As New Year's Eve approaches, a roundup highlights top films and episodes centered around the holiday. The list features classics and lesser-known gems for festive viewing. Published on December 31, 2025, it avoids overexposed content like the Stranger Things finale.
New Year's Eve brings celebrations, and with it, a selection of movies and TV episodes that capture the holiday's spirit. The list from That Hashtag Show spotlights 10 standout titles, blending romance, comedy, and holiday mishaps.
Starting with the 2011 ensemble film 'New Year's Eve,' directed in the style of 'Love Actually,' it features stars like Lea Michele, Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Zac Efron. Described as aggressively okay but fitting for the occasion, it weaves vignettes around the holiday.
TV offerings include 'How I Met Your Mother' season 1 episode 'The Limo,' where Ted hires a limo for a group party that goes awry. 'Gossip Girl' season 2's 'In the Realm of the Basses' focuses on Blair Waldorf's dramatic hook-up at a Manhattan bash. 'The Office' season 7 'Ultimatum' has Pam Beesly pushing Dunder Mifflin staff to uphold resolutions.
Romantic films shine too: 'About Time' stars Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams in a time-travel tale with a pivotal New Year's kiss redo. 'Bridget Jones's Diary' delivers a memorable chase and kiss between Renée Zellweger's Bridget and Colin Firth's Mark Darcy. 'When Harry Met Sally' culminates in Billy Crystal's Harry confessing love to Meg Ryan's Sally at a New Year's party, with the iconic line about wanting the rest of life to start now.
Other entries include the A24 comedy 'Y2K' by Kyle Mooney, imagining the millennium bug's chaos; 'That '70s Show's' series finale 'That '70s Finale,' reflecting on life's changes; and 'Phantom Thread,' where Daniel Day-Lewis's Reynolds Woodcock dances post-New Year's with Vicky Krieps's Alma.
These picks offer varied ways to ring in the new year, from laughs to heartfelt moments.
