The 30 Best New Year’s Eve Movies To Lead You Into 2026

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In those liminal days after Christmas before the new year, a common thing to do is to throw on a movie. While there are millions of films to choose from, these New Year’s Eve movies may just be the perfect thing to get you in the mood for 2026. They’ll have you reflecting on love, resolutions, and goals just in time for a new year.

From beloved hits, like Happy New Year, Charlie Brown and When Harry Met Sally, to lesser-known NYE films, like Fruitvale Station and The Gold Rush, there’s a little something for everyone—even horror fans. These seasonal selects are also available across a range of streaming platforms.

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1985)

At just 24 minutes total, you can watch this nostalgic holiday hit as you get ready for your big New Year's Eve plans. The short follows Charlie Brown as he begrudgingly attends Peppermint Patty's NYE party.

RELATED: How to Watch Happy New Year, Charlie Brown for Free

We couldn't have a list of New Year's movies without including this one... even if it wasn't a critics' hit. This star-studded ensemble by Garry Marshall is similar to his films Valentine's Day and Mother's Day—all of which have powerhouse casts.

Not only is this film one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made, but it also features one of the most killer New Year's Eve scenes in cinema. Don't worry! We won't spoil it.

RELATED: Best Romantic Comedy Movies of All Time

This supernatural romance follows Adaline (Blake Lively), a woman who has not aged in 29 years, but the family of her newfound love might become her undoing. The film features a New Year's Eve party scene that's one of the most iconic in the movie.

At their lowest, four strangers meet on New Year's Eve and decide to become each other's surrogate family to deal with the difficulties each of them is facing. This dark comedy has a surprisingly sweet message.

You may know The Holiday as a Christmas classic, but it also features a New Year's Eve party scene that'll leave you with a warm heart for the new year.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, the brains behind Black Panther and Sinners, this biographical drama follows Oscar Grant III (Michael B. Jordan), as he tries to get a head start on his New Year's resolutions. But he finds it harder than anticipated in this movie based on a true story.

Single mother Rachel Flax (Cher) relocates to Massachusetts with her two daughters, where she and daughter Charlotte (Winona Ryder) both get into debacles of love, with one taking place at a New Year's Eve costume party.

This star-studded film follows an eleven-person team as they try to pull off the biggest heist in history on New Year's Eve, hitting three casinos all owned by the same man. The cast includes George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, among others.

Close out 2025 with this 100-year-old film starring silent film star Charlie Chaplin. This slapstick comedy sees The Lone Prospector (Chaplin) venture to the Klondike in the hopes of striking it rich. In one scene, the Prospector invites a woman to a New Year's Eve dinner, hoping to impress her, but things go awry.

This French film follows two strangers who get stuck in an elevator on the way to a New Year's Eve party. In forced proximity, the duo decides to get to know each other in this foreign rom-com.

You may think of Rosemary's Baby as a Halloween movie, considering it's classified as a horror film, but it actually has a New Year's Eve scene that sees Rosemary's neighbors toast to a sinister plan.

For a film that'll give you nostalgia and all the warm fuzzies, queue up High School Musical. The movie opens with a New Year's Eve karaoke scene that'll have you singing "Start of Something New" all night long.

Happy New Year to everybody but Fredo. While The Godfather Part II doesn't take place exclusively on New Year's Eve, it does feature one memorable NYE party in Cuba, which includes an unwanted kiss.

When it comes to romantic films to watch on NYE, there's no better option than this emotional tear-jerker, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It has a beautiful scene where Hanks' character imagines a sweet conversation with his late wife on New Year's Eve.

This Oscar-nominated romantic film, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, follows two women from completely different worlds as they fall in love in the 1950s. And, it just so happens that their first kiss is on New Year's Eve.

Start the new year off with a laugh with this '80s satire that spans from Thanksgiving to New Year's. The film follows two men who switch places in a comedic tale about success through the lens of nature versus nurture.

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New Year's Eve often brings about a want for bigger and better things. This movie adaptation of the semi-autobiographical musical from late playwright Jonathan Larson explores just that. Jonathan wants to write the best musical before he turns 30 years old, but with age comes the harsh realities of life.

RELATED: Best Musical Movies of All Time

Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play two strangers who are both fed up with being single during the holidays. So they do the next best thing: They pretend to be in a romantic relationship, just so they can avoid explaining their singledom to family and friends. But one problem stands in their way: Their feelings for one another become a bit too real.

RELATED: Romantic Christmas Movies

Although there's only one scene that takes place on New Year's, it's never a bad idea to start the year off with this heartwarming tale. It provides a good lesson that "life is like a box of chocolates" to remember as you go into the new year.

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