{"id":257513,"date":"2025-12-30T06:02:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T06:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257513\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T06:02:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T06:02:15","slug":"20-movies-to-watch-on-new-years-eve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/257513\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Movies to Watch on New Year\u2019s Eve"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp.\/courtesy Everett Collection. The Poseidon Adventure)<\/p>\n

It may be a new year but we\u2019ve still got the same love for movies, and we\u2019re ringing in 2026 by looking back at some of our favorite films and scenes that took place on New Year\u2019s Eve. Whether you\u2019re looking for a movie centered on the holiday itself (Four Rooms<\/a>, New Year\u2019s Eve<\/a>, Y2K<\/a>) or you just want to watch an iconic NYE scene (Forrest Gump<\/a>, When Harry Met Sally<\/a>, Ocean\u2019s 11<\/a>), we\u2019ve compiled this list of 20 movies to watch as we close out 2025, and we\u2019re ranking them by Tomatometer.<\/p>\n

The list below contains a solid mix of films, including beloved sequels (The Godfather Part II<\/a>, Ghostbusters II<\/a>), light-hearted romcoms (Bridget Jones\u2019s Diary<\/a>, Holidate<\/a>), Oscar nominees (Phantom Thread<\/a>, Sleepless in Seattle<\/a>), and Fresh classics (Sunset Boulevard<\/a>, The Poseidon Adventure<\/a>).<\/p>\n

When Ronald Neame\u2019s The Poseidon Adventure hit theaters back in 1972, critics praised it as \u201cthe best disaster flick of the \u201970s\u201d with \u201ccompelling characters and extraordinary special effects.\u201d The mystery\/thriller follows the surviving passengers of the S.S. Poseidon as it\u2019s overtaken by a tidal wave on New Year\u2019s Eve. \u201c[It] remains one of the gold standards in the disaster genre,\u201d a critic wrote. The film is currently available to stream on Fandango at Home<\/a> and holds an 82% on the Tomatometer. <\/p>\n

Also included in this list is Rob Reiner<\/a>\u2018s BAFTA-winning romcom When Harry Met Sally\u2026<\/a>. Who could forget that New Year\u2019s Eve scene with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal? Reiner\u2019s critically-acclaimed Sleepless In Seattle, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, is also listed below, due to its pretty memorable NYE ending.<\/p>\n

So, before you press play on 2026, be sure to explore the list of movies below. And if you don\u2019t have time to watch them all, keep scrolling for some throwback trailers and movie clips. <\/p>\n

#1<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Arguably the greatest movie about Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s masterpiece Sunset Boulevard is a tremendously entertaining combination of noir, black comedy, and character study.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#2<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Drawing on strong performances by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola’s continuation of Mario Puzo’s Mafia saga set new standards for sequels that have yet to be matched or broken.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: The compelling sequel to “The Godfather,” contrasting the life of Corleone father and son. Traces the problems of Michael Corleone\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#3<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Phantom Thread’s finely woven narrative is filled out nicely by humor, intoxicating romantic tension, and yet another impressively committed performance from Daniel Day-Lewis.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and his sister Cyril are at the center of British fashion in 1950s London — dressing\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#4<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Rob Reiner’s touching, funny film set a new standard for romantic comedies, and he was ably abetted by the sharp interplay between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a contentious car ride from Chicago\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

#5<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: As fast-paced, witty, and entertaining as it is star-studded and coolly stylish, Ocean’s Eleven offers a well-seasoned serving of popcorn entertainment.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Dapper Danny Ocean is a man of action. Less than 24 hours into his parole from a New Jersey penitentiary,\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#6<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Zellweger’s Bridget Jones is a sympathetic, likable, funny character, giving this romantic comedy a lot of charm.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Ren\u00e9e Zellweger) decides it’s time to take control of her life\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#7<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Sleepless in Seattle is a cute classic with a very light touch and real chemistry between the two leads — even when spending an entire movie apart.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: After the death of his wife, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) moves to Seattle with his son, Jonah (Ross Malinger). When\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#8<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Tom Hanks’ rigorously earnest performance keeps Forrest Gump sincere even when it gets glib with American history, making for a whimsical odyssey of debatable wisdom but undeniable heart.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field),\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

#9<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: No consensus yet.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Colin Burstead hires a lavish country manor for his extended family to celebrate New Year. Unfortunately for Colin his position\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#10<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: The Poseidon Adventure exemplifies the disaster film done right, going down smoothly with ratcheting tension and a terrific ensemble to give the peril a distressingly human dimension.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: En route from New York City to Greece on New Year’s Eve, majestic passenger ship the S.S. Poseidon is overtaken\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#11<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: No consensus yet.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax (Winona Ryder) is tired of her wacky mom (Cher) moving their family to a different town any\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#12<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Strange Days struggles to make the most of its futuristic premise, but what’s left remains a well-directed, reasonably enjoyable sci-fi fantasy.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Former policeman Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) has moved into a more lucrative trade: the illegal sale of virtual reality-like recordings\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

#13<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: High School Musical is brazenly saccharine, but it makes up for it with its memorable show tunes, eye-popping choreography, and appealing cast.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#14<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: No consensus yet.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Experiencing writer’s block, rising music star Layne Price reluctantly visits a mysterious fortuneteller whose flamboyant advice she misconstrues. Heading home\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#15<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Thanks to the cast, Ghostbusters 2 is reasonably amusing, but it lacks the charm, wit, and energy of its predecessor.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: After saving New York City from a ghost attack, the Ghostbusters — a team of spirit exterminators — is disbanded\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#16<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Sex and the City loses steam in the transition to the big screen, but will still thrill fans of the show.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Four years after the earlier adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and her best gal pals, she and her intermittent lover, Big,\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

#17<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Holidate’s self-aware approach to rom-com formula is refreshing, but it’s offset by a questionable premise and unnecessarily vulgar jokes.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other’s platonic plus-ones all year long, only\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#18<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Y2K earns points for ambition and sheer audacity, even if it struggles to keep the laughs coming while maintaining a messy tonal blend.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#19<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Four Rooms comes stocked with a ton of talent on both sides of the camera, yet only manages to add up to a particularly uneven — and dismayingly uninspired — anthology effort.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Working New Year’s Eve at a hotel in Hollywood, Calif., the new bellhop, Ted (Tim Roth), has no idea what’s\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n

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#20<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritics Consensus: Shallow, sappy, and dull, New Year’s Eve assembles a star-studded cast for no discernible purpose.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSynopsis: Intertwining stories promise love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and more for a number of New Yorkers on the celebrated night.\t\t\t\t\t\t [More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp.\/courtesy Everett Collection. The Poseidon Adventure) It may be a new year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257514,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[50628,18,117,19,17,327,133256,132873],"class_list":{"0":"post-257513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-classics","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-movies","14":"tag-new-years","15":"tag-new-years-eve"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115807004159005597","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}