COUNTDOWN: 10 MOVIES TO WATCH ON NEW YEAR’S EVE
If you’re not going out on New Year’s Eve, you’re definitely not going it alone. A new poll reports that 2 in 10 Americans plan to celebrate at home or at a friend’s, with only 5% of us heading out to a bar or other party venue. I’ve already compiled a list for singles staying in to ring in the New, but if you’re gathering with friends or your partner at home, it’s the perfect time for a movie night. So let’s count down ten crowd-pleasing movies featuring NYE that are guaranteed to entertain everyone and keep the energy going until the ball drops.
10. 200 Cigarettes (1999). A very 90s ensemble film set in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve 1981, 200 Cigarettes has gained a cult following in the 25 years since it was released to mostly critical pans. Centered around a party everyone is invited to but the host fears no one will attend, it’s a mashup of After Hours and every wacky comedy where hijinks ensue. Mostly notable for Courtney Love’s cameo, you’ll have fun spotting all of the other notables popping up and then disappearing for the rest of the film.

9. New Year’s Eve (2011). Another all-star ensemble cast on another December 31st in New York City, this time helmed by veteran rom-com director Garry Marshall. This one is perfect to hate-watch/create a drinking game with your snarkiest friends so you can make fun of its well-deserved 7% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

8. The Poseidon Adventure (1972). “Auld Lang Syne” will never sound the same to you after witnessing the still-effective scene when the SS Poseidon is flipped over by a massive tidal wave just as the clock strikes midnight. The hammy performances from the ensemble cast are the stuff of GenX dreams (Ernest Borgnine! Pamela Sue Martin! Leslie Nielsen!) and Gene Hackman has never chewed more scenery in his life. But the movie belongs to Shelley Winters and her swimming medal. Warning: DO NOT BOTHER with the 2005 remake, Poseidon–unless you want to hatewatch it after New Year’s Eve is over.

7. Sex and the City (2008). Perfect for a slumber party with your girlfriends, the New Year’s Eve montage set to a classic version of “Auld Lang Syne” gets me in the feels AND makes me want Chinese food every time.

6. Diner (1982). This gem of a film launched the careers of so many actors in the 80s, from Kevin Bacon to Ellen Barkin to Mickey Rourke and more. Taking place in 1959 Baltimore and centered around Steve Guttenberg’s character’s New Year’s Eve wedding, it’s both funny and heartbreaking while showcasing the dynamics of a close-knit circle of friends. And it’ll have you craving french fries and gravy.

5. Ocean’s Eleven (1960/2001). You can’t go wrong with either version of the ensemble film that showcases a casino heist on New Year’s Eve. Both offer powerhouse ensemble casts having a blast being silly in Las Vegas, it’s just up to you whether you want your nostalgia to be more OG Rat Pack or more updated and tech-driven. Either way, you’ll have a swingin’ time with any of these cats.


4. Waiting to Exhale (1995). All hail Angela Bassett’s Bernadine, who sets fire to all of her husband’s clothes and his car on New Year’s Eve after he tells her he’s leaving her AND he’s taking his mistress to his firm’s NYE party. Bassett’s breakdown-to-breakthrough ends with this lasting image, which has become a meme for the ages. And despite some cultural shifts in the nearly 30 (!) years since its theatrical release, Waiting to Exhale remains one of the more defining films about the enduring power of female friendships.

3. The Godfather, Part II (1974). The best sequel ever made. Fredo gets the Midnight Kiss of Death on New Year’s Eve in Havana from his brother, Michael Corleone: “I know it was you.” Falling into the hands of the rebels might have worked out better for poor Fredo, who learns too late that no amount of Hail Marys will spare you from the Don’s retribution.

2. When Harry Met Sally…(1989). Packed with classic one-liners and that infamous deli scene, the “can men and women just be friends” debate was never funnier. Everyone can see that Harry and Sally belong together–except Harry and Sally. My only issue with the New Year’s Eve scene is that Billy Crystal runs to the party where Meg Ryan is while wearing only a light jacket after eating an ice cream cone when it’s usually about 20 degrees in NYC on NYE. But maybe all of those Mallomars kept him warm.

1. Trading Places (1983). Merry New Year! I watch this classic Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd every December 31st. Rich man Louis and poor man Billy Ray have their lives swapped by the evil millionaire Duke Brothers and eventually team up to get their revenge. Jamie Lee Curtis broke out of her “Scream Queen” typecasting with her iconic portrayal of Ophelia, and the New Year’s Eve train ride is one of the funniest sequences in movie history. Break out the beef jerky, we are moving we are moving (into 2025)!
