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 countless 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-’80s classic begins with its two titular characters both recent college graduates. Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) first 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 count down 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 asks. “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 heartwarming scene can find this romantic favorite available to rent via Prime Video and other streaming sites.
“New Year’s Eve” — 2011
The aptly named 2011 rom-com “New Year’s Eve” is packed with stars, including Julie Andrews, Zac Efron, John Stamos, Jon Bon Jovi, Sara Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film emulates “Love Actually” in telling several stories at once, all of which culminate on … you guessed it … New Year’s Eve.
The Garry Marshall-directed film was largely panned by critics, with Entertainment Weekly saying the film is “dunderheaded kitsch, but it’s the kind of marzipan movie that can sweetly soak up a holiday evening.”
“New Year’s Eve” is available to rent on Prime Video or stream on HBO Max.
“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 on 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 the season’s various 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 following holidays.
As it usually does, things become murky for the pair when real feelings begin to develop.
As in many romantic movies, the flick ends (and comes full circle holiday-wise) with a massive outpouring of love in a very public forum.
“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) embark on a whirlwind affair, even though they’re living in the 1950s, when homosexuality was still punishable by law.
The film, based on the 1952 novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith, reaches its dramatic high point on New Year’s Eve when Carol, who is in the process of divorcing her husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), kisses Therese at a party, leading to the pair having sex.
The film escalates from there with Carol being forced to choose between her family — including her young daughter — and 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 to rent on Amazon Prime.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary” — 2001
This modern take on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” stars powerhouses Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant and is a timeless classic regardless of the season.
On New Year’s Eve, Bridget Jones (Zellweger) vows that the upcoming year will be her time to take control of her life. She begins a diary in which she 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 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 nearly find themselves outmatched while attempting to stop a ghostly slime from taking over New York City.
Weaponizing the citizens’ goodwill and joy for the upcoming fresh start, the Ghostbusters manage to thwart the slime with a citywide rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.”
Since the release of the first two films, the franchise has been rebooted multiple times.
In 2016, a version starring “SNL” alums 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 series newcomers Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard, and with Murray, Aykroyd, and Weaver returning to their old roles.
“Ghostbusters II” is available to watch on AMC.
“The Godfather Part II” — 1974
This New Year’s kiss had deadly consequences.
Set in Havana, a scene in the beloved gangland classic takes a deadly turn when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) reveals he knows that older brother 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,” Michael says as everyone celebrates around them.
While no one dies in the scene, the kiss on the mouth is meant as a “Kiss of Death,” signifying that Fredo may not survive long.
The Academy Award-winning film stars Pacino, Cazale, Strasberg, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro.
“The Godfather Part 2” is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming sites.
“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, in the process 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 rent on Prime Video and other streaming services.
“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 rented on Prime Video 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 suppress her own burgeoning feelings for her fiancé’s 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 Hulu and Paramount+.
“Ocean’s Eleven” — 1960
Long before modern-day Hollywood hunk George Clooney took over the Ocean gang, the name “Danny Ocean” belonged to Frank Sinatra.
In the original 1960 film, Danny Ocean (Sinatra) and his pal Jimmy Foster (Peter Lawford) plan a heist of five Las Vegas casinos alongside several of their World War II comrades.
The culmination of the heist takes place on New Year’s Eve, on which the gang carries out their elaborate plan.
Sinatra’s film paved the way for a reboot in 2001 starring Clooney and Brad Pitt, two sequels and a 2018 spinoff with an all-female cast of heisters.
“Ocean’s Eleven” can be rented via Prime Video and other services.
“200 Cigarettes” —1999
This turn-of-the-21st-century film stars several Hollywood heavy hitters, including Ben Affleck, his brother Casey, Christina Ricci, Kate Hudson and Paul Rudd.
Much like “New Year’s Eve,” the R-rated dramatic comedy is told from the viewpoints of various characters, all intent on getting to Monica’s (Martha Plimpton) NYE party.
The movie opened to generally negative reviews, with Variety saying the film was “dismally unfunny” and that “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 been much imitated — and parodied — since. It was even turned into a Broadway musical starring Glenn Close.
While not entirely focused on the holiday, the film features a rather memorable NYE scene in which Desmond (Swanson) and younger beau Joe Gillis (William Holden) are seen waltzing alone in her sprawling manse’s ballroom when Gillis comments the other guests are late.
Desmond says that no one was invited and that the night was only “for the two of them” — mightily creeping out Gillis.
As the film progresses, the actress spirals out of control — and loses her grip on reality.
“Sunset Boulevard” is available to stream on Paramount+.
