Five Movies to Fall in Love with Fall

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Columbia is officially out of the leftover 90-degree heat from summer, and it’s safe to say my fall feelings are running rampant. From iced pumpkin chai lattes at Starbucks to hanging up all of my sweaters and hoodies, I could not be more excited for the fall season to officially commence.

Because of this, I’ve started to list out all of the “fall-themed” movies I want to watch over the course of the next few months. I consider myself a very “seasonal” person, and I love to become fully immersed in the foods, drinks and movies that the time of year warrants.

As I began this cinematic “preparation” for the autumnal season, I thought, as a student journalist, there was no better way to fully get excited about the fall season than writing about some of my favorite seasonal movies. Below, you’ll find these favorites and their descriptions, ranging from fall feel-goods to Halloween classics to really help you “fall in love” with the fall season this year.

“Coraline”

I love to watch “Coraline” during the transition from September into October, when fall has officially begun, but it’s not quite the Halloween season just yet. From the gloomy atmosphere of the Pink Palace to the mystique surrounding the Other Mother’s parallel dimension, it’s the perfect watch to heighten those early-Halloween feelings.

The movie is also filled with subtle motifs and visual foreshadowing, and it’s easy to spend hours going down a rabbit hole of the hidden symbolism throughout “Coraline,” including the double-looped O on Coraline’s “Welcome Home” cake or the covert meaning behind the film’s opening sequence.

“Edward Scissorhands”

Tim Burton, in my opinion, is truly a one-of-a-kind filmmaker when it comes to blending whimsical elements with gothic aesthetics to create the perfect fall rewatch, a standard “Edward Scissorhands” does not fall short of.

Specifically, he uses the juxtaposition between Edward’s mechanical scissor hands and the pastel suburban neighborhood to showcase the overarching theme of the movie, that being the societal isolation and loneliness that stem from “being different.” Burton specifically intertwined this message throughout the making of the film to acknowledge his personal experiences growing up in suburban California.

Like “Coraline,” “Edward Scissorhands” is not inherently a Halloween movie, but Burton’s use of eerie visuals and gloomy illustrations helps set the mood for the upcoming “spooky season.”

“Corpse Bride”

Another Burton-directed film, “Corpse Bride” follows the tragic story of the corpse bride Emily as she beautifully navigates love, loss and acceptance following her death at the hands of a greedy aristocrat.

I’m a sucker for any sort of animated film or television show, and the thing that really captures me about this movie is its alluring visuals, specifically the use of the butterflies to symbolize Emily’s freedom, liberation and transformation at the end of the movie.

Compared to the two previously mentioned movies, “Corpse Bride,” in my opinion, leans more into the Halloween season, with the warm vibrance and hues of the land of the dead being compared to the bleak grays and blues of the living world.

“Halloweentown”

Now really leaning into the Halloween spirit, we have “Halloweentown,” perhaps my favorite movie mentioned here on this list. While not the most spooky or action-packed, the film itself and its visuals are so nostalgic to me that it always has a place on my rewatch list during this time of year.

From Debbie Reynolds’ acting as Aggie Cromwell, the long-lived witch and protagonist of the film, to the coming-of-age themes through Marnie Piper’s acceptance of her witchery heritage, it’s a feel-good movie that never fails to put me in the Halloween spirit.

There is also a sequel to the first film, “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge,” but, in my opinion, it doesn’t quite measure up to the overall Halloween aesthetic and whimsy of the original movie.

“Hocus Pocus”

To leave with a true Halloween classic, I’ll end with “Hocus Pocus,” a film that was nothing short of a staple in my childhood home during the Halloween season.

My favorite aspect of this film is by far the relationship between the Sanderson sisters, as I always joke it mirrors the connection I share with my two sisters. I tend to “boss” my sisters around as Winifred does, with my older sister following the free-spirited nature of Sarah and my younger sister providing the comical relief and eccentricity of Mary.

All in all, “Hocus Pocus” truly holds its own as a classic in the Halloween movie genre, and if you take anything away from these movie recommendations, it’s to watch this film during the fall season if you haven’t already.

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year, not only because of the weather, clothes and Starbucks menu items, but it also marks an era of change in nature and reminds us to allow room in our lives for new beginnings and opportunities to arise. Especially as a college student, I find myself needing that nudge every now and then, and fall, through its aesthetics, movies and fun-flavored menu items, does just that.