52 autumn movies that are perfect to cosy up with
Autumn movies are perfect for when you want to cosy up with a cup of tea and forget about your real-life distractions for a good two hours.
The season is traditionally when some of the best movies of the year come to theatres. After the studios make their money with summer blockbusters, they roll out their awards contenders during the rest of the year, which are sure to keep us occupied. But there are only so many new movies to watch, and we wanna keep that golden-leaf energy every day!
Thankfully, there are more than enough good autumnal movies, new and old, to keep us in the mood all season long. Yes, plenty are about Halloween and witchcraft in general, but just as many are about taking a stroll in the park with your lover or solving a mystery while wearing a sweater. Whether you're a Practical Magic girlie surrounded by cats, a horror fan locking her doors and practising her Scream, or a perpetual grad student missing the plaids of School of Rock or the crisp Ivy League New England vibes depicted in the likes of Good Will Hunting and A Beautiful Mind, these are the movies that will fill your nose with the scent of new pencils and wrap you in a scarf of cinematic crispness.
Have a scroll below to find the best autumn movies to cosy up to and how to watch them right now.
A version of this article was originally published in GLAMOUR US.
Rory MulveyDownton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)
Why not snuggle down with the latest period drama treat from the Downton Abbey franchise? We see the Crawley family face financial trouble and public scandal – will they pull through for the sake of the next generation?
A24We Live In Time (2025)
With the colder months comes the season of sobfests. And this one is a doozy. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in a romantic dramedy where a chance meeting sees a couple fall in love, and then grapple with how to move forward when one of them is diagnosed with a serious illness. Pugh, as usual, is a tour de force.
Universal PicturesShakespeare in Love (1998)
Joseph Fiennes plays William Shakespeare, who is looking for a muse – enter Gwyneth Paltrow, as Viola. Conflict ensues when it is made clear that Viola is already promised to Lord Wessex (Colin Firth).
Getty ImagesLegally Blonde (2001)
The ultimate back-to-school vibes? When Elle Woods decides to go to Harvard Law School. Like it's hard? Reese Witherspoon and co began a legendary piece of cinema when Legally Blonde was released back in 2001, seeing a perky (yet intelligent and empathetic) blonde head to law school to win back her ex beau. What she finds there is so much more than a high school love – she finds herself.
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Royal Tenenbaums (2002)
Wes Anderson movies always bring the autumnal tone. Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Gwyneth Paltrow, it follows the story of a dysfunctional family – including a number of child prodigies – finding themselves under the same roof at the request of their father.
Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionMona Lisa Smile (2003)
Want some empowering, back-to-school vibes? Look no further. Julia Roberts plays Katherine Watson, an art history professor who encourages her female students to question outdated, patriarchal societal norms. Also stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Julia Stiles.
Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett CollectionSilver Linings Playbook (2012)
Set over an autumn and winter in the Noughties, we see Pat (Bradley Cooper), a man with bipolar disorder, meet Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) by chance. She agrees to help him get his wife back if he participates in a dance competition with her. Adorable, autumnal vibes.
MiramaxGood Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting was the movie that introduced us to the talents of BFFs Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Set amongst the crisp autumnal backdrop of an Ivy League college, the movie centres on Will Hunting, whose genius mathematical abilities are discovered by a professor while working as a cleaner at MIT. When the professor takes Will under his wing to reach his full potential, he is arrested for attacking a police officer. The professor then goes to great lengths to make a deal to get leniency if he gets treatment from therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams).
Sony Pictures Television Inc.Little Women (2019)
The Stateside New England autumnal landscape is stunning as the tale of the four March sisters is brought to life again in this Greta Gerwig classic as they navigate issues with class and sexism while forging potential romances. Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, and Saoirse Ronan star.
Photo Credit: Barbara NitkeHappiness for Beginners (2023)
As one of the newer flicks on our list, Happiness for Beginners is a rom-com based on the lead character, Helen, attempting to reclaim her joy after struggling to get over her divorce a year earlier. There, amongst the stunning wilderness backdrop, she succeeds at finding what makes her click while also finding new love. This movie really wants us to cosy around a crackling campfire with a hot chocolate in hand while snuggled up in a chunky scarf.
© (current year) UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND DREAMWORKS LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Ivy League education is once again the perfect autumnal pitstop for the Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind, in which Russell Crowe plays mathematician John Nash, whose paranoid delusions were eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia. Starring the stunning Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany (these two got married after meeting on set!).
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett CollectionPractical Magic (1998)
No autumn movies list could start without Practical Magic. This now cult classic bombed in theatres, but Nicole Kidman has never been hotter, and Sandra Bullock has never been more lovely. The witchcraft vibes are absolutely off the charts, with everything from black cats to curses to ex-lovers coming into play. And the aunts! We could go on, but we won't. Just watch it.
Courtesy of Everett CollectionKnives Out (2019)
From the sweaters to the steaming mugs of tea, there is something undeniably autumnal about this mystery movie. And once you finish it, be sure to rush on over to check out its sequel, Glass Onion. There's never been a better time to watch.
©Universal/ Everett CollectionCasper (1995)
This ghost flick is definitely family-friendly more than it is spooky, but there are only so many times you can watch Hocus Pocus.
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©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionHocus Pocus (1993)
That said, just stream Hocus Pocus already – you know you want to. It's another box-office flop that has become beloved; the Sanderson Sisters are now a common costume for friend triads, and we've met loads of pets named Binx for a reason. Oh, and of course, there's a sequel, too, which was released in 2022.
©Disney+/Courtesy Everett CollectionHocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Yep, the sequel works! Focusing on the Sandersons rather than any of the mortal characters from the first movie, this charming and truly funny follow-up is one of the better movies to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in a long time.
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Disney Channel/ Everett CollectionHalloweentown (1998)
A town where it's Halloween all the time? Moving there, stat. And how often do we get to see the literally iconic Debbie Reynolds waving her hands over a cauldron?
Warner Bros/ Everett CollectionThe Harry Potter Series (2001–2011)
Fall hits and that old Hogwarts itch comes back. Yeah, we've seen ’em all a million times at this point, but why not press play and leave it on as background noise while you carve a pumpkin? That’s what cosy movies are all about. Plus, the John Williams score goes hard.
©Warner Bros/ Everett CollectionYou’ve Got Mail (1998)
This movie, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, has absolutely nothing to do with death unless you count the death of small businesses. It takes place over a few seasons, but all the bookstore scenes make it a fall fave.
©Warner Bros/ Everett CollectionSweet November (2001)
This tearjerker may have gotten negative reviews, but it does take place during November. Death and decay…as the seasons change, so do we. Winter comes for us all.
©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Scream Franchise (1996–present)
The ultimate teen slasher keeps being revived for a reason: It's so much fun. The fashions, the soundtrack, the memorable lines… this is Wes Craven at his best, and Ghostface is always an easy costume option.
©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Scary Movie Franchise (2000–2013)
Laugh-out-loud gags take the horror genre down a peg or seven. Regina Hall and Anna Faris are a truly hysterical duo in this spoof of everything from The Grudge to The Ring.
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Craft (1996)
If you grew up on Teen Witch but feel ready for something slightly scarier, why not revisit this ’90s classic? Perma-witch Fairuza Balk and our queen Neve Campbell face off in the only place more demonic than Hell: high school.
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©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionJames and the Giant Peach (1996)
It may not be a pumpkin, but when you've got a Claymation spider living inside a big yellow fruit (yes, pumpkins are fruit!), that's Halloween!
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©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett CollectionRemember the Titans (2000)
Fall means back to school, freshly sharpened pencils and football, football, football. This based-on-a-true-story integration tale is a bit simplistic, but the soundtrack is fantastic, and Denzel is wonderful.
- Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Something sexy this way comes. Jack Nicholson stars as Beelzebub himself, driving the women of Eastwick wild with powers. If you can't get down with Cher, Michelle, and Susan, what are you waiting for in a movie?
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionCruel Intentions (1999)
This sexy teen drama takes place in the month leading up to the first day of school, so we suppose, technically, it's an end-of-summer flick.
©Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Blair Witch Project (1999)
Whatever you think of the actual film, the marketing behind this movie is legendary. The found-footage indie leveraged the early days of the internet to make hundreds question whether it might be, in some way, real.
©Warner Bros/ Everett CollectionBeetlejuice (1988)
Winona forever. Crack open the Handbook for the Recently Deceased and enjoy one of Michael Keaton's finest performances as the maestro of mayhem himself in Beetlejuice. (And yeah, that's the mom from Schitt's Creek and Home Alone.
Entertainment Pictures / Alamy Stock PhotoKiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
A little witch and her little cat! Kiki learns to harness her powers in this kid-friendly Miyazaki film that will make you wanna hop aboard the next broomstick you see.
Courtesy Everett CollectionBedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
RIP, Angela Lansbury. This oft-forgotten musical has a bit too much in common with Mary Poppins to carve out its own legacy, but it's actually just delightful, starring Mrs Potts herself as a woman who learns witchcraft via, get this, a correspondence course!
Everett CollectionDead Poets Society (1989)
Meanwhile, the boys may not be studying witchcraft, but they are at boarding school learning poetry, which is certainly a kind of magic. Come for the crimson uniforms; stay for Robin Williams.
©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Sixth Sense (1999)
The ultimate elevated horror movie that redefined the thriller and ghost genres for a generation. Even if you know the iconic twist, how Shyamalan plays it out is genius, and the acting is stellar, even that of the kids, including Haley Joel Osment and Mischa Barton.
Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock PhotoThe Twilight Saga (2008–2012)
Vampires! Werewolves! And the scariest thing of all: love!!! These teen romances are having a bit of a renaissance lately and are perfect for a Halloween movie series that's utterly free of pumpkins and witches.
© A24 /Courtesy Everett CollectionHereditary (2018)
The less said about the plot the better, but Toni Colette is a force of nature in Ari Aster's scarefest. The fact that he released this and then a year later Midsommar? We get it—he's good!
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionWorking Girl (1988)
There's something about the sneakers in the purses and the Carly Simon song and the coats (and the fact that a ski vacation sets the plot in motion) that makes this a sort of back-to-school movie for grown-ups. Remember the in-person office? Man, those were the days….
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Oh my God, the jackets. Sure, they're talking “Florals, for spring?” but this movie has the September issue written all over it. Paris in the fall! Fashion Week! Grilled cheese! Yes, the autumn vibes are on trend here.
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©Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett CollectionTwitches (2005)
Tia and Tamera take a break from swapping places to cast a few spells in these fun Disney Channel Originals that unfortunately get overlooked in the Halloweentown/Hocus Pocus/Z-O-M-B-I-E-S of it all.
CBS/ Everett CollectionIt’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
When Linus gets Santa Claus and Halloween mixed up, his friends come together to keep him (adorable) company. One of the best fall family movies that's been delighting kids of all ages for decades for a reason.
Lions Gate/ Everett CollectionTyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)
You'll scream-laugh through this ridiculous romp, best seen with a group. Ghostbusters isn't the only Hallo-comedy, okay?
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©Paramount/Courtesy Everett CollectionClue (1985)
An absolute blast of a whodunit, a campy cult classic, and yes, this is where “flames, on the side of my face” comes from. And perfect for a group costume too!
©Universal/Courtesy Everett CollectionDeath Becomes Her (1992)
People forget Meryl had a funny side long before Devil. She and Goldie Hawn go head-to-head over Bruce Willis in this supernatural black comedy that's as soapy as soap can be.
Netflix/ Everett CollectionHubie Halloween (2020)
Netflix quietly dropped this Sandler flick pre-vaccine to little fanfare, but it's genuinely funny and fun, the perfect thing to turn on for the too-old-for-trick-or-treating, too-young-for-a-party crowd.
Newmarket Releasing/ Everett CollectionDonnie Darko (2001)
This cult quasi-horror is always popular with the emo crowd looking for something a little edgier than Scream. Just don't ask us to explain the ending because we genuinely don't get it.
©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionRushmore (1998)
This Wes Anderson joint will make you remember what you hated about school (all of it) and what you loved (somehow, all of it?) and features hilarious deadpan performances from Luke Wilson and
Logan RoyBrian Cox.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionFantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
There's something so satisfying about stop-motion, but honestly, we've seen all the Tim Burtons a couple hundred times. Thankfully, Anderson adapted this children's book into a sweet and typically stylised feature that makes us hungry for pie (and yarn).
Everett Collection / Everett CollectionWhat We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Before it was a beloved FX series, What We Do in the Shadows was a mockumentary from Taika Waititi that's a little more wry, a lot more dry, but just as funny. “We're werewolves, not swearwolves.”
AlamyWhen Harry Met Sally (1989)
Maybe it's the leaves changing colour on the trees, but even though this love story famously reaches its conclusion on New Year's Eve, the journey to that kiss feels utterly autumn-esque.
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett CollectionCoco (2017)
Can't find the right soundtrack for your Dia de Los Muertos fiesta? Look no further than this Disney charmer that combines music, folklore, and tradition to weave a not-so-scary tale about the afterlife.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionJennifer’s Body (2009)
Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody's maligned masterpiece is finally getting its due, but so many still haven't seen it! This is a twist on demonic possession that has more in common with Heathers than Dawn of the Dead, plus a killer MCR-style soundtrack.
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett CollectionSchool of Rock (2003)
Grab your guitar, your plaid, and your will to rock because this is the school movie to end all school movies. Jack Black has never been hotter. Yep, said what I said.
©Universal/Courtesy Everett CollectionFriday Night Lights (2004)
If you've already watched the series, let's take it back to where it all began, the movie that started it all.
