The week between Christmas Day and the end of the year can feel a bit like limbo. You’ve done your shopping, you’ve opened your presents, you visited your friends and/or family, and you’ve consumed enough food and drink to sustain a small family. So now what?
The answer, at least for a few days, is to prepare for New Year’s Eve. Simultaneously loved and loathed, the holiday is known for its mass consumption of alcohol, awkward kisses, and terrible singing of Auld Lang Syne. If you don’t feel like going to a party, yet still feel like celebrating, you could always watch a movie where other people do the partying for you. New Year’s Eve, the 2011 romantic comedy from director Gary Marshall, is just the ticket for anyone unwilling to brave the presence of masses of people as the old year ends and a new one begins. But where can one watch it?
Where can you watch New Year’s Eve in the U.S.?
If you want to see Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, and a galaxy of stars party in Times Square on January 31, head to HBO Max to begin streaming (and celebrating).
Launched in 2020, HBO Max offers programs from its signature brands, such as HBO, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. Legacy shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, and Game of Thrones can all be watched on the service, as well as current movies like The Batman. And original programming, like Hacks and The Flight Attendant, exists under “Max Originals.” In 2023, HBO Max and Discovery+ will consolidate into one platform after the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.
When does it stream for subscribers?
New Year’s Eve is now streaming on HBO Max.
How much does it cost?
To access HBO Max, subscribers can choose between a plan with ads and a plan without ads. With ads, HBO Max costs $10 a month or $100 a month. Without ads, HBO Max costs $15 a month or $150 a year. HBO Max is also offering a special Black Friday deal for new and returning subscribers, who can access HBO Max with ads at a discounted rate of $2 per month for the first three months. This special offer ends November 28.
Cable TV subscribers can watch New Year’s Eve for free on TNT and TBS. Without cable, the film is available through live TV platforms like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV costs $70 per month, but that price will increase to $75 per month starting December 8, 2022. Sling TV offers two basic packages: Orange and Blue. Separately, those packages cost $40 each or $55 together. Extra Sling channels cost anywhere from $3 to $11.
Is New Year’s Eve worth watching?
Look, we’re not going to lie to you: New Year’s Eve just isn’t good. It has every rom-com cliché you can think of: an accident-prone heroine, a couple who hate each other but end up loving one another, mistaken identity, lame jokes, and a schmaltzy ending. It brings nothing new to the genre, and frequently r-uses plot devices and character stereotypes that haven’t been in fashion in decades.
Yet how many good New Year’s Eve movies are there? Next to none, and no other movie centered on the holiday has a cast like this: Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Efron, Lea Michele, Ashton Kutcher, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara, Common, Robert De Niro, Matthew Broderick, Ludacris, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigel, John Lithgow, Cary Elwes … there’s an actor for virtually everyone. The movie runs 118 minutes, but feels shorter due to its vignette-style narrative.
On Rotten Tomatoes, New Year’s Eve registers 7% on the Tomatometer and a 45% audience score.
Stream New Year’s Eve on HBO Max now.
