20 Movies (and series) to Watch This Fall

Written by Codie Allen

There’s something about fall that makes me want to completely reorganize my movie-watching habits. Maybe it’s the changing leaves, the cooler nights, the oversized sweaters, the coffee, the candles, or the fact that everything just seems a little more cinematic this time of year. Certain movies simply feel better when the seasons start to change.

Fall movie season isn't necessarily about watching movies that are explicitly set in autumn, either. Sometimes it's a movie filled with orange and brown tones, a cozy New England setting, a rainy afternoon, a haunted house, a group of friends gathering for the holidays, or just that very specific feeling of wanting to curl up under a blanket and disappear into another world for a couple of hours.

So whether you're looking for something spooky, a romantic comfort movie for a rainy afternoon, or something warm and nostalgic to put on while the leaves are changing, here are 20 movies I think belong on your fall watchlist.

Little Women (2019)
Directed by Greta Gerwig

If there is one movie that feels like it was specifically designed to be watched in the fall, it's Greta Gerwig's Little Women. The warm cinematography, old houses, fireplaces, handwritten letters, chilly walks, family gatherings, and endless layers of clothing make it practically impossible to watch without wanting a cup of something warm. More than anything, though, there's something incredibly comforting about spending time with the March sisters (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen). It's nostalgic, funny, romantic, bittersweet, and deeply interested in the messy experience of growing up. Put this on when you want to disappear into another time for a few hours.

You've Got Mail (1998)
Directed by Nora Ephron

You've Got Mail is peak cozy New York fall cinema. Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) walking through the city, bookstores, coffee shops, rainy streets, autumn coats, and that gorgeous late-'90s atmosphere make this one of those movies that somehow makes you want to move to New York even if you've never wanted to before. It's also just incredibly comforting. The internet may have changed considerably since 1998, but the movie's central idea of two people slowly falling for each other without realizing who they're talking to remains ridiculously charming. It's the perfect movie for a rainy afternoon with a coffee in hand.

When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Directed by Rob Reiner

Few movies capture New York in the fall quite like When Harry Met Sally.... The Central Park walks, sweaters, restaurants, changing leaves, long conversations, and cozy apartments are basically an autumn mood board. And, of course, there's the actual movie, which remains one of the best romantic comedies ever made. Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally's (Meg Ryan) friendship is just as important as their romance, and watching their relationship evolve over the years makes this feel like the kind of movie you can return to every fall and never get tired of. It's warm, funny, romantic, and somehow makes New York look impossibly beautiful.

Practical Magic (1998)
Directed by Griffin Dunne

Witches, sisterhood, an enormous old house, candles, midnight margaritas, storms, and a little forbidden magic? Practical Magic was practically begging to become a fall classic. There's something especially wonderful about watching Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens navigate their family history together, with their relationship at the heart of the movie. It's spooky without being terrifying, romantic without becoming completely saccharine, and cozy enough that you could easily watch it several times throughout October. The whole thing feels like spending a chilly night inside an old house with candles burning in every room.

Corpse Bride (2005)
Directed by Tim Burton, Mike Johnson

Corpse Bride is one of those movies that feels like it belongs exclusively to October. The gothic Victorian setting, muted colours, dead characters, elaborate costumes, and wonderfully strange sense of humour make it perfect for a chilly fall evening. It's also ridiculously beautiful. The stop-motion animation gives the whole thing this handmade, storybook quality that makes it feel like you're watching a dark fairy tale come to life. It's spooky, romantic, melancholy, and just strange enough to make it feel like the perfect animated movie for Halloween season.

Available on Crave Canada

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Directed by Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox might be one of the most visually autumnal movies ever made. The oranges, yellows, browns, forests, farms, fireplaces, cider, and little woodland characters make the entire movie look like fall itself. It's funny, charming, beautifully animated, and surprisingly heartfelt underneath all the dry humour. There's something incredibly comforting about its handmade aesthetic and cozy little world, which makes it feel almost impossible to watch without wanting to wrap yourself in a blanket afterward. Honestly, even if you've seen it before, this is one of those movies that deserves an annual autumn rewatch.

Available on Crave and Disney+ (Canada)

Knives Out (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson

A giant New England mansion, gloomy weather, sweaters, fall foliage, a dysfunctional family, and a murder mystery? Knives Out is basically Thanksgiving dinner with a body count. The entire movie has this wonderful old-fashioned mystery atmosphere while still feeling completely modern, and Rian Johnson fills every corner of that enormous house with enough detail to make you want to explore it yourself. It's the perfect choice when you want something cozy but don't necessarily want something romantic or sentimental. There's something especially satisfying about watching it as the weather gets colder and the holidays start approaching.

Where to watch: Crave Canada

The Craft (1996)
Directed by Andrew Fleming

Fall is witch season, and The Craft is one of the best movies to embrace that particular energy. Catholic school uniforms, plaid skirts, dark lipstick, stormy skies, teenage drama, and four girls discovering that maybe having supernatural powers isn't quite as easy as it sounds make this pure '90s witchy atmosphere from beginning to end. It's exactly the kind of movie that makes you want to spend October listening to dark music and lighting approximately 47 candles. There's something wonderfully nostalgic about its aesthetic, but the darker story underneath all that '90s coolness gives it enough bite to remain endlessly rewatchable.

Where to watch: Crave, Netflix, Disney+ (Canada), and HBO Max (U.S)

Dead Poets Society (1989)
Directed by Peter Weir

There's something inherently autumnal about Dead Poets Society. The New England setting, old stone buildings, school uniforms, changing leaves, poetry, chilly mornings, and bonfires all contribute to that wonderfully melancholic fall feeling. It's also a movie about youth, individuality, friendship, and trying to figure out what kind of person you want to become, which makes it feel particularly fitting for a season that naturally brings out a little reflection and nostalgia. It's beautiful, sad, inspiring, and absolutely worth revisiting when you're in the mood for something a little more thoughtful.

Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada)

The Addams Family (1991)
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

If you're looking for something that feels like Halloween without necessarily being a traditional horror movie, The Addams Family is an obvious choice. The gothic mansion, bizarre family traditions, graveyards, creepy decorations, and completely unhinged humour make this one endlessly rewatchable, and the entire movie has that perfect balance of spooky and cozy that makes it so easy to return to every October. And honestly, Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) alone makes it worth revisiting. It's weird, stylish, funny, and exactly the kind of movie that belongs in the background while you're decorating for Halloween.

Where to watch: Paramount+ (Canada, U.S) anf Tubi (U.S)

Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven

Sometimes fall means cozy sweaters and coffee. Sometimes it means getting absolutely terrified. Scream gives you small-town streets, high school, fall weather, creepy phone calls, Halloween parties, and one of the greatest horror openings ever made. It's scary, funny, self-aware, and endlessly entertaining, basically the perfect movie for a Friday night in October. There's something about watching Ghostface stalk around a sleepy California town while the weather starts getting cooler that just feels right, especially if you're looking for something that brings a little more actual horror into your fall movie marathon.

Where to watch: Paramount+ (U.S and Canada) and Crave (Canada)

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Directed by Kenny Ortega

It would be criminal to make a fall movie list without Hocus Pocus. Salem, Halloween night, black cats, witches, candles, costumes, and the Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najiimy, Sarah Jessica Parker) have made this movie practically synonymous with October. It's nostalgic in a way that makes it almost impossible not to smile while watching it, even if you've seen it a million times before. Throw it on when you're decorating for Halloween, carving pumpkins, making something warm to drink, or just trying to force yourself into the seasonal spirit. It might not be the scariest Halloween movie ever made, but sometimes that's exactly what you want.

Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada and U.S)

Rushmore (1998)
Directed by Wes Anderson

Another Wes Anderson movie, because apparently he understands fall better than most people. Rushmore gives you prep school uniforms, gloomy weather, extracurricular activities, old buildings, awkward romances, and Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) being perhaps the most confidently delusional teenager ever put on screen. It's quirky without being empty and surprisingly emotional beneath all the absurdity, with that distinctly nostalgic quality that makes Wes Anderson's movies so easy to associate with certain seasons. Definitely one for a quiet fall afternoon when you want something funny, strange, and a little melancholic.

Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada)

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Directed by Mike Newell

Mona Lisa Smile has everything I want from a cozy period movie: a women's college, 1950s New England, changing seasons, beautiful old buildings, sweaters, books, and a group of women figuring out what they actually want from their lives. It's warm and nostalgic while still having plenty to say about the expectations placed on women, which gives it a little more substance than a straightforward comfort watch. Plus, the cast is stacked. Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and more make this a particularly easy movie to put on when you want something cozy, feminine, and a little thoughtful.

Where to watch: Hoopla (Canada, U.S)

Halloween (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter

Sometimes you just need to put on Halloween. John Carpenter's classic is practically the definition of a fall movie, from the quiet suburban streets and cool autumn atmosphere to the Halloween decorations, orange glow, and unmistakable synth score. There's something so simple and effective about watching Michael Myers slowly stalk through Haddonfield while Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) tries to survive the night, and the movie's restrained approach to horror somehow makes it even creepier. It's atmospheric, stylish, genuinely scary, and still one of the best movies to put on when you want that unmistakable feeling of Halloween night.

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy at home

The Holdovers (2023)
Directed by Alexander Payne

Okay, technically this one moves into winter, but I'm putting it here anyway because the vibes are too perfect to leave out. Set at a New England boarding school during the holidays, The Holdovers has old buildings, overcast skies, warm interiors, complicated characters, and that wonderfully melancholy feeling that comes with the end of the year. It's funny, deeply human, and unexpectedly tender, with a kind of warmth that sneaks up on you. Save it for the point in the season when you're ready for Thanksgiving to be over and winter is starting to creep in. It feels like the natural bridge between fall and Christmas.

Where to watch: Peacock (U.S)

Coraline (2009)
Directed by Henry Selick

Coraline is one of those movies that feels like it was made for a chilly fall evening. The button-eyed Other Mother (Teri Hatcher), creepy old house, autumnal colours, strange little neighbours, and dark fairy-tale atmosphere give the entire movie this wonderfully eerie feeling without ever losing its warmth and charm. It's spooky, beautiful, genuinely unsettling, and packed with so much visual detail that it gets better every time you watch it. There's also something incredibly nostalgic about its stop-motion animation and storybook world, making it the perfect movie to curl up with when you want something creepy, cozy, and a little magical.

Where to watch: Hulu (U.S)

The Village (2004)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

For something a little darker, The Village delivers an entirely different kind of fall atmosphere. The isolated community, woods, muted colours, old-fashioned clothing, and constant sense that something is lurking beyond the trees make it feel like a gothic autumn fairy tale. Whether you love or hate the movie itself, the atmosphere is undeniably perfect for a rainy October night. It's one of those movies where the setting does so much of the work, with the forests and strange little community creating this eerie feeling that something is wrong just beyond the edges of the frame. If you're looking for something atmospheric rather than outright terrifying, this is a great choice.

Where to watch: Crave and Disney+ (Canada) and Peacock (U.S)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Directed by Henry Selick

Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Honestly, who cares. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of those movies that can basically live on your television from October through December. Jack Skellington, Halloween Town, stop-motion animation, gothic production design, and Danny Elfman's unforgettable music make this an essential seasonal rewatch. It's one of those movies that somehow feels nostalgic no matter how many times you've seen it, and the strange combination of Halloween and Christmas makes it perfect for that weird transitional period when October starts giving way to the holiday season.

Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada, U.S)

Gilmore Girls (2000–2007) 

And yes, I know this technically violates the rules of a movie watchlist. But if we're talking about fall, Gilmore Girls absolutely deserves the final spot. Stars Hollow might be the ultimate fictional autumn town, with coffee, sweaters, leaves, bookstores, town festivals, movie nights, fireplaces, small-town drama, and enough seasonal decorations to make every episode feel like October. There's something so comforting about returning to Stars Hollow when the weather starts getting cooler, even if you're watching it for the hundredth time. So no, it's not a movie, but if you want the ultimate fall comfort watch, put on Gilmore Girls, make yourself something warm, and let it play in the background for the next three months.

Where to watch: Prime Video

At the end of the day, there’s no wrong way to spend fall movie season. Whether you want something spooky, cozy, romantic, nostalgic, or a little bit of everything, these movies are the perfect excuse to slow down, get comfortable, and let yourself get lost in a movie for a while. So grab a blanket, make something warm, and press play!