Some of these movies actively explore universal New Year’s themes like fresh starts and persevering through tough times (ahem, 2020)—and some of these films simply aim to entertain. This list of New Year’s movies includes romantic comedies, dramas, action thrillers, family films—even scary horror flicks and some sci-fi! Because nothing represents closing out 2021 better than a scary mystery. Here are the 37 best New Year’s Eve movies of all time.
Best New Year’s and New Year’s Eve movies ever
New Year’s Eve (2011)
Following the box-office success of 2010’s similar ensemble romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, Pretty Woman helmer Garry Marshall directed a massive A-list cast including Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi and Sarah Jessica Parker, in an interconnected plot about New Yorkers solving various problems on the eponymous holiday. The unofficial trilogy concluded in 2016, with Mother’s Day.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
We’ll have what she’s having. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star in this modern classic about friends who test their theory that friends can’t have sex with each other, over several years. Written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, When Harry Met Sally was named the 23rd best American comedy ever, and the 25th best romantic film, by the American Film Institute. It all ends with an oft-quoted declaration of love moments before the clock strikes twelve.
An American In Paris (1951)
Inspired by George Gershwin’s 1928 composition of the same name, Vincente Minnelli’s classic romantic musical stars Gene Kelly as an American ex-GI-turned-artist in a Parisian love triangle. An American in Paris won the Academy Award for Best Picture, it’s preserved in the Library of Congress and the American Film Institute named it the ninth best musical of all time.
About Time (2013)
Richard Curtis (rom-com mastermind behind Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually) blends sci-fi and the sentimental in a time-traveling romance starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson. The supporting cast includes Margot Robbie (About Time was released mere months before her breakout in The Wolf of Wall Street).
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon headlined Forrest Whitaker’s Phoenix-set romantic drama about four female friends and their relationships with men. Based on a novel by Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale was a massive hit, garnering solid reviews and making over four times its budget at the box office. The Los Angeles Times even went so far as to call the picture a “social phenomenon.”
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and director/co-writer Nora Ephron are in top form in this swoon-worthy, often hilarious romantic comedy about a widower and a reporter who fall in love over the airwaves. Nominated for two Oscars, Sleepless in Seattle was a big hit with critics and a major force at the box office, grossing roughly ten times its budget worldwide.
Are We There Yet? (2005)
BrianLevant’s family comedy reunites Boyz n the Hood costars Ice Cube and Nia Long. Are We There Yet? centers on a bachelor aiming to woo a divorcée via a road trip with her kids. It served as the basis for the TBS sitcom of the same name that ran for three seasons. A big-screen sequel Are We Done Yet? followed in 2007.
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
It’s not as iconic—ingrained into our minds—as A Charlie Brown Christmasor It’s the Great Pumpkin, but this CBS original, the 30th primetime animated special based on Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, is a gentle charmer nonetheless. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown follows the beloved downer as he’s assigned a Tolstoy book report over holiday break.
The Holiday (2006)
JudeLaw, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Kate Winslet star in Nancy Meyers’ hit comedy about two similarly unlucky-in-love women from across the pond who swap homes (and find romance with local beaus). Comforting, predictable and well-acted, The Holiday grossed over $200 million worldwide.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
A fateful New Year’s kiss is a key plot point in Francis Ford Coppola’s crime classic. Not a romantic one, though; it’s the symbolic kiss of death between Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and brother Fredo (John Cazale). Like its 1972 predecessor, The Godfather Part II won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s widely considered one of the most noteworthy sequels that’s as good or better than an iconic original.
Trading Places (1983)
This loose adaptation of Mark Twain’s 19th-century novel The Prince and the Pauper, where Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy play financially disparate men who switch lives, was rightfully compared to the classic comedies of Preston Sturges and Frank Capra upon its release. Aykroyd and Murphyare perfect foils, with great chemistry. This was also a breakthrough for Jamie Lee Curtis, who won a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her hilarious performance as a tough-as-nails hooker with real depth and charm.
The Apartment (1960)
One of the most successful, defining works of old Hollywood creative giant Billy Wilder is this romantic dramedy starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Double Indemnity’s Fred MacMurray. Witty and brilliant The Apartment, about an insurance worker torn between career advancement and the girl of his dreams, won five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Renée Zellweger is a million-watt movie star in Sharon Maguire‘s funny, beloved rom-com based on an equally cherished book by Helen Fielding. There was some controversy when the slim Texan was cast as a Londoner who worries about her weight; that turned out to be all for naught. Zellweger received her first Best Actress Oscar nod for a sympathetic, captivating embodiment that’s become fairly iconic. This box-office and critical hit was followed by two sadly lesser sequels.
New Year’s Evil (1980)
Following the history-making success of John Carpenter’s Halloween in 1978, the 1980s saw a seemingly endless cavalcade of reductive, formulaic slasher pics, many centered on holidays. Cannon’s New Year’s Evil, centered on a series of murders surrounding a radio host, is pure schlock— and a cult favorite.
Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)
The bougie first big-screen appearance of New York’s Fab Four, a massive box-office hit, is a hit-and-miss two-hours-plus epic that plays out like about five episodes of the iconic HBO sitcom. One of the best centers on the friendship of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), ending in a New Year’s embrace. This show was often at its best when it examined the intricacies of long-term friendship, warts and all.
Boogie Nights (1997)
The first of two Paul Thomas Anderson modern classics on this list, Boogie Nights is an exploration of people working in the porn business in 1970s and 80s San Fernando Valley. Mark Wahlberg stars as dishwasher-turned-adult star Diggler alongside an ensemble cast including Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
About A Boy (2002)
Hugh Grant is in fine form in Chris and Paul Weitz‘s dramedy about a lazy, lonely bachelor in need of human connection. Grant and Toni Collette both earned Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for their work here. A young, babyfaced Nicholas Hoult received considerable praise for his performance as well. About a Boy is based on Nick Hornby‘s 1998 novel of the same name.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Robert Zemeckis’ zeitgeist-ruling classic earned Tom Hanks his second consecutive Oscar for Best Actor. In addition to having a key scene set at New Year’s, Forrest Gump is a perfect film for this holiday in spirit: the life and times of a simple, kind 20th-century man still has an infectious optimism that touches the heart. This was the second highest-grossing film of 1994, behind The Lion King.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Get ready for your closeup. William Holden and Gloria Swanson star in Billy Wilder’s chilly noir masterpiece about a struggling screenwriter and a washed-up actress. Sunset Boulevard is widely considered one of Hollywood’s greatest films ever, among the first batch of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Steven Soderbergh‘s wildly entertaining smash hit, a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name, stars George Clooney as a suave parolee who plans to rob multiple Las Vegas Casinos simultaneously. Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle star in the picture that spawned a successful trilogy.
A Lot Like Love (2005)
Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher star in Nigel Cole’s romantic dramedy about a pair whose relationship evolves from flingy to romantic over seven years. There isn’t a lot that makes A Lot Like Love stand out from superior rom-coms that inspired it (most notably When Harry Met Sally and Annie Hall), save for Peet’s outstanding acting chops effortless sexy charm—and one seriously epic New Year’s kiss.
Money Train (1995)
Woody Harrelson, WesleySnipes, Robert Blake,Chris Cooper and Jennifer Lopez star in Joseph Ruben’s action thriller about two foster brothers entangled in a plot to rob a train carrying Transit Authority proceeds on New Year’s Eve. Lopez is the best part of an explosion-filled joyride aiming to capture the spirit of Speed and Die Hard.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Oscar-winning period piece Phantom Thread is, unequivocally, the best, richest movie about workaholism of all time. This is a bizarre, brilliant film whose triumphs are layered. That’s one of them. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a grief-stricken, toxic fashion designer who meets his match in a beautiful waitress (Vicky Krieps). A gobsmacking New Year’s party transports, and carries emotional weight.
High School Musical (2006)
The Disney Channel original that started it all features a karaoke set piece (“Start of Something New”) at a New Year’s party that sets the love story in motion. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens star as the athlete and nerdy beauty who fall in love and try out for the drama club at East High—refusing to conform to the status quo!
Four Rooms (1995)
Loosely based on short fiction by Roald Dahl, this black comedy anthology film is a collaboration of writer/directors Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Tim Roth plays a bellhop whose intertwining experiences with various guests at a fictional Los Angeles hotel on New Year’s eve comprise the feature’s four short films. The ensemble cast includes Madonna, Jennifer Beals, Antonio Banderas, Marisa Tomei, Bruce Willis and Kathy Griffin.
The New Year (2010)
BrettHaley’s drama stars Trieste Kelly Dunn as a woman who drops out of college to care for her ill father. It was the winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2010 Sarasota Film Festival, where it premiered. Haley most recently directed Netflix romance All the Bright Places.
An Affair to Remember (1957)
Have tissues at the ready for Leo McCarey’s fateful Cinemascope romantic drama starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as lovers who meet aboard a transatlantic liner. It’s heavily referenced (particularly the iconic Empire State Building finale) in another New Year’s romance classic, Sleepless in Seattle. It is itself a remake of 1939’s Love Affair, once again remade in a lesser-known, critically-panned 1994 weepie starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Based on Ira Levin’s bestseller about a pregnant woman who fears a cult could have designs on her unborn child, this psychological thriller stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes and Ruth Gordon. A critical hit and box-office sensation in its time, Rosemary’s Baby remains popular, and recent releases appear to distance themselves from the picture’s director.
After the Thin Man (1936)
The sequel to 1934’s The Thin Man (a mystery-comedy based on a novel by Dashiell Hammett), a massive hit in its day, stars returning leads William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a married couple who solve murder mysteries while bantering delightfully. After the Thin Man features an early big-screen turn from James Stewart.
Mermaids (1990)
Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci (in her film debut) star in Richard Benjamin’s hit family comedy about two young girls and their wacky mother in Massachusetts. Critics doled significant praise upon the young female stars; Ryder won a National Board of Review Award and a Golden Globe nod. It’s based on Patty Dan’s 1986 novel of the same name.
200 Cigarettes (1999)
Risa Bramon Garcia’s ensemble comedy’s cast includes Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Janeane Garofalo and Jay Mohr. The MTV-co-production follows multiple characters in NYC on New Year’s Eve 1981. It’s basically a period-set, R-rated New Year’s Eve.
Holiday Inn (1942)
Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds star in Mark Sandrich’s massively successful, now rather infamous musical about a performing trio who run a country hotel. Holiday Inn features a lamentable, unwatchable blackface number (“Abraham”) that’s omitted from various telecasts and home video releases. Irving Berlin’s Oscar-winning original song “White Christmas” is the best-selling single in the history of modern music.
Terror Train (1980)
There were multiple New Year’s themed Halloween imitators released in 1980. Turner & Hooch and Tomorrow Never Dies helmer Roger Spottiswoode’s Canadian slasher stands out for starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Laurie Strode herself. Terror Train follows a group of hard-partying pre-med students ringing in the new year with a costume ball aboard a moving train—when terror strikes!
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Based on the 1969 novel of the same name about survivors struggling to escape a capsized cruise liner, Ronald Neame’s big-budget disaster thriller is one of the key films of the 1970s disaster genre craze, along with Airport, The Towering Inferno and Earthquake. The Poseidon Adventure won two Oscars, a special achievement award for its groundbreaking effects—and for Best Original Song (“The Morning After”). Shelley Winters received widespread critical praise and a Golden Globe for a supporting turn.
Poseidon (2006)
The big-screen remake (there’s also a critically maligned TV miniseries that’s kind of fun in a cheesy way) starred Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum—and a special appearance by Fergie. Directed by Das Boot’s Wolfgang Petersen, Poseidon received mixed reviews and an Oscar nod for visual effects.
Carol (2015)
Based on the 1952 novel The Price of Saltby Patricia Highsmith, the most assured film of Todd Haynes‘ illustrious career to date tells the story of forbidden love between a young photographer (Rooney Mara) and an older woman (Cate Blanchett) going through a rough divorce. This is an utterly riveting, even exhausting watch, as the lovers must overcome disheartening, dehumanizing adversity. The hopeful ending is hard-won and deeply gratifying. Mara won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, but was submitted for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. Carol was nominated for six Academy Awards total, surprisingly shut out of Best Picture and Best Director categories.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Following her scene-stealing role as Annie the beautiful wisecracking bus driver in the 1994 mega-hit Speed, Sandra Bullock cemented herself as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood with this romantic and big-hearted charmer, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in the process. While You Were Sleeping was one of the most profitable films of 1995, earning $182 million on a $17 million budget. It’s an irresistible crowd-pleaser that’s even better than you remember. Next, see if you agree with our ranking of the 20 best films of 2020.
