Best movies to watch on New Year’s Eve: ‘The Holiday,’ ‘Godfather’

The countdown to 2024 has officially entered the homestretch.

Your party plans are made and your outfit has been selected. Now, all that’s left is to curl up with a good movie and wait until the clock strikes midnight.

But with the millions of festive films currently circulating on all streaming services, picking the right one seems like an impossible task.

If you’re looking to get into your feels, films such as “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Carol” and “About Time” might be on your watchlist.

Or perhaps “Moonstruck,” “200 Cigarettes, “Ghostbusters II” or “Bridget Jones’s Diary” would suffice.

Below, find The Post’s full guide to the best films to watch on New Year’s Eve.

“When Harry Met Sally… ” — 1989

This late 1980s classic tells the story of two college students Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) who officially meet when she gives him a ride to New York City.

The pair later reconnect alongside their respective best friends Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher), strike up a friendship and ultimately fall in love.

In the penultimate scene, Harry tracks Sally down at a New Year’s Eve party where he finally admits that, despite his best efforts, he has fallen in love with his old friend.

Refusing to give in, Sally attempts to rebuff her friend’s advances.

“I’m sorry Harry,” she says as party guests countdown around her. “I know it’s New Year’s Eve, I know you’re feeling lonely but you just can’t just show up here and tell me you love me and expect that to make everything alright. It doesn’t work this way.”

“Well, how does it work,” Harry retorts. “I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich.”

“I love to get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts,” he says. “I love that even after I spend the day with you I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.”

“And it’s not because I’m lonely. And it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve,” he declares. “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Those wishing to watch the heart-wrenching scene can watch the film on Hulu and Amazon Prime.

“New Year’s Eve” — 2011

The aptly named 2011 rom-com “New Year’s Eve” stars high-profile celebs such as Julie Andrews, Zac Efron, John Stamos, Jon Bon Jovi, Sara Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film takes on a “Love Actually” structure of telling several stories at once all culminating on… you guessed it… New Year’s Eve.

The Garry Marshall-directed film was largely panned by critics, with Entertainment Weekly calling it “dunderheaded kitsch, but it’s the kind of marzipan movie that can sweetly soak up a holiday evening.”

“New Year’s Eve” is available on Amazon Prime and HBO Max.

“The Holidate” — 2020

This COVID-19 pandemic release starring Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey and Broadway icon Kristen Chenoweth not only highlights the laughs on NYE — but also any other holiday you can think of.

During a chance encounter while returning Christmas presents, Sloane (Roberts) and Jackson (Bracey) strike up a bargain to be each other’s platonic plus-ones to all holiday-related events, including a New Year’s Eve party.

The ruse continues on Valentine’s Day when Sloane has a run-in with her ex-boyfriend and persists throughout the intervening holidays.

As it usually does, things become murky for the pair when real feelings begin to develop.

In accordance with most romance films, the flick ends (and comes full circle holiday-wise) with a massive outpouring of love in a very public forum.

“The Holidate” is available to stream on Netflix.

“Carol” — 2015

Tissues are needed for this romantic period piece starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

In the flick, Carol Aird (Blanchett) and aspiring photographer Therese Belivet (Mara) begin a whirlwind affair set in the 1950s when homosexuality was still considered punishable by law.

The film, based on the 1952 novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith, reaches its climax on New Year’s Eve when Carol, who is in the process of divorcing her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler), and Therese kiss at a party and eventually have sex.

The film escalates from there with Carol being forced to choose between her family and young daughter or the woman who has made her feel alive.

“Carol” was named one of the best films of all time by the British Film Institute, and snagged six Oscar nominations and four Golden Globe nods.

“Carol” is available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary” — 2001

The modern version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” starring powerhouses Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, is a timeless classic regardless of the season.

Beginning on New Year’s Eve, Bridget Jones (Zellweger) vows that the upcoming year is her time to take control of her life. She begins a diary that reflects her attempts to stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight and find “The One.”

Enter Mark Darcy (Firth) and Daniel Cleaver (Grant).

As both men vie for Bridget’s affections, several truths about both potential suitors come to light.

Following the success of the first film, Miramax Films quickly released “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” in 2004 with the original cast and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” in 2016 starring Zellweger, Firth and Patrick Dempsey.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary” is available to stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime and Paramount+.

“Ghostbusters II” — 1989

The sequel to the 1984 film starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, the late Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver culminates during a New Year’s Eve celebration.

In the film, Murray and his ghost-fighting crew are outmatched while attempting to stop the ghostly slime that threatens to take over New York City.

Weaponizing the citizens’ goodwill and joy for the upcoming fresh start, the Ghostbusters manage to thwart the slime with a city-wide rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Since being released in the theaters, the franchise has been rebooted multiple times.

In 2016, an all-female version starring “SNL” alum Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones was released. (Murray made a special cameo.)

The franchise was rebooted a second time in 2021 with “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” with Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Murray, Aykroyd, and Weaver returning to their old roles.

“Ghostbusters II” is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

“The Godfather Part II” — 1974

This New Year’s kiss had deadly consequences.

Set in Havana, Cuba, a scene in the beloved classic takes a deadly turn when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) reveals he knows that Fredo (John Cazale) sold him out to the film’s main antagonist, Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg).

“I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart,” Corleone says as everyone celebrates around them.

While no one actually dies in the scene, the kiss on the mouth, or the “Kiss of Death,” signifies that Corleone plans on eventually killing Fredo due to his betrayal.

The Academy Award-winning film stars Pacino, Cazale, Strasberg, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro.

“The Godfather Part 2” is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

“The Holiday” — 2006

Jack Black, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz shine in this whimsical romantic comedy.

The feel-good film follows lovelorn Iris Simpkins (Winslet) and Amanda Woods (Diaz) as they swap houses for two weeks and end up meeting Graham (Law) and Miles (Black), respectively, and of course, falling in love.

The Nancy Meyers-directed favorite ends on New Year’s Eve with both couples coming together to celebrate.

“The Holiday” is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

“About Time” — 2013

This time-traveling drama stars “Harry Potter” alum Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams, and focuses on Tim Lake (Gleeson) who has the ability to travel through time to relive various points in his life.

Despite being essential to the plot, McAdams’ character Mary doesn’t appear in the film’s New Year’s Eve scene. Instead, Lake is seen dancing with a blonde whom he awkwardly shakes hands with when the clock strikes midnight.

On a more melancholy note, the film also serves as the final film of Richard Griffiths, who is known for his portrayal as Vernon Dursley in the “Harry Potter” franchise, who died prior to the film’s release.

“About Time” can be viewed on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

“Moonstruck” —1987

The Oscar-winning film is a standout for co-stars Nicolas Cage and Cher.

The film follows widow Loretta Castorini (Cher) as she attempts to persuade her family to pay for her upcoming wedding to a man they don’t approve of while trying to surpess her own budding feelings for her fiance’s rather gruff brother Ronny (Cage).

While not quite a New Year’s Eve film, the flick does take place in New York City during the winter.

Cher’s performance landed her an Oscar for Best Actress during the 1988 Academy Awards.

The film is also responsible for giving audiences the classic “Snap out of it” line.

“Moonstruck” is available to stream on Amazon Video, Hulu and Paramount+.

“Ocean’s Eleven” — 1960

Long before modern-day Hollywood hunk George Clooney took over the Ocean gang, the name “Danny Ocean” once belonged to Frank Sinatra.

In the original 1960s film, Danny Ocean (Sinatra) and his pal Jimmy Foster (Peter Lawford) plan a heist on five Las Vegas casinos alongside several of their World War II comrades.

The culmination of the heist takes place on New Year’s Eve as the gang enacts their plan to seize, which results in some success.

Sinatra’s film paved the way for a reboot in 2001 starring Clooney and Brad Pitt, two sequels and a 2018 spin-off with an all-female cast.

“Ocean’s Eleven” can be streamed on Amazon Video.

“200 Cigarettes” —1999

This turn-of-the-century film stars several Hollywood heavy hitters such as Ben Affleck and his brother Casey Affleck, Christina Ricci, Kate Hudson and Paul Rudd.

Much like “New Year’s Eve,” the R-rated dramatic comedy is told through the viewpoints of various characters all in their attempt to get to Monica’s (Martha Plimpton) NYE party.

The movie opened to generally negative reviews with one reviewer from Variety calling the film “dismally unfunny” and “only [Janeane] Garofalo and Ben Affleck manage to project any wit that cracks through the prevailing humorlessness.”

“200 Cigarettes” is currently unavailable to stream.

“Sunset Boulevard” — 1950

Gloria Swanson stars as actress Norma Desmond in this iconic Hollywood feature that has since been parodied several times. It was even turned into a Broadway musical starring Glenn Close too.

While not entirely focused on the holiday, the film features a rather crazy NYE scene where Desmond (Swanson) and Joe Gillis (William Holden) are seen waltzing when Gillis reveals that it’s late and that the other guests will miss the start of the new year.

Desmond says that no one was invited and that the night was only “for the two of them.”

As the film progresses the actress spirals out of control — and loses her grip on reality.

“Sunset Boulevard” is available to stream on Paramount+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.