When the weather gets cold and the apples and pumpkins ripen, there’s nothing better than a long walk through the foliage followed by a movie night in. These 17 movies all have immaculate autumnal vibes whether or not they actually take place in the fall, so get out your coziest blanket and your strongest apple cider and settle in to watch the very best cozy fall movies..
All images in this post are from imdb.com
Finding the Best Cozy Fall Movies
FYI – tvguide.com has the BEST up-to-date information on where you can screen movies and shows. Simply search for what you’re trying to watch, and click, “where to watch.” IMDb is catching up, but I’ve noticed it doesn’t include niche services like Criterion.
Most of these movies are available to purchase on Amazon, Google Play, etc. If they are available elsewhere, I’ve only listed the streaming platforms where they are free with a subscription. If they are only available to rent or buy, they are listed as such.
Streaming information changes all the time, so check TV Guide for the most up-to-date information!
List of the Best Cozy Fall Movies
All That Heaven Allows (1955)
Starring two of the hottest people of the 50s (Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson) in their prime, this delicious drama has all the best elements of a classic film. Gorgeous people, gorgeous costumes, gorgeous set dressing, passion, intensity, and class conflict all abound in this film. When widow Cary Scott (Wyman) falls for much younger tree-trimmer/nursery owner Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), she sets the local country club set atwitter. Her children and her social strata threaten to pull the lovers apart – but does it work?
Available on: Criterion Channel
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
I guarantee you’ve never seen an Alfred Hitchcock film like this. Though the foliage has very little to do with the plot of this dark comedy, once he experienced the glory that is Vermont in the fall, Hitchcock insisted the movie be filmed during autumn. When a well respected local man – Captain Albert Wiles – discovers a body in the hills above his small town, he thinks he may have accidentally shot him while hunting. Desperately trying to keep the secret, it gets out anyway (as secrets do) and soon nearly the whole town is rallying around Captain Wiles presumed guilt – even though he may not actually be guilty.
Available on: Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Vudu (to rent for $3.99)
Love Story (1970)
Featuring Ali McGraw at her absolute peak, this wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is brimming with late-60s fall fashion. Two college students, Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and Jenny Cavilleri (McGraw) find love on a college campus in New England. Guess which one is from which side of the tracks. The plot is pretty predictable, but it’s a real treat to watch these very attractive people in very good clothes banter and do their best to stay together in this cozy fall movie.
Available on: Amazon Prime (free), Paramount +, Pluto TV
Same Time, Next Year (1978)
This play-to-film adaptation keeps close to its theatrical roots with minimal sets and rapid-fire dialogue. Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn hold this charming film together as George and Doris, two married people whose one night stand turns into a yearly weekend tryst at the same lakeside resort. Through the years they get to know each other’s lives and families through a strange, intimate-yet-detached lens. Though personal tragedy and political differences threaten to pull them apart, their mutual affection and deep understanding always brings them together. Bonus points for Ellen Burstyn’s one-woman fashion show through the 20th century. This was one of my absolute favorite movies as a kid – no one should be surprised that I love vintage clothing now.
Available on: Not currently available to stream 😭 Time to buy the DVD, I guess!
Baby Boom (1987)
Diane Keaton stars as a yuppie extraordinaire in this extremely 80s movie. High-powered business woman J.C. Wiatt (Keaton)’s life is turned upside down when a distant cousin leaves his extremely cute baby to her in his will. Resistant to her new role at first, J.C. eventually buys an apple orchard in Vermont and starts a thriving homemade applesauce business. While this movie has some seriously outdated views about working mothers, on some level they work very well with the recent shift towards a healthier relationship to work.
Available on: Amazon Prime (Free), Paramount +
Mystic Pizza (1988)
It’s easy to see from watching Mystic Pizza why Julia Roberts’s career took off. Her first feature film, the movie tells the story of three young women living a working-class existence in the small, largely Portuguese fishing town of Mystic, Connecticut. Roberts makes even obscenely 80s hair and styling look good, while she and her compatriots (played by Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor) navigate love, growing up, and waitressing at a pizza place. Taking place from roughly August thru November, it’s the perfect movie to watch at any point in the fall.
Available on: Max
Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
What can I say about Dead Poet’s Society that hasn’t been said? If you’ve never watched this movie, stop reading this instantly and go watch it. Are you back? Are you done crying? Great. Robin Williams stars in this movie that spawned a thousand clichés as John Keating, a new teacher at an upscale all boys school in New England. The boys in his class have lived most of their lives in rigid, upper class repression, and Williams’s Keating is determined to draw out their imagination and greatest selves. Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and poignant, this film is a modern classic.
Available on: Amazon Prime (Free)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The first of two Meg Ryan films on this list (I do what I want!!), the autumn-in-New-York-ness of this film is absolutely overpowering. Ryan stars opposite Billy Crystal in his prime as Sally and Harry. Two friends travel through almost 2 decades of their lives together until a random hookup makes them realize they were made for each other. Their chemistry is off the charts – though I think that’s because Meg Ryan could have chemistry with a cabbage. There’s also a memorable appearance from Carrie Fischer as Sally’s best friend (RIP).
Available on: Max, Netflix
Good Will Hunting (1997)
This film is famous for its portrayals of Boston in the fall – though it was actually filmed in Toronto. I know, I know, I’m sorry! Anyway, this feel-good film follows the story of a young janitor at MIT (played by Matt Damon) whose custodial cover is blown when he solves a difficult equation left on the board of an upper level math class. Robin Williams’s Sean takes young Will under his wing, and struggle and growth ensue. Silly hat aside, Robin Williams could REALLY play an inspirational yet unconventional mentor. Plus, it’s hard not to be charmed by a young Matt Damon with an absurdly thick Boston accent.
Available on: Max
An Autumn Tale (Conte d’automne) (1998)
Okay yes it’s French, but I’m not about to leave a movie with the literal title “An Autumn Tale” off this list. A french widow and vineyard owner is peer pressured by her friend into placing a personal ad. Through trying to protect herself and her daughter, Isabelle, gentle French chaos ensues in this romantic drama. Peppered with stunning walks through vineyards in Rhone, if you love this film you can watch all four movies in this series (Conte de printemps, Conte d’hiver, and Conte d’ete).
Available on: Not currently available to stream in the US
Practical Magic (1998)
This is the closest thing to a Halloween movie on the list, but I just couldn’t resist. I mean, look at that freaking house! Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as two young women who move in with their eccentric aunts after the death of their parents. To absolutely no one’s surprise (again, the house) the Owens women are all witches. In total disregard of a family curse that makes them unlucky in love, sister Gillian (Kidman) falls for local bad boy Jimmy (Goran Visnjic) and Sally (Bullock) tries to have a family. The curse worms its way in, but the sisters manage to break it by tapping on their greatest resource – each other (aw).
Available on: Max, Hulu
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
This movie is not without its flaws, but You’ve Got Mail still endures as a feel-good watch every autumn. Peak-90s Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks star as Kathleen Kelly – a children’s bookstore owner – and Joe Fox – an executive at the megastore that threatens to put Kathleen out of business. Each of them is in an anonymous intimate friendship via AOL with – spoiler alert – each other! The moody lighting and warm tones of this film really set the scene throughout, and the screechy dial-up sounds at the beginning will really give you that heavy jolt of nostalgia.
Available on: Max, Netflix, Peacock
October Sky (1999)
Why so many autumn films are period pieces, I don’t know – just go with it. October Sky is the true story of four young men in rural West Virginia who take up rocket science. Fighting against their working class backgrounds, the young men (including a tiny, tiny Jake Gyllenhaal) nevertheless go on to win the national science fair as a result of (literally) shooting for the stars. Interspersed with wacky teen antics, this movie is a lighter alternative to Dead Poet’s Society (though not without its own heavy themes).
Available on: Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Vudu (to rent for $3.99)
Runaway Bride (1999)
Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) is well-known in her hometown of Hale, Maryland for two reasons: she helps run her family’s hardware store, and she has a notorious reputation for leaving men at the altar. When New York columnist Graham (Richard Gere) finds out about her from a spurned lover, he goes to Hale to investigate. I have a soft spot for this weird little romantic comedy. They filmed mostly in practical locations in Hale in the fall, which means the scenes are full of Halloween decorations and pretty foliage.
Available on: Paramount +
Autumn in New York (2000)
I debated whether I should include this, because the plot is a little icky, but it’s literally called Autumn in New York, so what choice did I have? Richard Gere is “aging playboy” Will Keane – one of those older men whose girlfriends always seem to stay the same age. His gross, shallow ageist lifestyle is challenged by Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder) one of Will’s flings that turns into something more when it’s revealed that Charlotte has a terminal illness. At least Elaine Stritch is in it?
Available on: Amazon Prime (free)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Probably the most Halloween vibes from a non-Halloween film (sorry, Practical Magic), the first Harry Potter film is absolutely awash in the magic, splendor, and comfort of this modern classic. Harry’s first year at the magical school Hogwarts follows him through all four seasons, with sweeping shots of the magical castle’s grounds, and decadent feasts (plus floating candles) in the great hall.
Side note: if you decide to purchase this film, please consider making an in-kind donation to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to supporting trans youth.
Available on: Max
Far From Heaven (2002)
What is it about the 1950s and the fall that blend so seamlessly to give that jolt of nostalgia? It’s like drinking a blackout (black coffee with a shot of espresso). Julianne Moore at her most flawless stars as Cathy, a model wife and mother. This film has parallels to “All that Heaven Allows” when Cathy catches her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) kissing another man. She finds solace in the arms of her gardener (Dennis Haysbert). Ramping up the nostalgia even more, the cinematographer used the same lighting techniques and lens filters typical of 1950s films. This movie is visually stunning and slow-paced – perfect for a girl’s night.
Available on: STARZ
Seabiscuit (2003)
I know what you’re thinking – what the heck is a Tobey Maguire horse movie doing on this list? Well other than the fact that it’s a charming underdog story that is 100% true, it also has one of the most aggressively fall moments in any film. Picture this: jockey Red Pollard (Maguire) in an effort to train the mangy little horse Seabiscuit, takes him through an extended unorthodox training montage that culminates in a carefree ride through a perfect autumn day on a horse farm.
Available on: Amazon Prime (free)
Dan in Real Life (2007)
This grossly mis-marketed Steve Carrell cozy fall movie is so awash with sweetness, charm, and heart it may give you a cavity. Single dad Dan (Carrell) is still bruised by the death of his beloved wife years earlier when he meets the woman of his dreams, Marie (Juliette Binoche) at a bookshop near his family’s vacation home. He returns to the house to tell the family of his meet-cute, only to discover that the woman is dating his boorish brother Mitch (Dane Cook). The family vacation home is a creaky, cedar shingled home on the shore in Maine, and the sweaters and cozy kitchen moments are everything.
Available on: Amazon Prime (free), Disney +
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Unlike many film lovers, I’m not an over-the-top Wes Anderson stan. Roald Dahl was my absolute favorite author as a child, however, and I must’ve read Fantastic Mr. Fox 400 times. Anderson branched out very successfully into claymation with this film, and the styling, lighting, textures, and color palettes are just fall out the wazoo. As annoying as it is that this quintessentially British tale is populated only by American actors (albeit all-stars like George Clooney and Meryl Streep), Mr. Fox’s antics on the farm and with his animal friends are just delightful enough to forgive any sins.
Available on: Amazon Prime (free), Disney +
Jane Eyre (2011)
Light the beacon for every sad book girl you know – their mascot is in town. In case you’re unfamiliar with this classic, it’s about a young woman (Jane Eyre, Mia Wasikowska) with a depressing childhood. She finds herself in the employ of a strict older man with a terrible secret. Obviously they fall in love, obviously things go badly, and Jane has herself a real long think at the edge of a beautiful moor. Come for the romance, stay for the sweeping panoramas of the countryside and a woman in period dress.
Available on: Amazon Prime (free)
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
Okay so it’s a miniseries not a movie, but the fall vibes of Over the Garden are so overwhelming that I felt it deserved a spot on the list. Plus, you can easily binge it all on a slow fall day. Two vaguely gnome-ish brothers (Elijah Wood and Collin Dean) become lost in a strange, magical forest. The animation and vibes are on point. It has a slight spooky edge for the Halloween lovers, but is overall gentle and quirky. Each episode is only 11 minutes long, and there are only 10 episodes. You can easily watch the whole series in the span of time required to watch a movie.
Available on: Max, Hulu
Knives Out (2019)
When the wealthy patriarch of an eccentric family dies, things are not as they seem. This movie has it all: a creepy gothic mansion, over-the-top accents, and Chris Evans in a fisherman’s sweater. This movie has enough spook to keep you on your toes the whole time, but has no nightmarish moments. The cast is chock full of incredible performers giving it their silly, irreverent all. Ana de Armas gives a standout performance in this delightful Agatha-Christie-meets-Wes-Anderson whodunit.
Available on: Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Vudu (to rent for $3.99)
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