Fall is in full swing but it’s hard for it to feel that way when you live in a tropical climate like Miami and the weather is not budging below a humid 75 degrees. Still, even if it’s still too hot outside to feel like the fall season is upon us, there are other ways in which we can get into the fall mood. A great way to get into the fall ambiance is to watch fall movies.
Here are some of my favorite fall movies that will get you in the fall mood even if it’s still too hot outside to wear long sleeves or to go to a pumpkin patch.
10. Dan in Real Life (2007)
The movie follows widowed advice columnist Dan Burns (played by Steve Carell), who takes a trip to visit his family in Rhode Island with his three daughters. He meets a woman while on his trip and instantly falls in love, only to find out she’s his brother’s new girlfriend.
With its setting in Rhode Island’s seaside, this movie perfectly encapsulates a cold, crisp fall day. Additionally, while not quite set on Thanksgiving, the family goes through multiple elaborate and awkward dinners that completely sums up the dramatic experience of holidays with your family.
The movie is centered around interpersonal conflict and family feelings, all within the backdrop of misty weather and cozy flannels. So, it makes for a great fall watch!
9. Twitches (2005)
Twitches follows two twins, Camryn and Alex, born on Halloween in the fantastical realm of Coventry. They were sent away and separated at birth to protect them from the evil that’s befallen their homeland. However, they meet on their 21st birthdays and unlock their dormant witch powers. With their newfound powers and the knowledge of their past, they realize they can save their homeland and defeat the evil that took over it.
You can’t have fall without Halloween, and this movie perfectly encapsulates that. The movie’s fantastical elements along with its backdrop of chilly weather and piling orange leaves make it the perfect fall watch if you’re looking for something that’s cozy but also magical. And if you’re someone, like myself, who can’t go a sentence without mentioning their sister…well this might just be the perfect fall watch for you.
8. Knives Out (2019)
This 2019 film with a stacked ensemble cast (Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Toni Collete, and Ana de Armas, to name a few) follows detective Benoit Blanc as he investigates the mysterious death of bestselling author and patriarch of his family, Harlan Thrombey. What at first appeared to be a suicide, is being questioned by the detective due to mysterious circumstances as well as his strained relationship with his family, which gave them all unique motives for wanting him dead. Harlan’s nurse, Marta Cabrera, is added into the foray and things become even more complicated when they realize Harlan left his fortune to her.
As a mystery whodunit, it fits perfectly with the spooky, mysterious vibes that fall encapsulates. The movie takes place in the fall, so there’s no lack of foggy weather—perfect for fall and mystery—autumn leaves, hot drinks in mugs, and thick, knitted sweaters. It will certainly scratch your itch for fall!
7. Dead Poets Society (1989)
This acclaimed movie takes place in an all-boys boarding school in 1959, and follows passionate English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), as he inspires his students to rebel against social conventions, seize the potential of every day, and learn valuable life lessons.
While not a lot of media follows it, an essential part of fall is going back to school. This movie focuses on this largely unexplored but ultimately universal experience in a setting full of orange fall leaves and crisp weather. If you’re looking for an emotional movie that will definitely make you cry this fall, then this is the one!
6. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) / A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
This might be cheating but I am including not one but two Charlie Brown specials for the price of one, however, both are completely essential to the fall experience and since they’re both so short, together they make up the length of a short feature length film. You can’t have fall without both of them!
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, follows Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang as they take on Halloween. Linus believes a mythical creature known as the “Great Pumpkin” will come at night to the pumpkin patch and bring all the children in the world presents. Lucy is completely embarrassed and ignores her brother’s antics. Instead, she goes Trick-or-Treating with the rest of the gang and Charlie Brown, who as usual remains gloomy and unlucky. Snoopy dresses as a World War I flying ace veteran and pretends he’s fighting a war.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, however, is exactly what it says on the tin. Peppermint Patty invites herself and the rest of the Peanuts gang to Charlie Brown’s house for a grand Thanksgiving feast despite the fact no such thing will happen in this house. With the help of Snoopy, Woodstock, and Linus, Charlie Brown delivers. But there are too many awful mishaps to consider this a successful Thanksgiving.
Both of these are essential fall watches, and they can be watched in different parts of the season as the different holidays pass. They’re also incredibly nostalgic. Watching these will make you feel like a kid again celebrating the fall festivities. If you want a fall watch that will bring back the magic of being a kid again, then this is the perfect one for you.
5. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
This 1998 romantic-comedy follows independent bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) as she falls in love with book superstore chain owner, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), as they fall in love through the Internet without having met in real life. All while feuding in real life because Fox’s company is trying to put her bookstore out of business.
If you look up the word cozy in the dictionary, this movie will show up. This movie takes place in New York in the fall and features a multitude of pumpkins, chunky knitted sweaters, orange trees, and there’s nothing cozier than all this plus falling in love with the backdrop of a bookstore. This movie makes you feel like you’re there, falling in love yourself, and it’s a movie perfect to watch with a hot drink and a sweet treat!
4. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus follows three witch sisters who are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts after a 300 year slumber. Three kids take it upon themselves along with their new friend—a talking cat—to save the town and put an end to the witches’ reign of terror.
With its setting in Salem, this movie takes place in the most Halloween-esque setting possible. A movie about witches taking place in the birthplace of witch myth in America; it perfectly encapsulates Halloween! Additionally, fall is beautiful in Massachusetts and they show off the picturesque town multiple times. It feels like being a kid on Halloween and everything is scarier and grander. With its spooky vibes and small-town fall aesthetic, it makes for a perfect, haunting fall watch!
3. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
This 1989 romance-comedy follows Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) as they meet over and over again in the span of a decade as they go from strangers, to acquaintances with mutual dislike, to best friends. They try to balance their friendship with their growing attraction to each other while one question weighs on them: can men and women ever be just friends?
This is the second movie in this list that features Meg Ryan, and for a good reason. She is not just the queen of the romantic comedy genre but of fall movies as a whole. This movie covers multiple holidays and seasons—notably New Year’s, and the Christmas season—so this movie isn’t just relevant for fall. However, what makes it stand out is its beautiful depiction of New York in the fall; all of its most iconic, recognizable scenes take place in the backdrop of the orange leaves in New York’s parks and streets. There is also a multitude of knit sweaters, which adds to its fall ambiance even more.
This is a beautiful love story with the coziest setting and most beautiful cinematography. I would recommend this movie everyday of the year, but fall is the perfect time to give it a watch!
2. Practical Magic (1998)
Practical Magic follows sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) who come from a long line of witches that are cursed to lose the men they fall in love with. Sally has just lost her husband due to this curse, however, Gillian doesn’t fall in love but she gets into many reckless relationships to battle it. One of Gillian’s boyfriends dies “mysteriously” and her and Sally’s way of dealing with it only leads to more problems. And Sally is finding the detective leading the case a little too appealing.
I wouldn’t say this is my favorite movie in this list, but the reason it’s so high up it’s because it so perfectly encapsulates fall. Witches, New England in the fall, family issues, supernatural forces, and a romance subplot… it doesn’t get more fall vibes than this! And that’s even without mentioning the sister’s amazing outfits. It’s a perfect fall movie, and if you, like me appreciate a sisterly bond in movies, then this is just right for you!
1. Over the Garden Wall (2014)
Over the Garden Wall is not quite a movie, but I couldn’t make this list without including it, especially because there is nothing more quintessentially fall than this. It is technically a miniseries, however, there are 10 episodes that last 11 minutes each so all of them together account to one feature length movie.
This animated miniseries/movie follows two brothers who travel through a mysterious forest to find their way back home, while encountering a series of strange and even fantastical situations.
Since it’s animated, Over the Garden Wall feels even cozier than a lot of other things in this list, especially with its animation style. It’s very mysterious and spooky, and its fantastical elements make it feel even creepier. It’s aimed for a younger audience so it’s not scary, but a lot of it will leave you with the hair at your nape standing up. It’s wonderfully animated, a mix of cute and eerie simultaneously which I think perfectly sums up fall as a whole.
While the world around me might not be the fall aesthetic I so desperately crave, these movies help me feel like I’m there with them, fighting fantastical forces, falling in love, and solving mysteries all with the backdrop of a chilly day with beautiful autumn leaves. Maybe I don’t have the fall experience perfectly in real life, but I don’t have to miss out on it completely as long as I have these movies with me.