For some people, a few fireworks at the end of the year is all they need for excitement. But as far as we’re concerned, watching thrillers on New Year’s Day is a lot more fun. A great thriller can get blood pumping from the comfort of our homes. And if a movie ever gets too intense, we can always put it on pause.
Now that the end of 2023 is almost upon us, we’ve chosen three great thrillers that you should watch on New Year’s Day. Only one of these three movies actually takes place on New Year’s Eve, but all three should be more than enough to give you a much-needed jolt as we head into 2024.
For more New Year’s Eve selections, check out 5 movies that are perfect to watch on New Year’s Eve, 3 great Netflix shows you need to watch on New Year’s Eve, 10 best Netflix movies to watch on New Year’s Eve, 3 great Netflix thrillers you need to watch on New Year’s Eve, and 3 great sci-fi movies you need to watch on New Year’s Eve.
For New Year’s Day suggestions, try 3 great Hulu shows you need to watch on New Year’s Day and 3 great Prime Video movies to watch on New Year’s Day.
End of Days (1999)
End of Days is particularly appropriate for New Year’s Eve because it puts the fate of humanity at stake at the turn of the century in a final showdown between Arnold Schwarzenegger (Fubar) and the Devil. Schwarzenegger plays Jericho Cane, an NYPD cop who is despondent after the murders of his wife and daughter. At the same time, Satan takes a human body (played by Gabriel Byrne) as he pursues Christine York (Robin Tunney), a woman he needs in order to bring about Armageddon.
Jericho is overwhelmed by Satan’s power, as even his closest friends give in to temptation. But if humanity is going to survive, Jericho needs to embrace his lost faith.
Available to rent or purchase at Amazon Prime Video and other digital vendors.
The Game (1997)
Before he went on to play an elder statesman superhero in the Ant-Man and the Wasp movies, Michael Douglas headlined a lot of thrillers in the ’90s. In David Fincher’s The Game, Douglas plays a jaded businessman named Nicholas Van Orton, who gets a special birthday gift from his brother, Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn). The gift is an elaborate game put on by Consumer Recreation Services that would be the equivalent of an alternative reality game today.
Unfortunately for Nicholas, CRS proves to be far more than he bargained for, especially after they wipe out his finances, take his home, and make him question his sanity. Once Nicholas is firmly entrenched in the game, there’s no getting out until he’s seen it through to the end.
Available to rent or purchase at Amazon Prime Video and other digital vendors.
The Fugitive (1993)
Action icon Harrison Ford had his greatest thriller in the theatrical adaptation of The Fugitive because he played against type. Instead of a man prone to violence, Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is a husband who has been unjustly convicted of murdering his wife, Helen (Sela Ward). Through a freak accident, Kimble escapes from custody and does everything he can to clear his name and find the one-armed man who murdered his wife.
Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard, who leads the manhunt to put Kimble back behind bars. At first, Gerard doesn’t particularly care if Kimble is innocent or guilty. But as Kimble uncovers additional evidence, even Gerard openly questions whether there really is something bigger at stake than a single fugitive on the run.
Watch The Fugitive on Paramount+.
