- Many movies over the years have taken place at new year
- Romcoms often crop up, as do a couple of classics
- Time travel, oddly, is also a regular theme
If you are at a loose end at new year and are looking for a film to fill the time, here are 10 movies set at New Year – or have crucial scenes set then.
Christmas films are an established genre in Hollywood theater, with new seasonal films released each year, and a plethora of classics that are run on TV every year and are favorites for many.
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New year might take place just a week after Christmas, but there isn’t so much of a focus from scriptwriters on it. That said, there are some very famous movies that are set at new year.
Here are our top 10 movies set at New Year
About Time (2013)
This romantic sci-fi comedy was written and directed by Richard Curtis (of Love Actually fame). It focused on a man who finds out on New Year’s Eve that has the ability to time travel back to moments he has lived before. Warned against using the ability to acquire money or fame, he tries to improve his love life. But, through a series of events, he learns to appreciate life first time round.
The Age of Adaline (2015)
Another romantic comedy with a sci-fi element to it, The Age of Adaline follows the story of Adaline (Blake Lively), who suddenly stops ageing at 29 after she suffers an accident. After the FBI find out about her and want to do tests on her (don’t they always?) she goes on the run for decades, right up to the present day. There she meets a man and falls in love – but can anything restart her ageing process?
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Yet another romantic comedy, this one starring Angela Bassett and the late Whitney Houston. The plot focuses on four friends, who often meet up to support each other and talk about their lives and loves. All want to find happiness romantically – but the road to it is complex. There is a famous scene in the film set on New Year’s Eve, where one character gets her revenge on an ex.
The Holiday (2006)
Guess what? It’s a romantic comedy. In this one, Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) are two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who decide to swap houses during the holiday season to escape their lives. You can probably guess what happens next. Indeed, the film, which has become a cult classic, was criticised on release for its predictable plot – but sometimes you just want a movie without a shock twist.
Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)
This is often thought of as a Christmas movie, but a lot of the action also takes place over the New Year period too. Renee Zellweger is the titular diary writer, who is trying to find love. Bridget is introduced to Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at a New Year party. When knocked back, she makes a New Year’s resolution to turn her life around. Later she must choose between two men, Daniel Cleaver, memorably played by Hugh Grant, and Darcy.
Mermaids (1990)
This comedy-drama had an all-star cast including Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder and a young Christina Ricci. Set in the 1960s, this coming-of-age story follows 15-year-old Charlotte (Ryder), and her struggles to deal with her free-spirited mother, who moves every time her relationship with a man ends. A crucial part of the movie involves events during and after a New Year’s Eve party.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The second in the Godfather trilogy is often thought of as one of the best films of all time. The mafia drama, starring Al Pacino, Robert Di Niro and others) follows the stories of Michael Corleone, now the Don of the Corleone family, protecting the business, and that of his father, who founded the crime family in New York City. Again, a New Year’s Eve party provides the backdrop for a crucial scene in the film.
Phantom Thread (2017)
This period romantic drama, which is considered one of the best films of the last decade, is also the most recent one to star Daniel Day-Lewis. Set in the 1950s, a haute couture dressmaker takes on a young waitress as his muse. They become lovers, but the relationship is tempestuous, even after marriage. But they are confident that love can see them through.
New Year’s Eve (2011)
Well, we had to include this one, right? A huge ensemble cast including Robert Di Niro, Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zac Efron and others took part in this romantic comedy. It follows the interconnected stories of various people experiencing a range of problems on, you guessed it, New Year’s Eve. Over the film, their stories play out – but do they have a happy ending?
Ghostbusters II (1989)
The sequel to the hugely successful original from 1984 takes place in the run up to new year. As the team battle against a slime that threatens New York City, the Ghostbusters have to harness goodwill from the citizens of the city to defeat it – and a certain song synonymous with new year crops up…
