On the eve of the New Year: 7 non-banal movies

"The Holdovers"

Comedy, drama | 4.22 out of 5 MyShows | 2023

December 1970. At the prestigious Barton Academy, Christmas vacation is a time when the school empties out. But for a few "unlucky" students whose parents were unable or unwilling to take them home, the winter holidays turn to isolation. Mr. Hunham, a strict and uncompromising history teacher whose methods inspire fear and loathing in the students, is assigned to look after those who remain. He is accompanied by Mary the cook, a woman broken by grief after the loss of her son in Vietnam. Each has their own wounds and boundaries, but on these cold days they find themselves locked within the walls of the academy, where tensions promise to escalate into something more.

"Wonderful movie, wonderful acting. I can never get enough of pictures like this, time after time reminding me of the values of life and the magic of simple human relationships. Sincerity, soulfulness is always the key to success. And this movie definitely succeeded personally in my heart (and broke it a bit)", — this_is_arina

"The film will definitely add to my shelf of favorites and will become somewhere along with "Dead Poets Society", "The Choristers" and "Green Book", only now with the postscript "to watch before the winter holidays". And even though it's not full of love stories with the obligatory marriage at the end, who says there's no happy ending?)" — Ann_McArt

"I wish I had found this movie before the New Year. Nevertheless, after two consecutive viewings and hundreds of screens, "The Departed" has become a must-see for the holidays, in addition to the Nutcracker ballet and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's Eve concert", — polinnariy

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"The Land of OZ"

Comedy | 3.64 out of 5 MyShows | 2015

New Year's Eve in Russia is an elemental event where magic and chaos intertwine into a marvelous dance. In Ekaterinburg, everyone is getting ready for the country's main holiday: knives are ringing, chopping Olivier salad, garlands are sparkling, and even the frost seems festive. Lenka Shabadinova, as always, hurries to her shift at her store on Torforezov Street, confident that the night will pass without surprises. But the New Year likes to disrupt plans. What seems routine turns into a crazy adventure that Lenka could not even dream of.

"Tragicomedy, full of blackness: perversion, humiliation, cowardice and variously caliber abominable personalities ("These jokes about shit, the most favorite!"©) - but that's why the contrast seems beautiful relationships of the main characters. Kutsenko here cool, and the episode on the stairs to the song chot direct inspires", — ukardesu

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"200 Cigarettes" 

Comedy, drama, romance | 3.39 out of 5 MyShows | 1999

On New Year's Eve, a motley crew gathers for a raucous party in the heart of New York City. Some come looking for adventure, others hoping for love. Lucy and Kevin seem like the perfect couple, but while he complains about life, Lucy flirts with a charming bartender. With the midnight strike of the chimes, emotions erupt: old memories, unexpected confessions, new hobbies. But the morning of a new year always brings surprises, and not everyone expects to wake up where they ended up.

"How awesome was that!!! I'm so grateful for the coincidence that I came across this movie... The cast is cool, the audio track is incredible, and the meanings are timeless but always relevant and important 🫶 I sincerely recommend it, don't even think about it - watch it 🎄", — Christipo

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"Black Lightning"

Fantasy, action, adventure | 3.39 out of 5 MyShows | 2009

In modern Moscow, 20-year-old Dima Maikov receives an unusual gift from his father — an old Volga-21. At first glance it is just a retro car, but soon Dima is surprised to discover that the car can fly like a real fighter jet. Soaring above the city traffic jams, he enjoys the freedom and the feeling of flight. But life quickly changes the rules of the game: trouble forces Dima to look at the world in a new way. Now he must leave carelessness behind, protect those he cares about, and fight the real Evil right in the sky above New Year's Moscow.

"Still, you can't revisit movies from your childhood if you're not sure of its quality. now and a clear "inspiration" of "Spider-Man" Raimi in the eye, and the abundance of product-placement, and almost all the characters are rather annoying than allow empathy, and in general filmed all ë quite naive, in some places crooked, in some places crinzhovo.
But still, there is something in the movie that makes you watch it to the end and with pleasure. Maybe because of nostalgia, maybe not", — myauser

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"Gremlins"

Fantasy, horror, comedy | 4.04 out of 5 MyShows | 1984

The cute and fluffy gremlin will easily melt any heart, and his impeccable hearing is a real asset. But don't be fooled by its charms! This animal requires special care: sunlight is deadly for him, water is taboo, and feeding after midnight... It's better not to find out what it can turn into.

"Those who are tired of watching comedies and melodramas on New Year's holidays, and who want something special, we can safely recommend "Gremlins". Funny horror movie, with cute monsters and thick Christmas atmosphere, which is able to lift your spirits and tickle your nerves a little. Of course, you can't call this movie a full-fledged horror, but it has some pretty tough moments. So, for example, the story about my father, stuck in the pipe, scared me as a child even more than the gremlins themselves, and the skeleton jumping out of the fountain at the end of the movie, still looks creepy", — Barnaby

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"Falling in Love"

Drama, romance | 3.83 out of 5 MyShows | 1984

In the pre-Christmas bustle of a bookstore, their paths cross by chance: a collision, scattered books, a quick apology — and everyone goes their separate ways. But, as if by fate itself, their meetings continue again and again. Thus begins a story where random moments add up to something more.

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"Die Hard"

Action, thriller | 4.33 out of 5 MyShows | 1988

In a luxury Los Angeles skyscraper, Christmas turns into a living hell. Policeman John McClain has flown to his wife's house hoping to reconcile, but instead of a family celebration, he finds himself in the middle of a deadly fight. Hans Gruber, the leader of a group of terrorists, takes two dozen people hostage, including Holly, John's wife. The situation forces McClane into a lone war against the heavily armed invaders. Against the backdrop of a glittering city, a battle breaks out where cunning, tenacity, and incredible luck become his only allies. And John proves that even alone, it is possible to save Christmas.

"John McLane is the man who has been celebrating the Christmas holidays with me for nearly twenty years now", — taras_sidyi

"A classic of the genre. A wonderful Christmas muvi with Bruce. It was from this movie that he became a cool action hero. Gorgeous Alan Rickman as the villain", — -YAR-

"What a great Bruce Willis is here, and also Alan Rickmann. It was after this movie that both actors were loved and remembered. A lot of memorable moments that pop up in front of my eyes when they say Die hard, for example, how he clenched his toes into fists to relieve stress.))) I love the movie, I can not remember how many times I have already reviewed it, but I will definitely watch it more than once. Come to think of it, the movie is 35 years old this year)))", — katrinus

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