Five Cozy Movies to Add to Your Fall Watchlist

Edited by: Maira Hammad 

At this point in my life, all I ask of the media I consume is to be cozy. I don’t want to be scared; I don’t want my heart palpitations, and I don’t want to spend too long afterwards contemplating what just happened. If you feel the same, and you’re searching for the perfect fall movie, I have a few suggestions. 

You’ve Got Mail  

This is a solid three-star movie. The male lead can be unbearable, and the ending doesn’t sit quite right with me, but there is something about it that feels like a cable-knit hug. It could be the beautifully decorated New York apartments with their warm toned woods and yellow sheets or maybe it’s the clacking of vintage keyboards. It could even be the children’s bookstore Meg Ryan’s character owns, with its wall-to-wall antique bookshelves and twinkle lights in the windows. 

It absolutely is the late October scenery. There’s a scene of the leads, coffee in hand, walking past a row of bright orange trees and you can almost feel the chill in their air. Another great thing is that it captures the best of every season, so if you’re looking for a movie that will calm any of your seasonal moods, and you can handle a slightly irritating premise, this would be the one for you.  

Little Women

The 1994 adaptation of Little Women is a November movie, something to watch in-between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The 2019 adaptation is a must-watch for the autumn season.

On the surface, the story’s simplicity makes this a cozy watch, but I think it is unforgiving to call it simple. What is more intricate than the bonds of four sisters with aspirations they can barely grasp? A complicated and thought-provoking story may seem ill-fitted for the cozy category, but its presentation as an easy-going film lets the viewer find the complexity, rather than being pummeled by it.

Following the scars the March sisters make, the laughs they share and the times their tongues slip, makes it feel like you’re a part of their family, even if it’s just for an hour. If you’re not in need of a fictional family, but you are need of beautiful scenery, don’t worry you’re still in the right place.

Many scenes are lit by warm fireplaces and natural sunlight, but the most beautiful is the one where Laurie reveals his feelings to Jo. Their faces are flushed, and he’s having it all out with nothing left unsaid against the backdrop of terrifically colourful trees, all while Timothée Chalamet is wearing this billowy white shirt, it’s a feast for your autumnal seeking eyes.

Also, bonus if you have a thing for dramatic declarations of love in fall settings.  

A League of Their Own  

I am not really a fan of baseball, but I have always loved baseball movies, and I believe A League of Their Own is where that love started.

This movie is full of montages, which is a sure way to my cinephile heart. A character will catch a ball behind her back, another will serve tea on the field, and then we’re back to photographing a nasty bruise. It draws you in and doesn’t keep you waiting.

One of my favourite moments is when the players start to understand that they’re not so different from other women; they’ve just been told that they are. They write this catchy song sure to get stuck in your head, and while they sing it on their bus it’s impossible for your heart not to swell.

The beautiful things to look at include victory rolls, 1940s costumes, and of course, Madonna dancing. Since you’re being entertained it doesn’t feel like learning, but you walk away with a deeper understanding of a pivotal moment in women’s history. Even if you find baseball boring, this might be one to check out.

Sidenote: I think this is Tom Hanks best performance.  

When Harry Met Sally

What incredible jeans they have!! Why don’t jeans look like that anymore?

This is the kind of movie to put on if you’re looking to lie in bed and unwind for a while. It has the best slow burn put to screen, like decades long. You get to watch the main characters mature and change their opinions, and their growth is what makes the characters feel real.

And it’s fun watching their hearts zig zag in and out of the wrong places. It’s a bit like hearing a long story from a friend about people you don’t know that well, but it’s somehow the best story you’ve ever heard.

This is one that could technically clarify as a fall or winter movie, I personally believe it’s both, so that I get to watch it again when winter comes around. But since we’re here for fall, you can watch the main characters in their chunky sweaters, laughing and walking over fallen leaves in Central Park.

You spend most of the runtime feeling like this story could really happen, but then it hits you with this grand ending, and maybe then it’s too much. But I don’t think it takes away from the film, because I know sweeping romance is possible, especially if it can happen for Harry and Sally.  

Practical Magic 

Practical Magic might have the best house in all of cinema. It’s huge, it has a greenhouse, a tower, and it is super witchy. This one is more vibes than plot, which is great if you’re looking to relax.

It’s something to watch if you love Halloween’s spookiness but don’t like being scared. The magic comes out of old spellbooks, and the ingredients from their own garden. They live in a quaint town close to the water, where people judge them, but they don’t hold onto that anger. There are lots of velvets and florals, exactly how you’d imagine a witch of the 90s to dress.

The sisters both want love, approaching it in very different ways, but it’s clear the true love story is between them. They can sense if the other needs them and waste no time before showing up.

The best scene is obviously the one where the family has midnight margaritas and dance around the kitchen, or maybe it’s when they jump off the roof in big witch hats. It has a small coastal town, Stevie Nicks on the soundtrack, and the sisterly bond you deserve out of your fall movie. 

Thank you for reading and have a cozy Halloween!  

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