The Night Before

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2:22

The Night Before

R

2015

1h 41m

Holiday

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

158 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

For the last 10 years, lifelong buddies Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have gathered on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holidays with a bang. As Isaac prepares to become a first-time father, the friends realize that their annual tradition is coming to a sad end. To make it as memorable as possible, they plan a night of debauchery and hilarity by searching for the Nutcracka Ball, the Holy Grail of Christmas parties in New York.

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Critics Consensus

The Night Before provokes enough belly laughs to qualify as a worthwhile addition to the list of Christmas comedies worth revisiting, even if it isn't quite as consistent as the classics.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 1, 2017

Whatever, it was light, at times stupid, but entertaining and I was never bored.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

Apr 30, 2016

The people who made the trailers for 'The Night Before' seem to have a better idea of what it should be than the people who made the movie.

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Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

Dec 9, 2015

3/5

In The Night Before, which Levine directed and co-wrote, sweetness and crudity mingle from the outset.

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Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Oct 14, 2026

C+

An ungainly blend of Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg's manchild maturation comedies and Levitt/Levine's maudlin, introspective dramedies, 'The Night Before' is tonally inconsistent.

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Mel Campbell

ScreenHub

Dec 29, 2025

Rather sweetly, it turns familiar, raucous bro-antics into a pageant about accepting the party’s over. … Bearish and exuberant, Seth Rogen’s Isaac gets absolutely off his holiday-sweatered tits [while] US comedy faces show up like sixpences in a pudding.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Apr 25, 2022

1.5/4

A raunchy party movie that lacks the requisite laughs or heart to make it a holiday classic

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Jun 22, 2026

Has just enough heart to push it into a worthwhile Christmas comedy. Balanced with Rogen’s debauchery filled comedy style.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 20, 2026

Funny in 1 hour and 41 minutes.

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Roman I

@romanines Jun 17, 2026

Definitely A fun Movie. Performances were good all around, nothing crazy but solid. There were for sure some funny and memorable moments but it all came down to the message that I think a lot of people can relate to. Whether you're a man or a woman, black or white, straight or gay, tall or short, Life changes. Change is hard but friendship lives in the hearts of those we love.

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M G

@gennuso Apr 25, 2026

kinda funny Xmas movie

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Zoe B T

@Peeker Jan 25, 2026

Irreverent. Many, many laughs baked into this one. Really appreciate that it’s not the typical holiday rom com bs. Bros being bros. Loved the unexpected cast. This just may become a holiday movie that is an annual repeat.

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Mariana T

@M.Tezeta Jan 14, 2026

Initially, I gave it a 1.25 rating because I felt there wouldn't be a good plot for such an absurd premise. In the end, the absurdity won me over, and the portrayal is so Christmassy that it envelops you in that spirit (even if it's dark). It's truly a Christmas comedy that will take you out of your comfort zone if you give it a chance. But, in retrospect, I wouldn't watch it again, and I'd say that 3 stars is fair enough to avoid considering it a bad movie or upsetting Christmas purists.

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Jonathan Levine

Director

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Ethan

Seth Rogen

Isaac

Anthony Mackie

Chris

Jillian Bell

Betsy

Lizzy Caplan

Diana

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Synopsis

For the last 10 years, lifelong buddies Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have gathered on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holidays with a bang. As Isaac prepares to become a first-time father, the friends realize that their annual tradition is coming to a sad end. To make it as memorable as possible, they plan a night of debauchery and hilarity by searching for the Nutcracka Ball, the Holy Grail of Christmas parties in New York.

Director: Jonathan Levine
Producer: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, James Weaver
Screenwriter: Jonathan Levine, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Evan Goldberg
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Point Grey
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Drug Use|Language Throughout|Some Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Holiday, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 20, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.0M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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