[2] Regarding the feature film's conception, Mureșanu stated, "I was interested in the humanity of small lives exposed to great historical events and how they deal with the feeling of a disappearing world.

[4] Cinematographer Biró Boróka utilized the Arri Alexa Mini for filming.

[12] Ștefan Dobroiu of Cineuropa wrote, "...The New Year That Never Came is a powerful example of how cinema can become a time machine that teleports us to a certain era, bringing us back to safety just as the issues of that period seep into our very soul.

"[13] Wendy Ide of Screen Daily wrote, "There's a lot going on, and initially, the film coasts a little, before gradually picking up momentum.

But a near 20-minute final sequence, set to Ravel's Bolero, builds to an explosive crescendo, seamlessly blending archive footage into the action and capturing the exhilarating impact of history in the making.