TV Shows and Movies Are Perfect for Fall: How to Stream Them

Entertainment

TO Lauren Sarner

Published
October 11, 2023 12:57 pm ET

The real fall is being felt on television and in films, including Gilmore Girls, Knife Out and more.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

It’s officially the season of sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes.

The coziest time of the year is here: brisk winds, colorful foliage, Halloween decor and a desire to watch (or re-watch) modern classic TV shows and movies that create the perfect seasonal atmosphere.

If you’re looking to get in the mood, here are the best TV shows and movies to get you into the fall mood.

“Gilmore Girls”

Wherever they lead, the fall will follow. Nothing says autumn like spending time in the quaint town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut with Rory (Alexis Bledel), Lorelai (Lauren Graham), Luke (Scott Patterson) and the rest of the quaint townsfolk. Whether you’re watching Lorelai drink countless cups of coffee while she plays pranks on everyone, or Rory when she’s back between Dean (Jared Padalecki) and Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), or kitschy city festivals (like the 24-hour ” Dance-a-Tonn”), the series has an endlessly cozy autumn atmosphere – starting from the first credits.

Where to watch: Netflix.

“When Harry Met Sally”

This 1989 modern classic starring Nora Ephron and starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is about more than just a question of whether men and women can be friends. We’re talking about Krystal’s comfy fall sweater, their famous walk through Central Park among the colorful leaves, the changing seasons, their friendship and romance. This is a seasonal product.

Where to watch: Max or Prime Video.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”

This short-lived Netflix witchcraft show may have only lasted two seasons, but it made its mark as one of the most exciting shows with a Halloween vibe. Starring Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman (also played by Melissa Joan Hart in a slightly less dark and spooky version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch), the series’ elaborate costumes and sets were reminiscent of visiting your local pop-up store for Halloween.

Where to watch: Netflix.

“You’ve got mail”

The 1998 modern classic rom-com starring Nora Ephron and starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is about the romance between bookstore rivals. Set in fall in New York City, there are lots of cozy outfits (sweaters, turtlenecks) and pumpkin decor, and the space itself is filled with nostalgia for a time before e-readers and ordering books online.

Where to watch: Prime Video.

“The Vampire Diaries”

The town of Mystic Falls, where this show is set, is similar to Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, with countless quirky town events like carnivals and outdoor movies (and endless school dances with elaborate themes). But the eight-season CW show starring Nina Dobrev as Elena (and her evil twin, Katherine, It’s Complicated), the girl back between vampire brothers Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley), also adds even more supernatural beings. and dramatic deaths, in addition to a quaint, small-town fall atmosphere. So in The Vampire Diaries you get two for the price of one: spooky seasonal vibes, And Quaint, small town fall atmosphere.

Where to watch: Peacock.

“Knives Out”

There’s a reason the term “cozy secret” exists. This star-studded 2019 film starring Chris Evans (and his famous sweater, essential for a fall-inspired film), Daniel Craig, the late Christopher Plummer, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon unravels a delightfully strange and twisted mystery. it makes you want to watch him curled up on the couch drinking a warm drink. It’s got it all: fall fashion, a fairytale home, and a little murder.

Where to watch: AppleTV, Prime Video.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”

While it’s true that Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) lives in Sunnydale, California, where there are more palm trees than fall foliage, the cult classic show still brings a seasonal vibe. The various monsters (not just vampires, but also demons, witches, and the mayor turned into a giant snake) provide plenty of creepy thrills that were so fun that they still hold up today, even with some dated special effects. Additionally, the show constantly had back-to-school plots, at least in the first few seasons.

Where to watch: Hulu.

“Practical Magic”

The 1998 cult classic starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman may not have received great reviews when it first came out, but it looks like the checklist for a fall movie. There are witches, a gorgeous (but slightly creepy) house, family ties, a small town in the northeast, and characters who are unlucky in love—until they finally aren’t.

Where to watch: Hulu.

“Virgin River”

This Netflix show, currently airing (renewed for Season 6), brings fall vibes to those who want it, without any witches, vampires, or other creepy material. Like Gilmore Girls, the story takes place in a quaint small town where everyone’s lives intersect in ways that sometimes become confusing, such as a storyline involving an astonishingly long pregnancy.

Where to watch: Netflix.

“It will be a good hunt”

How do you like these apples? The best movie of the season, Back to School, the 1997 modern classic launched by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, is a timeless, feel-good underdog story about a brilliant janitor with a hard life and big dreams.

Where to watch: Max, Prime Video, Apple TV.

“Stranger Things”

While the final seasons of the ’80s Netflix hit (which will conclude with a fifth season) have begun to feature Russian prison camps and characters who refuse to stay dead, the first few seasons are full of seasonal fall nostalgia. Halloween is an active part of the plot, as the gang dresses up as Ghostbusters in the second season. There are also plenty of back-to-school storylines, some enjoyable hijinks and adventures, and the creepy thrills of the Demogorgons. There’s a reason the series revived Winona Ryder’s career and starred David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard and the rest of the cast.

Where to watch: Netflix.