Summary

The bestbirthday moviesuse the pleasure and celebration that ’s supposed to come with the solar day to make a stop about anticipation , regret , and the pressures of grow up ; and , of course , sometimes a natal day movie is great because birthdays are just a lot of fun . There arefilms for Halloween , Christmas , St. Patrick ’s Day , Valentine ’s Day , and every other holiday but birthdays are more personal , as they often play up contradictory feelings . They ’re solemnisation of maturity but also clear reminder of fourth dimension passing , so a lot of feelings smother the week leading up to a birthday .

A movie can employ a birthday as a crosscut to conflict , giving a theatrical role a reason they need to interchange . New Year ’s Eve may be the vacation when masses make promises to shape out more , but it ’s birthday when they decide to take stock . With so many expectations put on birthdays , they unavoidably are never the sidereal day one hopes for . However , they can often conduct to some breakthrough about either how a character ’s life postulate to transfer or how it ’s fine the way it is . Less philosophically , a birthday pic also gives a convenient understanding to have a bunch of part in the same location or but kickstart a photographic film ’s narration .

From wild , drunken party to mid - life crisis to balloon and clowns , these natal day - themed situation comedy episodes are the good of the lot .

Side-by-side of Friends and Parks and Recreation

20Wine Country (2019)

Amy Poehler’s directorial debut

Wine Countryis a Netflix drollery take aim by and starring Amy Poehler as Abby , the good admirer of Rebecca ( Rachel Dratch ) who ’s celebrate her 50th natal day . Abby project a weekend getaway for Rebecca and their friend that starts off happy but turns unpleasant when each woman ’s personal problem begin to surface . With a slew of some of thebest femaleSNLcast membersincluding Tina Fey , Maya Rudolph , and Ana Gasteyer , Wine Countryis a funny and heartwarming facial expression at friendship . Though Rebecca is the only one with a birthday , it ’s her milestone that forces everyone to regard how their lives have shaped up .

find out on Netflix

19This Is 40 (2012)

Judd Apatow’s reflection on his own middle-age

Cast

Judd Apatow ’s follow - up toKnocked - Up , This is 40may not be thebest of Judd Apatow ’s movies , but it ’s still an accurate look at in-between - aged malaise . The filmshifts focus off from Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl to Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as Pete and Debbie , a married distich whose lives are in a oestrus . Both couples celebrate their 40th birthdays inThis is 40and each 24-hour interval brings accent and regrets that threaten to upend their flimsy marriage . Rudd and Mann have fantabulous chemistry together and the book is as precipitous as any Apatow production , but the two - hour - plus runtime can be a drag .

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18Child’s Play (1988)

The first appearance of the killer doll

small fry ’s Playis the first film in the Chucky revulsion dealership and one of the more successful movies in the up - and - down eight film in the series , scoring a 73 % onRotten Tomatoes . This film bring out the " Good Guy " doll , a declamatory animatronic dame with blood-red hair that a untested boy receives for his birthday . Little does he or his mother realize that the doll has been possessed by the spirit of serial cause of death Charles Lee Ray ( Brad Dourif ) . Unlike future films in the franchise , Child ’s Playdoes not tip as hard into the comedy aspects of the tale and is an unnerving horror film with genuine panic attack .

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17Iron Man 2 (2010)

Tony Stark fights enemies without and within

On its face , Iron Man 2may not seem like a birthday movie , butits themes of mortality and ruefulness are all sum up up in one particular natal day party scene . The second film in MCU’sIron Manfranchise sees Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr. ) confront off against Ivan Vanko ( Mickey Rourke ) , an inventor with a vendetta against the Starks . A lowly plotline affect Tony Stark contending with his rapidly approach death thanks to the battery powering his heart . Stark throws himself a birthday bash where he engorge , embarrasses Pepper ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) , and contend with Rhodey ( Don Cheadle ) , all because he ca n’t do by grappling with his own mortality rate .

Watch on Disney+

16Encanto (2021)

Disney’s magical story about a fantastical family

When a child in the Colombian Madrigal phratry has their 5th birthday inEncanto , they receive a magical power good manners of a mystical candle . However , 15 - year - former Mirabel ( Stephanie Beatriz ) has never received a index , but when she learns her mob is losing theirs , she correct out to set things . Encantoearned three Academy Award nominations and won for considerably Animated Featureand was widely praised for its soundtrack and root of generational trauma . It ’s a gorgeous film to wait at and Mirabel ’s dashing hopes on her natal day is highly relatable for anyone expecting something to deepen when they give a significant natal day milepost .

15The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

A cult hit musical with dazzling costumes and dance numbers

The Rocky Horror Picture Showis synonymous with rage movieshaving maintained relevancy for 10 after its release despite coming out to second-rate reviews upon premiere . This mashup of musical , comedy , and horror succeed engaged span Janet Weiss ( Susan Sarandon ) and Brad Majors ( Barry Bostwick ) who are ram to take asylum in a mystic hall when their car breaks down . Inside , they find a wild political party being throw by Dr. Frank - N - Furter ( Tim Curry ) , the social function being the literal birthday of his origination , the titular Rocky ( Peter Hinwood ) . Daffy , avant - garde , and totally charming , The Rocky Horror Picture Showis a cinematic extravaganza .

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14Liar Liar (1997)

Jim Carrey can’t help but tell the truth

Jim Carrey stars inLiar Liaras Fletcher Reede , a attorney and divorcee who never has prison term for his Word because of his demanding job . After predict to attend his son ’s birthday party , a last - minute duty stops him from coming . His son make a wish that Fletcher is never able to lie down again , result in Fletcher physically being ineffectual to tell a Trygve Lie . Carrey bring in a Golden Globe nominating speech for his performanceand the clowning was a monolithic box - office success , earning $ 303 million ( viaBox Office Mojo ) . It ’s a hilarious Carrey vehicle , but it ’s the devout bit between Padre and son that make the movie memorable .

13Midsommar (2019)

A psychedelic and nightmarish movie about trauma and ritual

Ari Aster ’s second picture show , Midsommaris as unhinged and terrifying asHereditaryexcept that this film , unlike his first , is bathed in lily-white , gay visible light , offering a disorienting experience . Dani ( Florence Pugh ) is reclaim from a traumatic deprivation when she adjudicate to go along with her boyfriend and his friends to a Midsommar festival in Sweden where the the great unwashed take ritual very seriously . Dani and Christian ( Jack Reynor ) havea very disputative relationship that is most easily defined by the tantrum when Christian forgets Dani ’s birthdayand name a pathetic attempt to cover for it . Even more telling , Dani lets his selfishness go without input .

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1213 Going On 30 (2004)

A literal coming-of-age rom-com

13 Going on 30is a fantasy rom - com that follows Jenna Rink ( Christa B. Allen ) who , on her thirteenth birthday , wishes to be 30 . The next morning , she wake up 17 long time later , successful , main , and beautiful ( and played by Jennifer Garner ) . However , Jenna soon watch that all the top executive she ’s hit over the years has come at the toll of a lot of happiness.13 Going on 30perfectly juxtapose how many citizenry mature through their birthday . Young hoi polloi woolgather about being older and are excited every dance step of the way of life , but old people often face back wistfully on birthdays happily or unhappily , considering if they used their time well .

11The Boys In The Band (1970)

An iconic and progressive LGBTQ+ drama

ground on a musical of the same name from 1968,The Boys in the Bandis one of the first Hollywood flick to primarily revolve around gay characters and is a milestone in queer cinema and representation . In the film , a grouping of brave Friend come together for a natal day party . When the heterosexual champion of one of the attendees arrives , hidden rancour in the group begin to rise . The film has a 90 % onRotten Tomatoesand is a rough and moving look at how friendships and dearest change over the long time and the alone challenge that LGBTQ+ citizenry can face when receive to expend time with prejudiced acquaintances .

Ben Affleck as Christian drumming his hand on the table while talking to Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth in The Accountant 2

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Collage of Jessica Rothe, Molly Ringwald, and Jim Carrey.

Amy Poehler as Abby with a wooden paddle looking nervous in Wine Country.

Maude and Iris Apatow eating breakfast while Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) packs their lunch and Paul Rudd holds peanut butter in This Is 40

Headshot Of Paul Rudd In The  ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Premiere

Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

Cast Placeholder Image

Chucky holds a knife and has a blemish on his face in Child’s Play 1988

Headshot Of Catherine Hicks

Headshot Of Brad Dourif

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in his Iron Man suit talks to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) at his birthday party in Iron Man 2

Headshot Of Robert Downey Jr. In The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

Headshot Of Gwyneth Paltrow In The Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024

Headshot Of Don Cheadle In The 79th Venice Film Festival

Headshot Of Scarlett Johansson In The ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ Premiere

Mirabel holding a box of presents alongside a bunch of kids in Encanto.

Headshot Of John Leguizamo In The Los Angeles premiere of HBO ‘The Survivor’

Headshot Of Rhenzy Feliz

Headshot Of Tim Curry In The 10th Annual Costume

Max Reede (Justin Cooper) about to blow out his candles on his birthday cake in Liar Liar.

Christian (Jack Reynor) offering a slice of birthday cake to Dani (Florence Pugh) in Midsommar.

Headshot Of William Jackson Harper

Headshot Of Mark Ruffalo In The 76th Annual DGA Awards

Headshot Of Judy Greer In The Los Angeles premiere of Hulu’s ‘Reboot’

Headshot Of Andy Serkis In The National Theatre ‘Up Next’ Gala

The charactes from The Boys in the Band dancing and singing together in a courtyard.