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52 New Year’s Movies to Watch as We Get Ready to Ring in 2025

Farewell, 2024.

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Steve Dietl/NETFLIX

It's hard to believe that 2024 is almost over. And if I'm being honest, I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings—but for now, I'm focused on ending this year on a high note. Sure, I'm always down for watching fireworks or throwing a New Year's Eve party, complete with wine, New Year's Eve games and all the glitter confetti. But one of our favorite ways to usher in the new year is by watching the best New Year's movies of all time.

So, as 2024 comes to a close, I'm continuing our tradition of binge-watching some of our favorite holiday flicks, including comedies, dramas and even one horror movie. (I'm looking at you, New Year’s Evil.) And don't worry, I made sure to include all streaming platforms, including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and more. So, prepare your favorite NYE champagne cocktails and appetizers, settle on the couch and enjoy these must-watch titles. From New Year’s Eve to When Harry Met Sally, here are the 52 best New Year's movies for kicking off 2025.

75 Easy New Year’s Eve Appetizers to Get the Party Started


1. New Year's Eve (2011)

  • Who’s in it? Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Hilary Swank, Robert DeNiro
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Garry Marshall
  • Run Time: 113 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 7% | IMDb 5.6/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Giving off some serious Love Actually and Valentine’s Day vibes, this sweet flick features the lives of several couples and singles in New York City that in one way or another interconnect over the course of New Year's Eve. During a 2011 interview with Collider, Hilary Swank stated that working with Robert DeNiro was a bucket list experience. "I got to work with Robert De Niro and, for me, he was on my bucket list," she told the publication, adding, "He was on the top of the people I have to work with, before it’s all said and done, so I got to check that off."

While this movie may not be filmmaker Garry Marshall's best work, it still makes for a quality viewing experience.

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TRISTAR PICTURES

2. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

  • Who’s in it? Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: Nora Ephron
  • Run Time: 105 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 75% | IMDb 6.8/10
  • Genre: Romance

If you’re looking for something more romantic to watch on NYE, there's no better option than this emotional tear-jerker that follows a young boy conspiring to unite a widower and an unhappily engaged journalist. Make sure you have your tissues ready for the scene where Hanks’s character pretends he’s sharing a beer on New Year’s Eve with his late wife. (And the witty Nora Ephron dialogue is always a plus.)

3. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)

  • Who’s in it? Chad Allen, Kristie Baker, Melissa Guzzi
  • Rating: TV-G
  • Director: Bill Melendez, Sam Jaimes
  • Run Time: 24 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes N/A | IMDb 7.2/10
  • Genre: Musical

In this 1986 short, Charlie Brown is forced to attend Peppermint Patty's New Year's Eve celebration, even though he has to finish the novel “War and Peace.” And since I’ve celebrated practically every other holiday with the Peanuts gang, why not start off the year with them as well?

4. Rent (2005)

  • Who’s in it? Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson
  • Rating: TV-14
  • Director: Chris Columbus
  • Run Time: 135 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 47% | IMDb 6.8/10
  • Genre: Musical

The Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning show remains one of the most popular musicals of all time. Like the stage versions, the film dives into the lives of struggling New Yorkers while dealing with the AIDS epidemic in their community. The first act takes place in the time between Christmas Eve and New Year's and genuinely captures the hope that comes with the start of each and every new year.

5. Four Rooms (1995)

  • Who’s in it? Tim Roth, Antonio Banderas, Sammi Davis
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Quentin Tarantino, Alexandre Rockwell, Allison Anders, Robert Rodriguez
  • Run Time: 98 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 13% | IMDb 6.7/10
  • Genre: Comedy

Loosely based on Roald Dahl’s adult fiction, the flick follows four interlocking tales of debauchery that take place at the fading Hotel Mon Signor in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Co-written by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Quentin Tarantino, this one definitely is not suited for children.

6. Waiting to Exhale (1995)

  • Who’s in it? Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, Angela Bassett
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Forest Whitaker
  • Run Time: 121 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 56% | IMDb 6/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Based on Terry McMillan's best-selling novel, this touching film about four friends searching for true love starts and ends on New Year's and follows the group over the course of the year. And Bassett’s character starting off her year by getting dumped by her husband and setting his BMW on fire reminds me that my year could always be worse. (This one’s a can’t-miss for the Whitney soundtrack alone.)

Side note: This film is directed by thee Forest Whitaker (yes, that Forest Whitaker).

7. About Time (2013)

  • Who’s in it? Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Richard Curtis
  • Run Time: 123 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 71% | IMDb 7.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

This uplifting flick tells the story of a young man who realizes he has the ability to time travel. Naturally, the first thing he does is return to the New Year's Eve party the night before and kiss the girl he was crushing on. A wonderful reminder to cherish each day while also emphasizing the importance of not letting moments and opportunities pass you by. In an interview with The Ultimate Rabbit, director Richard Curtis reflected on the making of the film. "I quite liked the idea that you could do something where people like each other," he told the publication. "Then there was the time travel and then they liked each other again. I’m interested in if you can do it. I was writing about sort of a happiness in a funny way and writing about the interesting business of how things work rather than being really interested in the way things don’t work."

8. Forrest Gump (1994)

  • Who’s in it? Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Robert Zemeckis
  • Run Time: 142 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 75% | IMDb 8.8/10
  • Genre: Comedy

Despite childlike tendencies and learning disabilities, Forrest Gump leads a pretty normal life, but challenges arise when it comes to his relationship with his childhood sweetheart. Technically, only one scene takes place on New Year’s (and it’s stressful) but I’ll use any excuse to watch this classic.

Fun Fact: Tom Hanks received an Academy Award for 'Best Actor' in 1995 for this film.

9. Two Lovers (2008)

  • Who’s in it? Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw
  • Rating: R
  • Director: James Gray
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 81% | IMDb 7/10
  • Genre: Romance

This Brooklyn-set romantic drama is about a bachelor torn between the woman his parents wish he would marry and his beautiful-yet-troubled new neighbor. The dramatic final scene takes place on (you guessed it) New Year's Eve, because, of course.

10. Are We There Yet? (2005)

  • Who’s in it? Ice Cube, Nia Long, Aleisha Allen
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Brian Levant
  • Run Time: 95 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 11% | IMDb 4.8/10
  • Genre: Family

Bet you totally forgot about this one, because I sure did. A large part of the film actually takes place on New Year's Eve, when Nick (Ice Cube) must drive his girlfriend's reluctant children from Portland to Vancouver. Of course, they try to sabotage him every step of the way.

11. The Holiday (2006)

  • Who’s in it? Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Nancy Meyers
  • Run Time: 131 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 51% | IMDb 7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Winslet and Diaz star as Iris and Amanda, two ladies who try to avoid their love problems by agreeing to switch homes during the holiday season. Spoiler alert: Both of these two unexpectedly find love along the way. The New Year's Eve scene is minimal and comes at the end of the film, but it's definitely one of the sweetest parts.

12. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

  • Who’s in it? Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Nancy Meyers
  • Run Time: 97 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 80% | IMDb 6.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

The charming British comedy begins and ends on New Year's Eve, with the beloved Bridget trying to navigate her love life while documenting it all in her personal diary. This irresistible flick is so good, we’re not surprised that it managed to spawn two sequels. Another fun fact? This film actually sparked a Bridget Jones film series with two respective sequels, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). A third sequel, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, is expected sometime in 2025.

13. Poseidon (2006)

  • Who’s in it? Richard Dreyfuss, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Wolfgang Petersen
  • Run Time: 99 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 33% | IMDb 5.7/10
  • Genre: Adventure

I know what you’re thinking: “How is a movie about a luxury cruise liner considered a New Year’s Eve film?” Well, the shipwreck in the original 1979 sequel, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, as well as the 2006 remake Poseidon, actually takes place on the biggest night of the year right in the middle of the midnight celebrations, so there is your answer!

14. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

  • Who’s in it? Sandra Bullock, Peter Gallagher, Bill Pullman
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: Jon Turteltaub
  • Run Time: 103 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 81% | IMDb 6.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

A lonely Chicago Transit worker falls in love with a man she's never met and ends up saving him from an oncoming train. In a rather risky move, she pretends to be his fiancée when he goes into a coma. The NYE scene is a turning point in the movie, in which the "L" train employee realizes her feelings for the comatose man’s brother.

15. Phantom Thread (2017)

  • Who’s in it? Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Run Time: 131 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 91% | IMDb 7.4/10
  • Genre: Romance

Phantom Thread tells the story of Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker whose carefully tailored life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover. Gripping and incredibly tense, I'm swooning over the fabulous New Year's Eve party scene that is sure to make you wish you had lived in London in the '50s.

16. Snowpiercer (2013)

  • Who’s in it? Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Bong Joon-ho
  • Run Time: 126 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 7.1/10
  • Genre: Action

Picture this: It’s 2031, and an attempt to thwart climate change has turned the planet into an uninhabitable icebox. The remaining lucky survivors are all aboard a train, the Snowpiercer, that travels around the world in an endless loop. Oh, and Chris Evans’s character picks New Year’s Eve to start a revolt against the upper class.

17. Sex and the City (2008)

  • Who’s in it? Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Michael Patrick King
  • Run Time: 145 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 50% | IMDb 5.7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

While the film takes place over the course of a year, it’s the important sequence on New Year's Eve, you know, the one that shows Carrie running through the snowy streets of New York to Miranda’s apartment while Mairi Campbell's "Auld Lang Syne" plays in the background, that really brings me to tears.

18. 200 Cigarettes (1999)

  • Who’s in it? Paul Rudd, Kate Hudson, Ben Affleck
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Michael Patrick King
  • Run Time: 145 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 50% | IMDb 5.7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Like an earlier version of New Year’s Eve, 200 Cigarettes follows "a collection of twenty-somethings" as they try to cope with relationships, loneliness and desire on what’s supposed to be the biggest night of the year, New Year’s Eve in 1981. This movie is, in-fact, a favorite of Senior Commerce Editor Stephanie Maida. "200 Cigarettes is one of my absolute favorite movies, New Year's-themed or otherwise," she writes. "Beyond the seriously star-studded cast (who seem like babies now, watching it), the plot is SO relatable—lots of overblown expectations and pressure to have the 'perfect' New Year's Eve (which, of course, never ends up the way you expected it to). It's filmed on location, mostly around the East Village in Manhattan, and reminds me of my college nights wandering around the area with my friends trying to find the best parties, meeting fun characters along the way. Also, it's just really, really funny."

19. Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

  • Who’s in it? Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: Ivan Reitman
  • Run Time: 102 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 55% | IMDb 6.6/10
  • Genre: Comedy

Our favorite supernatural crime fighters are back only this time they’re fighting against the Statue of Liberty who comes to life just as the New Year’s Eve festivities begin. How convenient. Trust me, this hilarious film will have everyone thankful to start the new year off without an enormous underground river of slime oozing through the streets.

20. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

  • Who’s in it? Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Harry Connick Jr.
  • Run Time: 96 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 89% | IMDb 7.7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

This quirky romantic comedy follows a pair of New Yorkers who are convinced to their core that men and women can’t just be friends. The New Year's connection comes at the end of the film (probably the most pivotal scene) during a New Year's Eve party. Classic.

21. Trading Places (1983)

  • Who’s in it? Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Harry Connick Jr.
  • Run Time: 96 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 89% | IMDb 7.7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

The film follows a snobbish investor and a wily street con artist who suddenly find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two millionaires. Trading Places spans Thanksgiving to New Year's, with the most crucial scenes taking place at an end-of-the-year party aboard a train. I promise you’ll be laughing your way into the new year with this one.

22. Boogie Nights (1997)

  • Who’s in it? Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Run Time: 157 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 7.9/10
  • Genre: Comedy

As you probably already know, this film is strictly for adults. So, if you’re looking for an R-rated way to ring in the new year, this film about the adult film industry includes a very intense (and graphic) New Year’s Eve party.

During a 1997 interview with IndieWire, director Paul Thomas Anderson said that he "wasn't going to subject viewers to 157 minutes of the film without showing the infamous 'dick shot,' adding, "When I wrote the script I had never physically been to a porno set. I stayed away until after I’d written it. (Then) I kind of went and verified what I thought was the truth and was in-fact the truth."

23. Money Train (1995)

  • Who’s in it? Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Lopez
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Joseph Ruban
  • Run Time: 110 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 22% | IMDb 5.7/10
  • Genre: Action

If you're planning on robbing a train carrying all of the money earned by the NYC subway system, this movie teaches us that the best time to do so is on New Year’s Eve. And Lopez, starring as Officer Grace Santiago (whom the robber is both in love with and running from), is just the icing on the cake.

24. New Year’s Evil (1980)

  • Who’s in it? Roz Kelly, Kip Niven, Chris Wallace
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Emmett Alston
  • Run Time: 90 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 25% | IMDb 4.9/10
  • Genre: Horror

During a New Year's Eve celebration, a disc jockey in Los Angeles receives an ominous phone call revealing that when New Year's strikes in each time zone, a lonely single woman will die at the hands of an evil murderer. Oh, and that includes her.

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The Weinstein Company

25. Carol (2015)

  • Who’s in it? Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Todd Haynes
  • Run Time: 118 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 7.2/10
  • Genre: Romance

This film, set in the 1950s, follows two women from opposite worlds who enter into a life-altering affair and fall in love. Of course, their first kiss takes place at one of the most romantic events of the year—an extravagant New Year’s Eve party.

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Red Chillies Entertainment

26. Happy New Year (2014)

  • Who’s in it? Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan
  • Rating: TV-14
  • Director: Farah Khan
  • Run Time: 138 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 53% | IMDb 5/10
  • Genre: Comedy

Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan, 2014's Happy New Year chronicles a bunch of amateur dancers take part in a dancing competition and win the hearts of millions—all as part of their quest to pull off the biggest diamond heist in history.

27. Ocean’s 11 (1960)

  • Who’s in it? Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Lewis Milestone
  • Run Time: 127 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 45% | IMDb 6.5/10
  • Genre: Comedy

This 1960 Rat Pack film—which was remade in 2001 with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon—follows Danny Ocean and a gang of World War II veterans as they try to rob five Las Vegas casinos at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

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Paramount Pictures

28. The Godfather Part II (1974)

  • Who’s in it? Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Francis Ford Coppola
  • Run Time: 202 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 96% | IMDb 9/10
  • Genre: Crime

This sequel to The Godfather follows the early life and career of Vito Corleone in the 1920s, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate. And while the movie isn’t centered around the holiday, the “kiss of death” scene, which just might be one of the most memorable in the film, occurs on New Year’s Eve.

29. Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

  • Who’s in it? Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Byrne
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Jean-François Richet
  • Run Time: 120 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 60% | IMDb 6.3/10
  • Genre: Crime

An unlikely partnership between a highway patrol officer, two criminals and a station secretary is formed to defend a defunct Los Angeles precinct office against a siege by a bloodthirsty street gang. Perhaps not the most festive movie on this list—but a large portion of the action takes place on NYE.

30. Holidate (2020)

  • Who’s in it? Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Nicola Peltz
  • Rating: R
  • Director: John Whitesell
  • Run Time: 104 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 46% | IMDb 6.2/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Sloane is a twenty-something single woman who’s fed up with her family always setting her up on awkward dates. She soon meets Jackson, who also has serious commitment issues. Naturally, the two agree to be each other’s “Holidate,” aka platonic plus-ones, for every holiday (including New Year’s Eve). Greta Heggeness, Senior Editor of News and Entertainment, reviewed the film at the time of its release, saying, "Holidate might not resonate with every audience. That being said, it’s definitely worth the watch if you’re OK with crude, cheesy humor. I’m not saying you should run out and stream it with your elderly parents. In fact, I wouldn’t even suggest watching it with a faint-hearted significant other. (After one sexual scene, my partnered hollered from the other room, “What on earth are you watching?!”)"

Sounds chaotic...count me in!

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The Walt Disney Company

31. A Lot Like Love (2005)

  • Who’s in it? Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, Taryn Manning
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Nigel Cole
  • Run Time: 107 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 40% | IMDb 6.6/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

A Lot Like Love follows two strangers, Emily and Oliver, who meet and hook up during a flight to NYC. Over the years, the duo continuously run into each other in the most unexpected places. Oh, and at one point, they even share a memorable New Year’s Eve kiss, but I won't spoil too much for you.

32. About a Boy (2002)

  • Who’s in it? Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
  • Run Time: 101 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 93% | IMDb 4.1/10
  • Genre: Comedy/Romance

You will definitely enjoy ringing in the new year with this flick, which is about a rich womanizer with no day job has his life changed by a 12-year-old boy, who arranges a blind date in an attempt to make his mother happy.

33. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

  • Who’s in it? William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Billy Wilder
  • Run Time: 105 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 98% | IMDb 8.4/10
  • Genre: Noir

Silent film star (or used-to-be-star) Norma Desmond tries to revive her career and hires screenwriter Joe Gillis to help. But things get increasingly worse for both of them when she refuses to accept that her career might really be over. I’ve included this one because of her memorable NYE party.

34. High School Musical (2006)

  • Who’s in it? Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
  • Rating: G
  • Director: Kenny Ortega
  • Run Time: 88 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 67% | IMDb 5.6/10
  • Genre: Musical

Perhaps one of the most iconic millennial meet-cutes, Troy and Gabrielle spend New Year’s Eve singing karaoke. However, when Troy realizes his one-night singing partner is his new classmate, the two begin a relationship and star in their high school’s spring musical. It might sound like a cliche statement, but you truly had to be there to experience the magic of High School Musical in real-time. The film literally created a phenomena, the songs made the charts (the real charts not just the Disney ones) and the cast shot to overnight fame. What a time.

35. The Age of Adaline (2015)

  • Who’s in it? Blake Lively, Michael Huisman, Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Lee Toland Krieger
  • Run Time: 112 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 55% | IMDb 7.2/10
  • Genre: Romance

Born on New Year's Day in 1908, Adaline has remained 29 years old for nearly 80 years. She's always kept her distance from others so no one finds out her secret, hiding behind aliases and staying on the run. That is, until she meets someone at a New Year's Eve party who changes her life forever.

36. Mermaids (1990)

  • Who’s in it? Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Richard Benjamin
  • Run Time: 90 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 71% | IMDb 6.7/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Teenager Charlotte moves to Massachusetts with her little sister and eclectic mom with hopes of settling down, but some new romances get in the way and teach them about love and acceptance. Of course, this flick made our list thanks to Cher's iconic mermaid-inspired dress (complete with a tail) that she wears to a New Year's Eve costume party.

37. Happy New Year (1987)

  • Who’s in it? Peter Falk, Charles Durning, Tom Courtenay, Wendy Hughes
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: John G. Avildsen
  • Run Time: 90 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 12% | IMDb 5.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Conmen Nick and Charlie are craving one last heist before their retirement. They head to Palm Beach, Florida, with hopes of robbing a jewelry store. With the help of various disguises, they spend time chatting up the store manager in order to figure out a way to bypass the security system, but of course, things don't go according to plan.

38. Serendipity (2001)

  • Who’s in it? John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, Jeremy Piven
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Peter Chelsom
  • Run Time: 90 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 59% | IMDb 6.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

New Year's Eve is all about the changes and possibilities that lie ahead, so this movie about a chance meeting is just the ticket. Sara and Jonathan can't deny their attraction after first seeing each other in Bloomingdale's, but it gets even tougher when they meet again years later—while engaged to other people. Will fate bring them together once and for all?

39. An American in Paris (1951)

  • Who’s in it? Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Vincente Minnelli
  • Run Time: 95 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 95% | IMDb 7.1/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

Jerry is an ex-serviceman from the U.S. who stays in Paris after the war to become a painter. He's discovered by an heiress whose romantic interest in him grows rapidly, but Jerry has feelings for Lise, a French woman who his friend has his sights on. The romantic drama peaks at an epic New Year's Eve party. Oh, and in case you didn't know, Vincente Minnelli, the director, is Liza Minneli's father.

40. A New Year's Resolution (2021)

  • Who’s in it? Michael Rady, Aimee Teegarden
  • Rating: G
  • Director: Kevin Duda
  • Run Time: 84 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 40% | IMDb 6.7/10
  • Genre: Romance

Kelly Leone, a workaholic TV producer, decides to get out of her comfort zone and makes a New Year's resolution to say "yes" to every social event she's invited to. She meets and falls for a marketing director named Tom Malone, but there's one little hurdle that's disrupting their happily ever after...

41. A Winter Getaway (2021)

  • Who’s in it? Nazneen Contractor, Brooks Darnell, Erik Athavale
  • Rating: G
  • Director: Kevin Duda
  • Run Time: 84 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 40% | IMDb 6.7/10
  • Genre: Romance

When Joe is gifted with a luxury trip by his wealthy friend, he hits it off with a friendly concierge. The only problem? She thinks he's filthy rich. And Joe isn't quite sure if she'll feel the same way after she learns the truth.

42. About Fate (2022)

  • Who’s in it? Emma Roberts, Thomas Mann, Britt Robertson, Madelaine Petsch
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Marius Balchunas
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 63% | IMDb 6.4/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

This vibrant comedy centers on two individuals who are both big believers in love, despite always having trouble uncovering its true meaning. On New Year's Eve, fate intervenes to help the two strangers cross paths.

43. I Hate New Year's (2020)

  • Who’s in it? Dia Frampton, Ashley Argota, Candis Cayne
  • Rating: 13+
  • Director: Christin Baker
  • Run Time: 78 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 60% | IMDb 4.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

2020's I Hate New Year's sees a rising music star suffering from writer's block heads home to Nashville, Tennessee, for New Year's Eve seeking inspiration. She spends the holiday bar-hopping on a hunt for her ex, only to realize her true muse was right under her nose all along.

44. A Midnight Kiss (2018)

  • Who’s in it? Adelaide Kane, Carlos PenaVega, Pauline Egan
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: J.B. Sugar
  • Run Time: 81 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 17% | IMDb 6/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

In A Midnight Kiss, Mia Pearson and her family are tasked with planning a New Year's Eve party for a famous entrepreneur. However, when a family emergency causes everyone to drop out, Mia has no choice but to turn to her brother's college friend. In just a matter of days, they bond and—you guessed it—fall in love.

45. The Apartment (1960)

  • Who’s in it? Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Billy Wilder
  • Run Time: 125 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 93% | IMDb 8.3/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

This charming, sentimental comedy revolves around Bud, a businessman who lets his superiors use his Upper West Side apartment for their romantic affairs. Unfortunately for Bud, he unknowingly catches feelings for his immediate boss's latest fling.

46. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

  • Who’s in it? Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
  • Run Time: 149 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 85% | IMDb 8.4/10
  • Genre: Action

What better way to ring in the new year than by joining the Avengers in their high-stakes quest to stop Thanos from killing half of all life? In fact, one Reddit user recommends watching Avengers Infinity War at exactly 9:48 p.m., so that the new year starts off with Thanos snapping his fingers. Talk about creativity.

47. Royal New Year's Eve (2017)

  • Who’s in it? Jessy Schram, Samuel Page, Crystal Balint, Cheryl Ladd
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: Monika Mitchell
  • Run Time: 84 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 17% | IMDb 6.2/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

An aspiring fashion designer named Caitlyn gets hired to design a dress for the royal New Year's Eve ball, where Prince Jeffrey plans to propose to Lady Isabelle. She also teams up with the groom-to-be to help plan the ball, but Jeffrey starts to have second thoughts when he falls for Caitlyn in the process.

48. Eat, Pray, Love (2011)

  • Who’s in it? Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Ryan Murphy
  • Run Time: 133 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 35% | IMDb 5.8/10
  • Genre: Rom-Com

With a new year comes new resolutions, and if you're anything like Liz Gilbert, perhaps that involves exploring Bali and biting into fresh slices of Margherita pizza in Italy. Live vicariously through Liz as she embarks on her quest for self-discovery. In August 2010, Julia Roberts spoke with SheKnows about working on the project, saying, "It’s funny because I have to say that Billy Crudup is one of my favorite actors. I’ve seen him on stage and in movies — he’s always been one of my very favorites. One of my concerns with him playing the husband that I leave was I didn’t want anybody to disconnect what I was going on to do. I wanted them to stay with me. Billy, I think in a lot of ways, has the greatest challenge to help create a character that you believe had a significant relationship and it just sort of fell apart in his hands."

49. Footloose (1984)

  • Who’s in it? Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow
  • Rating: PG
  • Director: Herbert Ross
  • Run Time: 107 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 55% | IMDb 6.6/10
  • Genre: Musical

Want to ring in the new year dancing? Try watching this timeless classic, which follows a Chicago teen's efforts to overturn a ban on dancing and rock music after moving to a small town. Alexa, play "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins.

50. Diner (1982)

  • Who’s in it? Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Paul Reiser, Tim Daley, Daniel Stern
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Barry Levinson
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 92% | IMDb 7/10
  • Genre: Comedy

And since I'm on the topic of Kevin Bacon, how about giving another one of his '80s movies a chance. While not a musical like Footloose, this film is still very much an enjoyable one as it focuses on a 20-something from Baltimore returning home to be a best man at his childhood friend's wedding. From there you get the perfect balance of fun and emotion as the bachelors live it up before the nuptials, while also reflecting on the good ole days. Coming-of-age films work super well for New Year's Eve, if you ask me.

51. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

  • Who’s in it? Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Matt Damon
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Director: Steven Soderbergh
  • Run Time: 96 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 83% | IMDb 7.7/10
  • Genre: Comedy

I included the original, so might as well include the remake right The 2001 edition of Ocean's Eleven has just about every major actor of the last 30 years you can possibly think of. I'm talking Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac and more. Massive ensemble cast aside, there is the overall storyline, which isn't much different from its original counterpart—you know, thieves who want to hit three Las Vegas casinos in one night (which would make it the most elaborate casino heist in history) and the whole shebang. The only question is...which version do you like better?

52. Pulp Fiction (1994)

  • Who’s in it? Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken
  • Rating: R
  • Director: Quentin Tarantino
  • Run Time: 99 minutes
  • Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 92% | IMDb 8.9/10
  • Genre: Crime

"Normal" people might enjoy a traditional  rom-com on New Year's Eve, but not me! If you like, well...a little bit of everything, than Pulp Fiction is your guy. It is a classic Quentin Tarantino film highlighted by the acting presence of elite thespians like Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta. Oh yeah, and there is violence—quite a bit of it, and perhaps a little too much. It is a total classic that just celebrated its 30th anniversary, giving you another reason to watch for the occasion.


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nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

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