New Year's Eve is all about expectations. Be it for a night of overblown fancy fun or just a quiet night in looking toward the year ahead, meeting those expectations is always a tough order. So skip all the fuss and lose yourself in one (or several) of these New Year's-inspired movies. We've got a movie for any NYE mood:
New Year's Eve (2011)
I can not with a clear conscious tell you this movie is good. However, it was created for lists like this, so here it is. You know the drill: A bunch of mostly insufferable characters (including Halle Berry, Zac Efron, and Sarah Jessica Parker) try and find love on New Year's Eve. Only indulge if you must.
200 Cigarettes (1999)
If I told you that Ben Affleck, Kate Hudson, Paul Rudd, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Dave Chappelle, Janeane Garofalo, and Courtney Love were all in the same movie, let alone all in amazing 80s costumes with an incredible soundtrack, you probably wouldn't believe it. This underrated gem follows a huge group of New Yorkers as they all try to end the New Year better than they started it.
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Surprisingly, there is perhaps no other movie on this list that harnesses the power of NYE as movingly as this sequel to the 1984 hit. As Vigo the Carpathian collects all of NYC's bad vibes and turns them into pink sludge, it takes our heroes' theft of Lady Liberty to turn things around. But what really defeats the bad guy is a crowd of New Yorkers singing a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. After the events of 2020, if this doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you might be dead inside.
About Time (2013)
Cozy up with your midnight kiss and be sure to have tissues handy as you watch this sweet, time-traveling romance. A redo of a lackluster NYE kiss provides an impetus for Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson to change their lives forever.
An Affair to Remember (1957)
Rather than culminating in a New Year's Eve kiss, this classic actually starts with one—and then follows our couple (Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr) as they spend the rest of the year yearning to get back to that moment, and each other.
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
All most people want on New Year's Eve is a kiss at midnight, but I don't think the kiss of death is what they had in mind. Watch Michael Corleone give the most famous one of all and be glad you're not on the receiving end.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
It all began on New Year's Day on Bridget's 32nd year of being single. Luckily, it kicks off a hilarious year of counting calories, trying to quit smoking, and romantic entanglements. After all, what is New Year's really about if not the eternal quest of self improvement?
Dicy Tracy (1990)
Before comic book movies really took over your local theater, there was Dick Tracy. Based on a 1930's comic strip, the film goes all in on the technicolor aesthetic of the original cartoons that is only matched by the outsize performances of people like Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Madonna. Naturally, the film's dramatic climax takes place on New Year's Eve.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Yes, 2020 was a dumpster fire of a year but we're at least doing a little better than the remaining population in Snowpiercer. They're all forced to live on a constantly moving train, divided by class. That is until New Year's, when Chris Evans leads an expedition to move to the conductor's car—and a toward a better life.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Filled with beautiful things to look at but ultimately a depressing affair, Phantom Thread is an incredibly apt choice for New Year's. Plus, it features the New Year's Eve party you've always dreamed of going to but are secretly glad you've never had to.
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