The Best New Year’s Eve–Theme Movies and TV Shows to Watch Tonight

Whether you’re nursing an insane hangover on January 1 or snuggling up with a loved one this New Year’s Eve, it’s probably safe to say that you’ll need a list of the best movies and TV shows to watch in case you’ll be spending quite a bit of quality time on the couch. Just like how sometimes it helps to crowdsource among trusted friends when it comes to exactly which party dress to wear, here at Vogue we’re your resource for plenty of excellent New Year’s–theme things to watch, including old classics, romantic comedies, indies, and New Year’s episodes of your favorite shows. Here, we’ve collected the 13 best shows and movies that fully embody the New Year’s spirit:

Mermaids

Keep the tissue handy for this family drama featuring the girl-power duo of Cher and Winona Ryder, with one iconic New Year’s Eve scene.

Holiday Inn

This classic holiday musical movie has, well, every single holiday you could want, but the New Year’s number is particularly festive.

Trading Places

Trading Places is ultimately the brainchild of two bickering old dudes who decide to test the old theory of nature versus nurture, swapping the identities of a businessman and a street hustler, and seeing how they survive. Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy are pure comedy gold, but the film’s conclusion takes place on a train on New Year’s Eve, involving some additional mistaken identities, and one angry gorilla.

Bridget Jones’s Diary

The entire premise behind Bridget Jones is founded on the concept of New Year’s resolutions. As always, nothing demonstrates the challenges of real life quite like a romantic comedy.

About a Boy

No spoilers, but the New Year’s Eve kiss between Hugh Grant and Rachel Weisz in About a Boy is insanely romantic.

200 Cigarettes

The campy ’90s cult favorite is set on New Year’s Eve in New York City in 1981 and stars basically everyone you can think of. There’s no real adventure or plot to speak of, just an enormous group of twentysomethings trying to make their way through while keeping their sanity—an endeavor that isn’t always successful, but is always interesting!

Better Luck Tomorrow

Justin Lin’s indie crime drama is centered on a group of highly successful students who attempt to enter a world of crime to change their lives for the better. The first half of the movie represents the idealized version of modern crime: the indulgent, arrogant operation of overachievers. But it all changes on New Year’s Eve, when they’re hit with the stark reality of a new year—and a dead body in front of them.

Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 classic about a disco-era porn star (Mark Wahlberg) who rises suddenly and falls just as hard is actually centered all around a fateful New Year’s Eve, which is as good an excuse to rewatch as any.

When Harry Met Sally . . .

When Harry Met Sally . . . is largely underpinned by the idea of New Year’s Eve parties. And honestly, it’s worth watching the whole classic rom-com all the way through—if not for the New Year’s Eve scenes, then for the reminder of what the notion of romance used to be.

Absolutely Fabulous, “Happy New Year,” Season 3, Episode 2

BFFs Edina and Patsy are about to go out for New Year’s Eve when Patsy’s older sister Jackie turns up in need of a place to stay. Madcap and hilarious and so ’90s: What’s not to love?

Peep Show, “New Year’s Eve,” Season 7, Episode 6

Consider Peep Show a kind of follow-up to Absolutely Fabulous, but with two bumbling Gen X bros; this New Year’s Eve episode is no exception to Mark and Jeremy’s usual cringe-worthy comedic antics.

My So-Called Life, “Resolutions,” Season 1, Episode 16

We only got one season of the beloved ABC show starring Claire Danes and Jared Leto, but the NYE episode is one of its most memorable.

The O.C., “The Countdown,” Season 1, Episode 14

A deliciously soapy drama on any given day, the New Year’s episode of The O.C. takes it to the next level. It’s all things Marissa and Ryan here, as everything changes for our favorite California duo.

That ’70s Show: “That ’70s Finale,” Season 8, Episode 22

The entire series finale of That ’70s Show is jam-packed with memories, but the episode also contains all the makings of a perfect New Year’s Eve: changed minds, new starts, and a whole lot of promise for the year to come.

The Office: “Ultimatum,” Season 7, Episode 13

Two things are happening in this episode of The Office. First, Pam has built a resolutions board in the office, triggering everyone to ponder their pasts and their potential for the future (and hijinks ensue!). But while all that’s going on, Michael is doing the one thing that he needs to do to make all of his future New Years perfect: trying to win Holly Flax as his own, once and for all. Spoiler: It doesn’t work out exactly as he’d hoped.

How I Met Your Mother: “The Limo,” Season 1, Episode 11

It’s New Year’s Eve, and Ted has decided to change things up a bit by renting a limo for all his friends to ride around town in as they party hop across the city. What unfolds is wacky and wild, and features a Moby look-alike—and while the whole gang seems unlikely to be united as the ball drops, they somehow find their way back. And yes, there’s a kiss!

30 Rock: “Klaus and Greta,” Season 4, Episode 9

There’s something really perfect about the way that 30 Rock approached holidays, and this episode is no exception. After leaving a message on his childhood love’s answering machine, Jack is determined to erase the message at any cost. Meanwhile, Jenna starts a fake relationship with James Franco, who happens to be in love with a body pillow. Suffice it to say that you’ll be in tears of joy by the end.

Friends: “The One With the Routine,” Season 6, Episode 10

Joey, Monica, and Ross join Janine at Dick Clark’s New Year’s celebration, but struggle to get themselves on TV for their friends to see—that is, until they put on the “routine.” The rest of the gang, meanwhile, goofily deal with the aftermath of Christmas.