With all the once and twice and thrice upon a Christmas films played on a loop all season long, itâs easy to overlook another genre of holiday movies that exists: New Yearâs Eve (NYE) movies. New Yearâs Eve brings the whole world together to celebrate another collective trip around the sun. Itâs a time when friends and family reflect on all the good (and the not-so-good) that the past year brought them, see how well they stuck to their New Yearâs resolutions, and make new ones. On NYE, people are brimming with hope for what the next year might hold, and they might even do some crazy things to make sure the next year is a blank slate. Itâs dramatic, optimistic, and climactic â itâs exactly the kind of holiday Hollywood should be making movies about!
Although NYE movies are sadly few and far between, Iâve rounded up the top 8 New Yearâs Eve movies you should watch to help you celebrate 2024. Grab some popcorn and prosecco â youâve got to watch these flicks before the clock strikes midnight!
New Yearâs Eve
Weâve got to start with the most directly NYE-themed film Hollywood has ever produced. New Yearâs Eve is the American equivalent of Love Actually. The 2011 rom-com follows several subplots in NYC on NYE, following New Yorkers around town as they get ready for the ball to drop. Thereâs a semi-washed-up rock star, two pregnant women competing to see whose baby will be born first, and teenagers dying for a New Yearâs kiss â whatâs not to love? (A lot, according to critics, but itâs still a fun watch.)
The ensemble cast is so star-studded that youâll scream at your screen every time you see a familiar face. From Jon Bon Jovi to Katherine Heigl to Lea Michele, itâs equally entertaining to count how many celebs you can name over two hours.
When Harry Met SallyâŠ
Now, I know this is the quintessential fall movie, but I argue that itâs also a New Yearâs Eve movie (hear me out). The filmâs most obvious claim to the NYE canon is that Harryâs iconic speech takes place at a New Yearâs Eve party, but its whole friends-to-lovers arc screams fresh starts. New Yearâs Eve is the perfect time to reminisce on the past while welcoming whatever changes the next year holds. If Harry and Sally can finally take their relationship to the next level on NYE, you can make that big life change in 2024 that youâve been thinking about for years!Â
High School Musical
Between Twinkle Towne and basketball games, itâs easy to forget that Troy and Gabriella met on New Yearâs Eve. Start warming up those pipes â you might meet the love of your life at karaoke on Dec. 31!
Bridget Jonesâs Diary
Bridget Jones may have about a thousand New Yearâs resolutions, but if you havenât seen Bridget Jonesâs Diary, make it your No. 1 resolution to watch it ASAP. The film follows Bridget â a witty and relatable Londoner who represents single women worldwideâ from one NYE to the next as she tries to make her resolutions come true. The rules of rom-coms dictate that a single woman in possession of a good personality must be tangled up in a love triangle. Bridgetâs involves Hugh Grant and Colin Farrell (a stroke of casting genius, IMO).
As its name suggests, Bridget Jonesâs Diary is also a book. Itâs a quick read with punchy writing thatâll literally make you burst out laughing. If you finish the movie and canât get enough of Bridget, pop by the library and read even more of her thoughts firsthand!
Rent
If High School Musical feels a little too, well, high school for you, Iâve got another New Yearâs Eve musical youâll love. Rent follows a group of broke artists in NYC in the early â90s as they deal with their friendships, love lives, and the AIDS epidemic. Itâs one of the most influential musicals ever written, and its pop-rock music is definitely not your motherâs musical theatre. Most of the film takes place between Christmas and New Yearâs Day, so itâs sure to put you in the holiday mindset.
Holidate
Finally, on-screen representation for the victims of nosy relatives asking why youâre single every holiday season! Holidate is about two anti-holiday strangers who go to a New Yearâs Eve party as each otherâs âholidatesâ (get it?) and end up becoming friends (and maybe more). A NYE party is the perfect place to have a super meta and LOL-worthy discussion about rom-coms, by the way.
I Hate New Yearâs
I Hate New Yearâs is an underrated LGBTQ+ musical rom-com about a successful singer and her best friend. You might recognize Ashley Argota (who plays Cassie) from True Jackson, VP.
Sex and the City
The fact that Carrie Bradshaw takes the subway to spend New Yearâs Eve with Miranda in the Sex and the City movie goes to show how strong their friendship is. Even in a cramped underground metal train, Carrie wears a fur coat and heeled booties, which is exactly the kind of energy I want to carry with me into the new year.
And 3, 2, 1⊠Iâm calling action on 2024!