27 New Year’s Eve Movies To Help You Stay Up Until Midnight

As much fun as Christmas can be, it always feels like a major downer when it's all over. The presents have been unwrapped, all the delicious food has been eaten, and the gloomy reality of returning to work is on the horizon. Thankfully, there is one more thing to look forward to before the holiday season comes to a close, and that's New Year's Eve.

It may not pack quite as big of a festive punch as Christmas, but it's still a great time to gather with your loved ones and celebrate what the future year will (hopefully) bring. For some, this could entail going out to dance and party the night away, but for others, this could mean hunkering down with the family to watch some classic New Year's Eve movies. After all, what better way to kick off the new year than in the comfort of your own home?

Sure, Christmas movies tend to get all the hype around this time of year, but plenty of great films center around that annual ball drop. Whether a big, life-changing moment takes place on New Year's or the date simply serves as a backdrop to most of the action, there are several cinematic masterpieces that manage to successfully pay homage to this particular holiday. You just have to know where to look (spoiler: it's here — look here).

1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Falling in love can be a wonderful thing. Falling in love with your best friend, however, is a whole different level of romance. Such is the case for Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s characters, who end up realizing what the audience knew all along — that the person they’re meant to be with has been standing in front of them this whole time. And yes, of course, it all comes to a head on New Year’s Eve.

2. Rent (2005)

Based in the ‘90s, this movie-musical offers a poignant look at the AIDS epidemic and how it impacted the lives of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City. Between the rock-like style music that’s instantly catchy and the unique set of characters you can’t help but root for, there are five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred reasons to make this an annual viewing in every household.

3. About Time (2013)

Time can be a very precious thing, but for Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), it proves to be both a blessing and a curse. After discovering that the men in his family can travel through time, Tim decides to test out this unusual gift and use it to win the heart of the girl of his dreams. However, Tim soon discovers that not all things can be easily fixed with a simple reset of time and that, in the end, time catches up with everyone — even him. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll remember to hold your loved one extra tight this holiday season.

4. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Lucy (Sandra Bullock) has always loved Peter (Peter Gallagher) from afar, but when a subway accident puts him in a coma, she finds herself accidentally engaged to him. It’s a misunderstanding, of course, but the more she gets to know Peter’s family, the more she wishes it was true. However, things become even more complicated when she starts falling for Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman). It’s just the right combination of comedic hijinks and romantic drama that makes for the perfect holiday movie.

5. New Year’s Eve (2011)

This movie poses the question: Is there such a thing as having too many A-list celebrities in one film? (Obviously, the answer is no, not at all.) As the title of the movie suggests, all of the intertwined stories take place around New Year’s Eve and how the events of this particular holiday go on to impact the lives of numerous characters as the day plays out. Regardless of which storyline interests you the most, the sheer volume of plot developments guarantees there will be something for everyone in the household to enjoy.

6. Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

Sex and the City got its first feature film in 2008 and, with it, one of the best New Year’s Eve scenes ever to grace our screens. The recently jilted Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is home on NYE, having gone to bed early after watching Meet Me in St. Louis. She gets a call from Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), who is newly separated from Steve and feeling emotional about spending the night “alone with Chinese food.” Set to a soundtrack of Mairi Campbell and David Francis’ “Auld Lang Syne,” Carrie races over to her lonely best friend’s house so they can be alone together. Honestly, it’s beautiful.

More New Year’s Eve Movies:

1. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
2. Ladies in Black (2018)
3. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
4. Carol (2015)
5. The Age of Adaline (2015)
6. Mermaids (1990)
7. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! (1986)
8. Holidate (2020)
9. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
10. The Holiday (2006)
11. Someone Like You (2001)
12. Waiting to Exhale (1995)
13. About a Boy (2002)
14. Are We There Yet? (2005)
15. Trading Places (1983)
16. Ghostbusters II (1989)
17. An American in Paris (1951)
18. The Apartment (1960)
19. 200 Cigarettes (1999)
20. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
21. An Affair to Remember (1957)