Top 7 movies for New Year’s Eve celebrations

As you know – New Year’s Eve only comes around once a year. And since that’s the case, you’d better plan something fun to do, otherwise the holidays can quickly spoil. Of course, you can always find plenty of activities to do outside of the house, but if you have no ideas at all, movies can always come to the rescue.

Movies.

There have been a huge number of movies made for New Year’s Eve and Christmas throughout history. And they keep coming out every year. In this selection, we’ve gathered 7 seemingly unobvious movies (and even one cartoon) that you can watch on these holidays. They may not all have the holiday atmosphere we’re used to, but they’ll definitely brighten your day.

Handbag (2024)

Sometimes you need an action flick for Christmas. Screw all those romcoms and family movies: sometimes you want to see things blow up. And if you’ve got the same urge, and you’re sick of watching Die Hard year after year, then this year’s movie Hand Baggage is just for you.

In this tense thriller, young Traffic Enforcement Officer Ethan Kopec (Theron Egerton) has a lot to think about. His coworker and girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) is pregnant. He doesn’t much like his thankless job. And on Christmas Day, he has a passenger who has one specific request: to turn a blind eye to the fact that a suspicious package, which is most likely a bomb, is being loaded aboard an airplane. If he doesn’t honor the request, Nora will be killed.

And if he doesn’t comply, Nora will be killed.

As is often the case with these kinds of plot twists, the choices are always extremely difficult. But the actors are excellent in their roles.

Wonder Club (2023)

Some say that New Year’s Eve is a time for miracles. If that’s the case, then this is the appropriate time to watch “Wonder Club.” It came out not too long ago, and is now also known as Maggie Smith’s last on-screen role. However, the movie turns out to be a low-key movie, with a cast that also includes Kathy Bates, Laura Linney and Stephen Rea.

She’s not the only one who’s been in the movie.

Lily (Smith), Eileen (Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) form a band called Miracles to win a music competition run by the Catholic Church. The prize? A trip to Lourdes, a Catholic shrine in France. Each of the women has a different reason for wanting to go on this trip. Lily has always dreamed of going there, and Eileen hopes the trip will help her heal a tumor in her breast. Dolly has a mute son, and she hopes the holy place will somehow help him to speak.

It’s all an occasion for traveling together, uncovering intimate secrets no one knows about, and learning valuable life lessons. “The Wonder Club” doesn’t offer any surprises, but it has some talented actresses and plenty of midlife swagger and jokes. Best of all, of course, is Smith, who was one of the greatest actresses ever. She could bring a grown man to tears with one sarcastic look and a curt phrase. She will be missed by all.

Juror #2 (2024)

The movie “Juror 2” is very hard to call a Christmas story. The plot centers on a trial. And at the very least this movie is worth seeing, as it’s Clint Eastwood’s latest work. Nicholas Hoult plays the role of Justin Kemp, a journalist summoned to jury duty in a high-profile murder case.

However, it’s a great movie.

As the case progresses, Justin realizes that he may have been involved in the murder. Knowing this information could influence the jury, which puts Justin in an ethical dilemma. After several failures in recent years, “Juror No. 2” — another home run for director Eastwood, who returns to his work with characters confronting morality and guilt.

After several flops in recent years, “Juror No. 2” is the latest in a long line of films from director Eastwood.

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

The cartoon also has very little of the New Year and Christmas atmosphere. However, it is definitely worth watching. I don’t know why, but every year when Christmas comes around, I get the urge to watch a couple of animated movies. First of all, this is a great animated movie that tells the story of Moses, how he was abandoned by his mother and raised by a foster family who became the rulers of Egypt. It is also a biblical story that is not preachy, but centers on the unforgettable story of how Moses heard the voice of God and led his followers to salvation.

An animated movie that is not preachy, but rather puts the unforgettable story of how Moses heard the voice of God and led his followers to salvation at its center.

One of the highlights and impressive moments is the animation of locusts and plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

Girlfriend’s Night Out in Vegas (2011)

There’s no Christmas atmosphere in this movie either, but it came out incredibly funny. And what else do you need when it comes to the holidays?”

What else do you need when it comes to the holidays?

If you haven’t seen “Girls’ Night Out in Vegas,” here’s the synopsis: Annie (Kristen Wiig) is going through a bad time in her life. Her bakery has closed, she’s living with her brother and sister, she has a so-so job at a jewelry store, and her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is getting married. It would seem that the latest event should be cause for rejoicing, but all it does for Annie is remind her that her life sucks compared to that of Lillian’s rich new friend, Helen (Rose Byrne).

The humor in “Girls’ Night Out in Vegas” is mostly driven by Annie’s attempts to outdo her new rival and impress her friends, Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Rita (Wendy McLendon-Covey) and Becca (Ellie Kemper). To single out any one joke in the movie among others is silly, because there are too many of them.

So many of them.

Spencer (2021)

Another movie set during Christmas, but not often thought of as a typical Christmas movie, is “Spenser” 2021 is about Princess Diana visiting her relatives for the holidays. Of course, for Diana, those relatives are the British royal family, and she has to reckon with their pretenses as well as battle her own demons. Kristen Stewart is the center of the entire movie, and she is simply gorgeous. Her role as the people’s princess is a reminder of the pain she’s been through.

Her role as the people’s princess is a reminder of the pain she’s been through.

Thelma (2024)

One of the most underrated movies of 2024 that will make you smile. In “Thelma,” June Squibb plays an elderly woman who loses $10,000 in a phone scam and then teams up with a friend to get her money back.

An elderly woman who loses $10,000 in a phone scam and then teams up with a friend to get her money back.

Squibb remains one of the most charismatic actresses around, and the movie “Thelma” is one of the best showcases of her talent. It’s also a reminder of how many elderly people are vulnerable to a society that seems hell-bent on taking all their money.

Squibb’s performance is one of the best of her career.