the ten most obsessively rewatched films at New Year’s • Journal • A Magazine • , Life in canada

There’s something sacred about selecting your first and last films of the year. Or, for the truly dedicated, timing a watch perfectly right so that a certain favorite scene—or even line of dialogue—plays at midnight, bidding farewell to the old year while ushering you into the new one. Consider it the cinematic equivalent of black-eyed peas, pomegranates and other good luck delicacies, if you will. (My own recommendation: no better way to see out a not-so-great year than starting an Alien viewing so that the first notes of the end credits hit just 30 seconds before the ball drops.)

So as 2025 ticks ever closer—and with our 2024 Year in Review right around the corner, coming January 8—we delved into the data to reveal the top ten films most obsessively rewatched by members between December 30 and January 2. (The date range is intended to account for the family time and/or festive debauchery that cause annual traditions to shift around here and there.) In other words: these ten films have been rewatched the most, by the most members, on these dates.

Call it the When Harry Met Sally… effect: the romance genre reigns supreme on this list. To no surprise, Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron’s classic again makes its case as the perennial New Year’s Eve title, as many members relayed to me earlier this year. Baby fish mouth, we love you!

Best Picture-winner The Apartment and Best Picture-almost-winner La La Land also earn celebratory toasts, though, unlike the other romances on this list, Damien Chazelle’s musical doesn’t feature an explicit New Year’s Eve scene. The bittersweet passage of time, however? Check. Plus, an aptly named shout from New Year’s Eve, the second of Garry Marshall’s unofficial holiday trilogy following intertwining stories across one day (See: Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day).