An appallingly awful anthology makes an on-brand return to the head of the streaming pack

Even the worst movies can become relevant for at least one day of the year, which has entirely unsurprisingly proven to be the case for Garry Marshall’s appalling star-studded anthology New Year’s Eve.

Today is indeed the last day of the year, so there was always a danger that the soppy and saccharine slab of Hollywood self-indulgence would circle back around to seize its 24 hours in the sun. Sure enough, FlixPatrol has revealed that the inexplicably successful box office smash has appeared from the wilderness to chart as the second most-watched movie on HBO Max in the United States, although we dare say it won’t be there by this time tomorrow.

Despite earning a robust $142 million at the box office and packing a mind-blowing array of talent that included (but was in no way limited to) Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Jon Bon Jovi, Ludacris, Josh Duhamel, Matthew Broderick, Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, John Lithgow, Sofia Vergara, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sarah Paulson, and many, many, many, many more besides, New Year’s Eve was one of 2011’s very worst films.

An embarrassing seven percent score on Rotten Tomatoes ensured that Razzie nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actress, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Ensemble were entirely deserved, even if it did end up walking away empty-handed. Just like bad Christmas flicks returning with a vengeance during the festive season, New Year’s Eve‘s annual resurgence is always unwelcome, but virtually guaranteed.