scroll down to the Apps section, choose Default Apps, tap Messaging, and switch to the DefaultSMS app.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Now, open the DefaultSMS app to choose your preferred default messaging app. You can choose between Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Or, if you frequently jump between Signal and WhatsApp, you can choose the Ask Each Time option instead. Again, when you use this feature, the app will prompt you to choose a messaging app each time you go to text, including the default Messages app.

Now that setup is done, it’s time to test it out.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Go to the Phone app, open a contact page, tap the Message button, and the DefaultSMS app will take over, opening a message to your contact in the app of your choice. I, personally, use this with WhatsApp, but regardless of your app of choice, it’s nice not to have to hunt for each of my messaging apps on my home screen every time I want to use them.

DefaultSMS still has some limitations. You’ll still continue to receive SMS texts and iMessages in the default Messages app, and of course, this method only works if the person you’re messaging has the app you’re messaging them with installed. If they don’t use Telegram, for instance, DefaultSMS won’t magically let you them send them a Telegram message.

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The tendency in movie runtimes seems to be trending toward length, and even if the data doesn’t really bear this out, recent, super-long installments in big box office franchises at least mean the bloat feels real. For some reason these wildly popular series feel the need to justify their existence by lashing us to our seats for well over two hours, when many of us might have happily paid the same price for a flick that would give us the hope of ever getting home to see our dogs again.

Still, a movie’s quality isn’t determined by its length, and most of us are watching these things at home anyway. Some stories are just more effective when they take their time—either because they have so much to say and do that nothing feels wasted, or because it allows them the freedom to luxuriate in setting a mood and building a compelling world filled with interesting characters. As the critic Roger Ebert once said, no good movie is too long, and no bad movie is short enough.

An interesting case here is the 1984 classic Amadeus: There are plenty of stories of studios butchering films only to have a director step in later with fixes. This might be a case of the opposite, at least to many critics: the film was released at around 161 minutes, only for Miloš Forman to create a director’s cut in 2002 adding back in an additional 20 minutes or so. There’s a lot of debate about the value of the extra bits (I’ve only ever seen the shorter version), but rough consensus is that the shorter, tighter theatrical version is superior. For a couple of decades now, the longer Amadeus is the only one that’s been readily available, which is about to change as the original theatrical cut has been subject to a restoration and a forthcoming release.

So here are 35 good (or great) movies, all of which run to nearly three hours (or much longer), all of which also justify their runtimes by generally making every second worth the sit.

Amadeus (1984)

Running time: 2 hours and 52 minutes (director’s cut) or 2 hours and 31 minutes (theatrical cut)

Why it’s worth your time: The late, great Miloš Forman directs this unconventional biopic of musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, adapting the play by Peter Shaffer, who also wrote the screenplay (they both won Oscars for it, as did lead F. Murray Abraham). Unlike the typical plodding biography, Amadeus tells its story not through the eyes and experiences of Mozart (Tom Hulce) himself, but those of his archnemesis, Antonio Salieri (Abraham), a composer doomed to exist forever in the shadow of the greater talent. The result is an epic, bitchy meditation on relative mediocrity—Salieri is good, maybe even great, but struggles to achieve a portion of what seems to come to Mozart without effort. It’s got all of the gorgeous period trappings you’d expect, while also telling a deep, juicy story about the price of (understandable) jealousy. You can rent Amadeus (Director’s Cut) from Prime Video.

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The Brutalist (2024)

The Oscars gave a big boost to the limited-release period drama from director Brady Corbet. Adrien Brody stars as Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor László Tóth, a Bauhaus-trained architect who struggles over the course of decades to achieve anything resembling the American dream. The American immigrant experience frequently provides a rich tapestry against which to create an epic film; it’s a topic we’ll return to in this list. You can buy The Brutalist from Prime Video.

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Wicked (2024)

Running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

I was skeptical, to say the least, when I learned that the adaptation of the musical (itself based on the Gregory Maguire book) would be split into two films, the first one alone running nearly the length of the entire stage show. I needn’t have worried. Director Jon M. Chu has been on a bit of a roll since 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, and Wicked sees him at the height of his powers. It’s a wonderfully old-school musical extravaganza, and by “old school” I mean that it’s almost entirely free of the cynicism and self-consciousness that have grown so tiresome in other big-budget movies—no one makes awkward jokes about how wacky it is that they’re singing. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sell every note while hitting all the right emotional beats, as well. Here’s hoping that the sequel sticks the landing. You can buy Wicked from Prime Video.

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Schindler’s List (1993)

Running time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Steven Spielberg’s most beautifully photographed film is also his most devastating, exploring the brutality of the Holocaust from the perspective of the real-life Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson). The German industrialist saved the lives of over a thousand Polish–Jewish refugees in his factories during World War II, but not out of a sense of innate heroism: His actions, as the movie makes clear, were born of compromise—a desire to do some little thing to help that grew in heroism and righteousness. Rather than wallow in the horrors, the movie explores the cost and the power of saving even a single life, and that bit of hopefulness propels it through its runtime. You can stream Schindler’s List on Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.

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Interstellar (2014)

Running time: 2 hours and 49 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: While mileage may vary when it comes to the film’s more metaphysical final act, everything that leads up to it is an uncommonly smart space spectacle—one that works very hard to get the science right without sacrificing the emotional beats. From a blighted Earth of the near future, a group of astronauts set out to explore a wormhole discovered near Saturn with hope of finding a new home for humanity. Blending human drama and existential dread with some truly breathtaking cinematography, Christopher Nolan’s film explores outer space with scientific rigor while ultimately telling a story about human hearts. You can stream Interstellar on Paramount+ and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.

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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Running time: 3 hours and 49 minutes

After a string of genre-defining spaghetti westerns, Italian director Sergio Leone capped his career with one helluva swan song: among the most epic crime films ever made, and one of the most searing and astute films about the promise and peril of America. The movie depicts the lives of best friends David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz (James Woods) as they become power plays in the world of New York City organized crime. Unlike, say, The Godfather, Leone has no rose-colored glasses when it comes to the trials of the immigrant experience, nor of the violence and horrifying misogyny of the criminal underworld. For all of that, it’s so skillfully and mesmerizingly made that it’s impossible to look away. The movie was shockingly mistreated on its initial release, such that efforts to restore missing scenes are still underway. Nevertheless, the restored 229-minute version currently commonly available is a massive improvement over the approximately two-hour version originally released in U.S. theaters. You can stream Once Upon a Time in America on Prime Video.

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Boyhood (2014)

Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: It might have come across as a gimmick, but Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Before Sunrise) is far too good and consistent a filmmaker to fall into that trap. By design, this coming-of-age story was produced over the course of 12 years, filming year by year in order to capture the growth and changes in the lead characters, particularly the titular boy-to-man, Mason Evans Jr., played by Ellar Coltrane. It won overwhelming praise for its extraordinary sense of realism and emotional power, with great performances all around. You can stream Boyhood on The Criterion Channel.

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Scenes from a Marriage (1973)

Running time: 2 hours and 47 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: First of all, bear in mind that the running time listed above is for the short version. There’s a much longer cut that I’d recommend, generally (it’s the only one I’ve seen), but perhaps isn’t for everyone. Director Ingmar Bergman is joined by Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson (two of the most impressive modern film actors) to create this fascinating portrait of a disintegrating marriage. It’s not a soap opera, and not a movie of screaming fights and thrown ashtrays, but instead a story of two people who haven’t fallen out of love, precisely, but who definitely no longer know how to live with each other. As beautiful as it is brutal, its realism and believability is such that it often feels like we’re peeking around a corner, seeing something that we ought not be seeing. Director and actors returned to these characters 30 years later for Saraband, a poignant epilogue and Bergman’s final film. You can stream Scenes from a Marriage on The Criterion Channel and Max.

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Hoop Dreams (1994)

Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: This documentary, about two Black teenagers (William Gates and Arthur Agee) recruited for a predominantly white high school’s basketball program, is every bit as fascinating and relevant today as it was back in 1994, in ways both inspiring and depressing. Their stories of their lives, told over the course of six years, are fascinating and engaging, though they speak to much larger issues: These teenagers see success in professional basketball as their only way out and up in the America they inhabit—that vanishingly small chance of success still representing their best hopes. Through Gates and Agee, documentarian Steve James explores daily life beyond media depictions of “the ghetto” as merely a place for white people to avoid, as well as the grift that’s at the heart of anyone promising the American dream. You can stream Hoop Dreams on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Released just a year after the conclusion of World War II, this William Wyler drama tells the stories of three United States servicemen readjusting to civilian life following harrowing tours overseas. Al left home as a successful bank employee, but risks his post-wartime promotion with excessive drinking and a soft touch when it comes to giving loans to fellow vets; Fred suffers from PTSD and has trouble finding a job; Homer lost both hands and struggles with being an object of pity. Given the era and the timing, it’s almost shockingly prescient in its depiction of the struggles that veterans would face following not just WWII, but each war that would follow (and probably all preceding, though no one ever talked about it). The film always pulls back from melodrama in favor of sobering realism. You can stream The Best Years of Our Lives on Peacock and Prime Video.

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The Sound of Music (1965)

Running time: 2 hours and 54 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer star in this popular musical with gorgeous scenery and some of the most sing-along-able songs in musical history. It’s all delightful, until the encroaching shadow of Naziism threatens the budding, unlikely romance between a novitiate nun and a stern, wealthy former naval officer. Its blend of big-screen style and at least a little bit of substance have made it one of our most beloved musicals for decades. You can stream The Sound of Music on Disney+ and Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.

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Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Running time: 2 hours and 56 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Wildly kinetic, Da 5 Bloods doesn’t feel nearly as long as its runtime. Revisiting the Vietnam War film genre with an insistent focus on the (often ignored) experience of Black Americans, Spike Lee brings new relevance to stories from the period by drawing some stark and straight lines between then and now with the story of four veterans who return to Vietnam in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader—and the gold he helped them hide. Every actor in it is incredible, including Chadwick Boseman in one of his final roles. You can stream Da 5 Bloods on Netflix.

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A Touch of Zen (1971)

Running time: 3 hours

Why it’s worth your time: The wellspring of nearly all modern wuxia filmmaking (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), A Touch of Zen is a gorgeous widescreen martial arts epic, worth watching for the cinematography alone, though the fight choreography is equally thrilling. It’s the story of a noblewoman-turned-fugitive who seeks refuge in a remote village and winds up using stories of the location’s rumored hauntings as a weapon against her pursuers. It has big ideas on its mind, as well: Yang, the fugitive, struggles with issues of social order versus corruption, as well as ideas of traditional womanhood that defy her role as a warrior. You can stream A Touch of Zen on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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Oppenheimer (2023)

Running time: 3 hours

Why it’s worth your time: This Best Picture Oscar winner follows brilliant, conflicted Cillian Murphy as the titular theoretical physicist, who helped America to develop the world’s first nuclear weapons during World War II. Amid a talky screenplay peppered with occasional bravura effects sequences, writer/director Christopher Nolan never loses sight of his complicated lead, nor of the muddy, ugly morality behind Oppenheimer’s work. You can stream Oppenheimer on Prime Video.

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Inland Empire (2006)

Running time: 3 hours

Why it’s worth your time: Look: Inland Empire is not for everyone. It’s possibly the most purely Lynchian of any film in the director’s oeuvre, and that’s either a massive selling point, or a reason to stay far away. I love it, but I also have no idea what it’s about. I’m not sure anyone does, but Laura Dern gives a brilliant, shattering performance as a Hollywood actress whose life descends into utter madness, and that’s worth taking in all on its own. You’ll feel as though you’re walking through a nightmare with her, in ways both draining and thrilling. You can stream Inland Empire on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Running time: 3 hours and 1 minute

Why it’s worth your time: It probably requires at least a passing familiarity with the 20+ films that preceded it—I doubt that this would have nearly the power it does for someone who hadn’t seen a key handful of them—but there is power here, at least in terms of cinematic spectacle. For all of our sequel-obsessed movie culture, no one else has ever made it to this point, to be able to offer an effective summing up of a series that’s been so successful over so many films. The whole “time heist” bit allows a clever way to revisit scenes from the past, while the climactic action set piece is one for the ages. The movie even manages to end, once the fighting’s done, on a several impressively emotional notes. It’s not a jumping-on point, really, but it’s a satisfying climax— even if as a conclusion, it’s really more of a pause. You can stream Avengers: Endgame on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.

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Seven Samurai (1954)

Running time: 3 hours and 2 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: So much springs from Akira Kurosawas’s Seven Samurai: it was remade in Hollywood as The Magnificent Seven, and thus became the template for a certain type of “team is assembled/goes on mission” style of movie (other versions include A Bug’s Life). It’s been a tremendous inspiration to George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino, and even Zack Snyder. The coming together of a band of misfits and outsiders, theretofore virtually unheard of in Japanese filmmaking, is also an element that’s frequently referenced. Samurai’s length (it’s the longest film of Kurosawa’s career) is justified by its performances, as well as by writer/director Kurosawa himself: He’s best known in the west for his samurai movies, but his filmography encompasses quiet, meditative character dramas as well, and so he brings sharp characterization alongside the action. And yes, it’s long, but you should see it on the big screen (TV or otherwise) if you can—it was restored in 4K in 2024. You can stream Seven Samurai on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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RRR (2022)

Running time: 3 hours and 7 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Action movies should almost certainly not be as long as RRR, but unlike many examples of American blockbuster, there is not one single dull moment in this Tollywood epic. Likewise, a historical drama that touches on the national trauma brought on by the British Raj and depicting two real-life revolutionaries who died as martyrs to the cause of independence shouldn’t be this much fun, but somehow the context only makes it more satisfying. Find me a more thrilling moment in the movies than the bit where a truck full of wild animals is forcefully unleashed upon a sedate gathering at a British politician’s estate. You can stream RRR on Netflix.

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The Leopard (1963)

Running time: 3 hours and 5 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: The Leopard is absolutely gorgeous, no question. Probably one of the most beautifully directed and photographed films in history—which still wouldn’t be enough to justify its length if it wasn’t also dramatically compelling. But that it is, and it’s also challenging: It’s a portrait of an oppressive way of life among the extraordinarily wealthy Sicilian aristocracy of the 19th century as they have their last big fling, whether they knew it or not. Built on the backs of the poor and working class, their lifestyle deserves to die out (if only), and witness to it all is Burt Lancaster’s Don Fabrizio Corbera, a generally good man of his time whose gaze turns the display of excess into something almost funereal. Director Luchino Visconti was a Marxist who had no love for the aristocracy, so the fact that he’s willing to present a sympathetic portrait of a social class on the verge of extinction (in that time and place, anyway) provides enough tension to keep you glued to the couch. There are a few different versions, but the director’s preferred version runs at 185 minutes, and that’s mostly the one you’ll find streaming. You can rent The Leopard from Prime Video.

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Magnolia (1999)

Running time: 3 hours and 8 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: It’s been joked that Paul Thomas Anderson’s films aren’t long because the stories call for it, but because they need more editing. That’s unfair, particularly here, in a film that is certainly meandering by design: Full of stories of love and loss intersecting, often by coincidence, the film’s core thesis has to do with the cycles of abuse that we’re locked into as children—but explores that idea in ways that are frequently funny and surprising. Like the Aimee Mann song sung by all the characters at the impressive, infamous, amphibious climax, it’s all about the hurt we’ll keep inflicting on ourselves if we refuse to wise up. You can rent Magnolia from Prime Video.

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Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Running time: 3 hours and 8 minutes

Originally conceived as a television miniseries, the three-hour+ theatrical version of Ingmar Bergman’s later-career triumph actually represents something like a director’s cut; the full version is more than five hours. Fanny and Alexander stars Pernilla Allwin and Bertil Guve as the young siblings of the title, living happily with their theater-people parents. Then, their father dies and their mother remarries a joyless jerk of a bishop. Intended to be the director’s swan song, the autobiographical story feels like a summation of Bergman’s career, exploring many of the very heavy themes that he’d tackled earlier, but with a greater sense of perspective, and even a little whimsy. You can stream Fanny and Alexander on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Running time: 3 hours and 10 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Spencer Tracy leads an all-star cast (Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, William Shatner, and Montgomery Clift, among others) in this genuinely gripping legal drama depicting a fictionalized version of one of the 12 Nuremberg Military Tribunals that determined the horrifying extent of Nazi war crimes following World War II. If the familiar faces in the cast can be a little distracting, it remains a sober, serious film that builds to a climax simultaneously moving and disturbing. Some 60 years later, it remains depressingly timely in its conviction that everyday, ordinary people are capable of monstrous behavior, given the right incentive. You can stream Judgment at Nuremberg on Tubi and MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video.

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Titanic (1997)

Running time: 3 hours and 14 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Say what you will about the occasionally clunky characterization and dialogue, James Cameron makes tremendous use of the lengthy running time here. By the time the iceberg appears onscreen, more than an hour in, Cameron and company have provided us a thorough tour of the ship without our even realizing it: We’ve poked our heads into the bridge, the engine rooms, parlors, staterooms of every class and decks on nearly every level—even gotten a thoroughly sweaty look at the cars in cargo. When the ship meets its destiny during the real-time sequence that takes up most of the rest of the movie, we’re nearly as familiar with it as we would be had we been onboard—which makes the action easier to follow, and the tragedy hit harder. You can stream Titanic on Hulu, Paramount+, and MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video.

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Spartacus (1960)

Running time: 3 hours and 17 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Stanley Kubrick’s first foray into epic-scale filmmaking feels like an outlier in his oeuvre, blending the director’s stylistic trademarks with the elements that feel a little more traditionally Hollywood. It all works, especially given the subtext at play: Written by blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, the slave revolt depicted here draws strong parallels to America’s communist witch hunts. (The insistence on the part of lead Kirk Douglas that Trumbo be given credit under his own name, rather than a pseudonym, helped put the blacklist—well, that particular blacklist—to bed once and for all.) What’s on screen, then, is an uncommonly smart old-school action spectacle—sword-and-sandal action with plenty to say about modern American life and politics. You can rent Spartacus on Prime Video.

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Malcolm X (1992)

Running time: 3 hours and 20 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: There’s an awful lot to tell when it comes to the life of Malcolm X, even given his murder—his story crosses continents and political eras, bringing various disparate elements of the Civil Rights Movement into its orbit. It’s hard to imagine any sort of comprehensive biopic not taking up a lot of time. There are standard beats to these types of movies, but Spike Lee is one of the most accomplished and significant directors in modern history, and so manages to sidestep the obvious choices and sameness that often plagues the “important biopic.” Likewise, Denzel Washington’s performance is uncanny and essential. You can stream Malcolm X on Max or rent it from Prime Video.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Running time: 3 hours and 20 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: It’s tempting to joke about those cascading faux-endings, but, in truth, this movie justifies its runtime—and that of the entire trilogy. It’s a crowning achievement in terms of spectacle and pure watchability, but also impressively emotional in the ways in which it brings various character arcs to often poignant conclusions. It didn’t win a (still unmatched) record number of Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for nothing. Honestly, when watching it I’ll always go for the extended version, which is an hour longer still, though that length is much easier to handle at home. You can stream Return of the King on Max or rent it from Prime Video.

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Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

Running time: 3 hours and 21 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Over three suffocating days (and three hours of runtime), single mother Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) cooks, cleans, and engages in a bit of light but joyless sex work in order to pay the bills. Chantal Akerman’s weird and funny masterpiece crafts the drudgery of one woman’s daily life into an unconventional, uncompromising, and mesmerizing epic. Many critics at the time felt that there had never before been quite such an exploration of the feminine experience (not surprising given the dearth of women directors), and it inspired filmmakers of later decades to reconsider what a movie about women could achieve. (It’s worth noting that a 2002 Sight and Sound critics poll of the best films ever made put this one right at the top.) You can stream Jeanne Dielman on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.

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It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Running time: 3 hours and 22 minutes (in the “Roadshow” version)

Why it’s worth your time: First of all: There are a couple of versions of Stanley Kramer’s zany road movie—the cut you’ll find most readily is the shorter 2 hour and 43 minute one, but viewers with exceptionally strong bladders might opt for the premiere-length 3 hour and 22 minute version (The Criterion Collection has it). Neither feels nearly so long, and that’s to the credit of the film’s light touch. Lead by Spencer Tracy and a huge cast of ‘60s-era stars, it’s about several different groups of motorists who get wind of $350,000 in cash buried in a park at the other end of the state, and set off on a race for the money. What makes it work as more than a setup for slapstick driving antics is the incredibly smart decision to have these beloved stars play universally terrible people who only get worse as various setbacks they encounter on the road serve to feed their greed; that shading adds some delicious schadenfreude to the silliness. You can stream It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World on Tubi and Prime Video.

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The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Running time: 3 hours and 22 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Each film in this series is on the long side, but Part II is the longest by quite a bit. Perhaps unusually, it’s also the best, justifying all those extra minutes with a subplot as compelling as the film’s primary thread: While Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone continues the long descent that concludes with a fatal kiss, we visit the origin of the Corleone family in America through Robert De Niro’s portrayal of young Vito Corleone. There’s hardly a moment here that isn’t thoroughly compelling. You can stream The Godfather II on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.

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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Running time: 3 hours and 28 minutes

While there’s no question that it would be nice had this story been told by Osage filmmakers, we could do a lot worse than to have Martin Scorsese behind the camera for an epic account of unspeakable greed in a specifically American vein. Lily Gladstone is transcendent as the real-life Mollie Burkhart, who finds herself at the center of the Osage Indian murders. when a blessing of oil discovered on tribal land turns to a nightmare. You can stream Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV+ or buy it from Prime Video.

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Running time: 3 hours and 47 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: It’s probably the most obvious choice for a list like this, but David Lean’s epic has retained its power for so many decades (and over so many minutes of screen time) for a reason. It is, in many ways, the platonic ideal of a Hollywood epic—the one by which all others are judged. But it’s also impressively complex, set during a period with continued relevancy, and starring a title character who skirts the line between philosophical hero and delusional megalomaniac. At nearly 60 years old, it’s still a transporting work. You can stream Lawrence of Arabia on Max or rent it from Prime Video.

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Hamlet (1996)

Running time: 4 hours and 2 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Historically, even most stage versions of Hamlet(Shakespeare’s longest work) are truncated; there are entire scenes even devoted fans of the Bard have likely never seen performed. Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 adaptation doesn’t take any such shortcuts—it’s the rare instance (and the only filmed version) of the play presented in its entirety. There are compensations for your time, though: Branagh eschews Hamlet’s traditional gloominess for gorgeous, bright visual spectacle; he also presents an impressive cast (with himself at the lead) that includes Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, and Derek Jacobi. There are even appearances by several very unexpected performers in bit parts (Billy Crystal, for example, is shockingly good as the First Gravedigger). And, unlike a live performance, you can stop this one for snacks whenever you want. You can stream Hamlet on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.

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The Batman (2022)

Running time: 2 hours and 56 minutes

Another three-hour comic book movie? At least Avengers: Endgame had the decency to be the climax of a 22-film saga—surely the eighth solo Batman flick (depending on how you count) has no excuse. And maybe not—but co-writer/director Matt Reeves’ first go-round with Robert Pattinson under the cowl actually manages to keep you engaged for the entire time by allowing Batman to be a detective again. Watching a younger, (even more) emotionally damaged Bruce Wayne methodically piece together the clues in a vast conspiracy tied to his own origins and involving familiar baddies like the Riddler (Paul Dano), the Penguin (Colin Farrell under pounds of makeup), and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) feels like binging a season of one of those Swedish crime procedurals on Netflix. It’s gorgeous to look at, too, with moody black and red cinematography from Oscar nominee Greig Fraser. You can stream The Batman on Max or rent it from Prime Video.

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Barry Lyndon (1975)

Running time: 3 hours and 5 minutes

Why it’s worth your time: Ryan O’Neal’s Barry Lyndon is hardly the type of protagonist we’re used to in this type of epic period drama: he’s largely a character without any defining morality, and one to whom events occur that he doesn’t take much hand in shaping. When it suits him to tell the truth, he’s conspicuously honest—but he’s perfectly content to lie if that’s the easiest route. Kubrick is one of the very few filmmakers who could draw us in to the story of this 18th century gold-digger, and Ryan O’Neal makes him compulsively watchable, if not particularly sympathetic. You can rent Barry Lyndon from Prime Video.

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Babylon (2022)

Running time: 3 hours and 9 minutes

Sure, this thing totally bombed in theaters, and its excesses are definitely not for all tastes. But as screen spectacles go, they don’t get much grander than La La Land helmer Damien Chazelle’s literally and figuratively orgiastic Hollywood coming-of-age story. It’s an unhinged three-hour dive into the glitz, glamor, and wild indulgences of the movie business circa the switchover from silents to talkies. It’s loud, garish, and buzzing with cocaine-fueled energy, but for every misstep (an opening sequences featuring a mountain of elephant excrement sprayed directly into the camera) there are two bravura sequences (my favorite being a tortured depiction of what it’s like to film a movie scene under intense pressure that could be a short film all on its own), and the cast is full of movie stars (Brad Pitt and a pre-Barbie Margot Robbie being the standouts) the way they used to make ’em—bigger than life, and too much to crame into a standard runtime. You can stream Babylon on Prime Video and MGM+.

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On Wednesday, Apple refreshed its budget iPhone line. However, this isn’t the iPhone SE 4; it’s the iPhone 16e. It’s the first time in a while Apple has added a letter to its current iPhone series (like the iPhone 6S or iPhone 5c), which might have you wondering: Should I buy the iPhone 16, or the iPhone 16E?

The TL;DR: The iPhone 16e is remarkably similar to the iPhone 16. For most people, this is likely the iPhone to buy, and comes with enough of what you’re looking for in the iPhone/iOS experience—especially when you consider the money you save. However, in order to make this iPhone more affordable than its other devices, Apple did have to cut some corners. I doubt many of these decisions will be dealbreakers for people looking to buy an iPhone without spending a ton, but there are some key differences hidden underneath the surface of these two sibling devices.

Display

Whether you buy an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16E, you’re going to get a 6.1-inch “Super Retina XDR” display. What that really means is you’ll be using a bright, colorful, high-res OLED display that’s exactly the same size between both phones.

However, while both iPhones have the same sized 6.1-inch display, the 16e’s doesn’t get quite as bright. Apple says it typically reaches 800 nits of brightness, and 1200 nits for HDR content. The 16’s display, on the other hand, reaches 1000 nits of brightness normally, 1600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits when outdoors. The 16’s is also a bit higher res, with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 versus the 16e’s 2532 x 1170, but both displays are 460 ppi.

The biggest difference you’ll notice, besides how these displays look outdoors, is at the top of the screen. The iPhone 16 has Apple’s Dynamic Island, which, aside from housing the Face ID camera, also sports digital widgets for different functions on your iPhone. The 16e, on the other hand, has a traditional notch, the same one you’d find on the iPhone 14. If you’re used to the notch, it’s going to be the same experience here, but you do miss out of the two key perks of the Dynamic Island: those widgets, and the small bump in screen real estate that comes with shrinking this cutout.

Performance

Both iPhones are running the A18 chip, which is Apple latest iPhone SoC. On the 16e, that gets you a six-core CPU, four-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. That’s about the same on the 16, except it gets an extra GPU core. You won’t notice that extra core in many simple tasks, but it likely will help during intensive gameplay sessions, as well as for longevity. It’s a minor bump, however, and likely not something to base a purchase decision on.

The A18 chip means the iPhone 16e is compatible with Apple Intelligence, which the third-generation iPhone SE (as well as iPhones as new as the iPhone 15) are not. That’s a perk if you’re really into AI features, but if you’re the kind to disable them immediately, you might not care for it.

Camera

Flip the 16 and 16e around, and you’ll notice a big difference right away: The 16e only has one camera, while the 16 has two.

That solo camera on the 16e is quite similar to the 16’s main shooter: They’re both 26mm 48MP “fusion” lenses, with an aperture of ƒ/1.6. The 16e’s has optical image stabilization, while the 16’s has “sensor‑shift” optical image stabilization, which can offer a quicker stabilization. The 16e has “Hybrid Focus Pixels” while the 16 has “100% Focus Pixels:” That means all the pixels in the iPhone 16 are used to focus the image, while only some are used on the 16e. Both cameras offer “super-high-resolution” photos, in both 24MP and 48MP options. Both cameras also support 12MP “2x telephoto” zoom at 52mm.

You also get a number of perks on both iPhones: 10x digital zoom, night mode, portrait mode, etc. Based on paper specs, you’ll probably achieve similar results between both of these cameras. However, what you’re missing on the 16e is the 12MP ultra-wide lens. If you’re going to pick one camera, you’ll want the main shooter, but it is nice to have the ultra-wide for those times it’s difficult to get your entire subject in frame at once.

The iPhone 16 also comes with some video perks over the iPhone 16e, including 4K Dolby Vision cinematic mode, 2.8K Dolby Vision Action mode, Spatial video recording, QuickTake video for 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, and Macro video recording. But to be clear, you can shoot normal 4K Dolby Vision video on both iPhones.

On the front, you get the same 12MP selfie camera with an aperture of ƒ/1.9. Where the 16 wins here is in its extra Portrait mode controls and “latest generation” Photographic Styles, but for most selfies and FaceTime calls, there won’t be much difference.

Buttons

If you’re coming from an older iPhone, you might be surprised to see the omission of a ringer switch. In its place is the Action button, just as you’d find on the iPhone 16. While the Action button can still flip your iPhone to silent mode, you can also assign a different function for it instead. Perhaps you’d rather the Action button launch the camera, your flashlight, or a Shortcut, which opens up the possibilities.

However, the iPhone 16 does come with a button the 16e does not: Camera Control. As the name suggests, this button gives you added controls over your iPhone’s camera, including the ability to launch the camera from the button, snap photos, or zoom.

Cellular and battery

The iPhone 16e is Apple’s first iPhone to ship with a proprietary cellular modem, which the company calls C1. All other iPhones use modems from Qualcomm. You probably won’t notice any network gains from Apple’s own C1 modem, but there is one benefit: battery life.

Apple says the 16e has the “best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone.” According to the company’s stats, that translates to up to 26 hours of video playback, 21 hours of streaming video, and 90 hours of audio playback. Compare that to the iPhone 16, which achieves up to 22 hours of video playback, 18 hours of streaming video, and 80 hours of audio playback. That said, you won’t be charging the iPhone 16e with MagSafe, as the device isn’t compatible with Apple’s magnetic charging standard. If you don’t have any MagSafe products already, you won’t notice this omission, but if you do, it might be a frustrating downgrade.

Colors

The iPhone 16e only comes in two colors: Black or White. The 16, on the other hand, Black, White, Pink, Teal, or Ultramarine (purple). It’s an interesting choice, but considering how most people slap a case on their iPhones as soon as they buy it, the color probably doesn’t matter as much here.

Smaller features

There are a number of smaller features here that are exactly the same: The 16e and 16 both have USB-C, which means you can finally ditch your Lightning cables (unless you still have Lightning accessories).

You can also treat both the same around water, since the 16 and 16e are rated IP68 water and dust resistant. That means the phones can handle submersion in six meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

Both the 16 and the 16e come in three storage sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. They’re quite similar in size and weight, too. iPhone 16e is 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches, and weighs 5.88 ounces, while the iPhone 16 is 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighs six ounces.

Price

Objectively, the iPhone 16 is a better iPhone than the 16e, since it’s essentially a 16e, just with a bunch of added perks (minus the extra battery life, that is). However, the price is what is supposed to make the 16e the bargain here. The iPhone 16 starts at $799, which, while cheaper than the $999 iPhone 16 Pro, is still quite expensive.

The 16e is indeed less expensive, but it isn’t cheap. It starts at $599 for the 128GB model. The iPhone SE 3, on the other hand, launched at $429, which itself was $30 more expensive than the iPhone SE 2 before it. “Budget” iPhone clearly means something different now.

Everything is pricey these days, which needs to be taken into consideration here. Yesterday, you could buy an iPhone 16 for $800. Soon, you can pre-order most of the 16’s best features in the 16e for $600. If you can live without the brighter screen, the Camera Control button, the ultra-wide camera, and the extra photography controls, that’s $200 well saved. Plus, you won’t need to run to find a charger as frequently as you would with the iPhone 16.

Pre-orders for the 16e start Feb. 21. The iPhone will be available starting Feb. 28.

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There was a time when I would confuse the terms “Dutch oven” and “slow cooker.” I couldn’t tell you why, but it was probably because I had never really operated either of them before and these vague, old-timey titles fused together in my mind. (I envisioned a cauldron over a fire.) Well, let the record show that they’re not the same. Not only are they completely dissimilar in appearances, but they specialize in somewhat different cooking tasks. H

Both cookers are known for their slow and steady cooking properties, and due to their deep shape, the Dutch oven and slow cooker are both good candidates for high-moisture foods. The biggest difference is that one is a proper electronic appliance, and one is, well, a pot. 

The slow cooker

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

What is it?

The slow cooker is a cooking appliance that includes a lightweight (usually aluminum) housing with an electric heating element at the bottom. There’s always a heavy ceramic vessel that sits snugly into the housing and this is where the food cooks. Oh, and there’s a lid. The lid fits loosely and that seems like a mistake at first, but it’s not supposed to be tight—steam is supposed to gently escape during cooking. 

On the front of every slow cooker is a control panel. This might be a simple rotating dial, or it could be a whole digital display with buttons and a timer. The settings are usually high, low, keep warm, and the amount of time it’s cooking for. Here’s the one I have, and it works well for me.

Hamilton Beach Four-Quart Slow Cooker

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When to use your slow cooker

The electric heating element in the housing gently heats the ceramic interior vessel to a range just around boiling. Depending on the model, low temperature might be around 200°F and it may only go as high as 300°F. With temperatures this low and gentle, you can see why it’s called a slow cooker. Most things that go in will take over an hour to cook. That makes this appliance great for hands-off cooking where you want flavors to deepen and meld, and tough meats that would benefit from the tenderization of low, slow heat. 

Where the slow cooker really shines is with set-it-and-forget-it cooking and keeping foods warm for a long period of time. Since it’s not cooked on the stove and the entire heating mechanism is enclosed, the slow cooker is safe to leave on the counter unattended. (As long as you trust your cats to leave it alone. It’s a gamble for me.) The slow cooker can be a huge helper when you need to free up the stove and oven, like for Thanksgiving. I think the “keep warm” function is the biggest boon for party hosting. I’ll keep a huge tank of Swedish meatballs warm in a large slow cooker, and a small batch of mulled glögg steaming in another.

Set up the slow cooker for:

• Bean soups 

• Stews with tough cuts of meat

• Chili

• Meatballs in gravy

• Mulled wine or other hot beverages

You wouldn’t use the slow cooker for anything that needs to be done quickly, or anything that requires high heat. For example, you can’t sear something in the slow cooker. It’s a better tool for boiling, steaming, or keeping moist foods and drinks warm. 

The Dutch oven

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

What is it?

A Dutch oven is not an appliance at all. I’m willing to bet that the word “oven” in the title is what throws off most people. In the simplest terms, it’s a heavy-duty cast iron pot with a lid. There are no moving parts, no plugs, and no instruction manual. The fanciest thing about it is the enamel glaze that can come in a rainbow of colors and makes the interior somewhat non-stick. I’ve been pretty obsessed with mine this winter. My Dutch oven was a gift and it has no brand name (many of the affordable ones are just as good as the fancy ones), but if I were to buy another one it would probably be a Lodge.

Lodge Six-Quart Enameled Dutch Oven

$79.90
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When to use it

The Dutch oven excels at holding onto heat for long periods of time and distributing it evenly because of its dense walls. They’re also oven-safe up to 500°F (and maybe higher, depending on the brand). That makes this pot great for anything that needs to be cooked for a long period of time, any meals that move from the stove top to the oven, or things that benefit from roasting in an enclosed space in the oven. 

The Dutch oven is a great vessel for frying since the thick metal retains heat better than a thin pot. You won’t have to keep messing with the flame to maintain a 350°F temperature. My favorite things to throw in Ol’ Dutchie are bread for the increased oven spring (the final rise a loaf of bread does in the oven) and soup or stew. If you’re in need of a recipe, my crispy chicken and rice recipe really shows off what the Dutch oven is capable of. 

Pull out the Dutch oven for: 

• Braised meats

• Roasted meats

• Sauces or soups that simmer at a low temperature

• Deep frying 

• Bread baking

You wouldn’t use the Dutch oven for anything that you want to cook quickly because it takes so long for the metal to come up to temperature. Frying eggs, quick stir-fried noodle dishes, and whipping up grilled cheese sandwiches are still best done in a classic frying pan.

How to choose between the two

The next time you’re making pulled pork, stew, or white bean chili, you could reach for either cooking tool. When deciding between the two I usually ask myself a few questions: Do I want to do a little work or practically no work, are there tough cuts of meat I’d like to tenderize, and how much time do I have until I want to eat? If I have a few hours or tough bits of beef to cook, I’ll probably dump the ingredients in the slow cooker. If I want to eat within the hour and/or the meal has seared and simmered elements, I’ll likely turn to my Dutch oven.

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When building out your DIY toolkit, it can be difficult to find good quality tools at an affordable price. Milwaukee tools are known for their durability and are often used by professionals for carpentry and construction jobs, but they are outside the price range of many DIYers. If you’re looking for tools, there’s a great sale right now at Home Depot offering up to 50% off cordless Milwaukee sets.

Driver set

Drills and drivers are the essential tools of any aspiring home maintenance DIYer. The Milwaukee 18-volt impact driver set is on sale right now for $99, 50% off its regular price. The set includes an 18-volt impact driver, a 2-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag. If you need a replacement driver or just want to upgrade from using a cordless drill as a driver, this is a good deal.

Milwaukee 18-volt impact driver set

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Battery and charger

The Milwaukee 18-volt,  8-amp-hour battery and charger set is on sale for $149, 40% off its regular price. The set comes with the battery and the charger, allowing you to use many Milwaukee M-18 tools for up to eight hours without needing to swap out the battery. If you need extra batteries for your growing Milwaukee cordless tool collection, adding a longer-lasting option can help you level up your DIY game.

Oscillating multitool set

An oscillating multitool is becoming a staple for a well-rounded tool kit because of its versatility, cutting, sanding, and buffing multiple materials. The Milwaukee 18-volt oscillating tool set is on sale for $179, 45% off its regular price. It comes with the tool, an 18-volt, 5-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag. It’s a good addition to an existing toolkit if you already have a few basics, or for a beginner who needs a multi-functional tool to try out different projects and materials.

Milwaukee 18-volt oscillating tool set

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Tool sets

A good quality set of cordless tools is a must for DIY and home maintenance enthusiasts. These Milwaukee sets can help you build out a first-time kit or replace a broken or worn-out set.

• The Milwaukee 18-volt 5-tool combo kit is on sale for $299, 50% off its usual price. The kit comes with a drill, an impact driver, an oscillating multi-tool, a reciprocating saw, a work light, a 1.5 CP battery, a 3 CP battery, a charger, a tool bag, a blade, and sanding attachments for the oscillating tool. CP batteries are compact versions of Milwaukee’s regular 18-volt batteries and are lighter and smaller than their counterparts. This kit has everything you need to get started on most DIY and home maintenance projects.

• An expanded Milwaukee 18-volt, 9-tool combo kit is on sale for $599, 45% off its regular price. The kit includes a drill, a quarter-inch impact driver, a half-inch impact wrench, a reciprocating saw, a circular saw, an oscillating tool, a cutoff grinder, a work light, a blower, a 3 CP battery, a 1.5 CP battery, a charger, and a tool bag. If you’re ready to do some carpentry or larger repair projects around the house, this tool kit is a good investment.

• The Milwaukee 12-volt, 5-tool cordless kit is on sale for $199, 50% off its list price. This kit includes a drill, an impact driver, a ratchet, a reciprocating saw, a work light, a CP 1.5 battery, a charger, and a tool bag. The voltage of this kit means that it’s made for smaller projects or projects where a lighter touch is needed, like installing shelving or cutting lighter, more delicate material. It’s a great beginner kit for someone just getting into DIY, or testing out their home maintenance chops.

Milwaukee 12-volt, 5-tool cordless kit

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