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Every season has its movie moments: The summer blockbuster; the heartwarming Christmas Day theatrical release (plus all the holiday classics you stream at home); the slush pile that gets dumped on us in early spring. But fall is another beast entirely, with a catalog that ranges from romance to witches to animated animals; there’s so much to watch when you want to lean into that cozy, sweater weather-type mood. But where to begin?
We’re here to help. From the best fall foliage captured on film to the shows you can binge-watch from now until the dead of winter, here are 26 of our top picks for your cozy fall watchlist.
I want peak fall foliage
Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon star in this tear-jerking family drama filled with cozy outfits, Halloween costumes and crisp autumn scenery. – Tom Parfitt
You can rent or buy Stepmom on Amazon and other VOD platforms.
Samuel Goldwyn Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor sling pizza and figure out their futures in a Connecticut seaside town, with New England in the fall providing the backdrop. – TP
You can watch Mystic Pizza free with ads on YouTube.
Ken Woroner / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
This period drama and Lucy Maud Montgomery adaptation follows an orphan who finds a home on Prince Edward Island, Canada, where leaf-covered country lanes and a cozy farmhouse provide plenty of autumn atmosphere. – TP
Anne With an E is available to stream on Netflix.
I want a rainy Sunday comfort watch
Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
If you wish to warm your heart up on a cold, rainy fall day, look no further than Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen and Timothée Chalamet, this film is visually warm and fuzzy, with a tear-jerking plot that will leave you smiling by the end. – Danica Creahan
You can stream Little Women on Hulu/Disney+. You can also rent or buy it
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From $3.99 at Amazon
Miramax Films / Everett Collection)
Matt Damon’s breakout movie has everything you could want in a fall comfort watch: an autumnal New England setting, an emotional plot and plenty of Robin Williams dressed in cozy cardigans. How do you like them apples? – DC
You can watch Good Will Hunting totally free with ads on Pluto.
I want witchy — but not scary
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection
Witchy, whimsical and full of midnight margaritas, the originalPractical Magicis always worth revisiting around this time of year — especially if you plan to check out the 2026 sequel in theaters. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star in this cozy, magical movie about the power of sisterhood and spell-breaking love. – DC
You can stream the original Practical Magic on HBO Max.
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From $5.99 at Amazon
20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
While some may find Buffy’s antics to be fright-inducing, this long-running series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar is a camp classic and the perfect not-so-spooky fall show to binge. – DC
You can stream all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayeron Disney+.
Who doesn’t love a good witch? Charmed follows three sisters tasked with defending the innocent from evil forces. Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano star in this 1998 TV drama, which you can stream all eight seasons of on Peacock or free with ads on Pluto TV. – DC
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Watch free at Pluto
I want to feel like I live in Stars Hollow, but I’ve done ‘Gilmore Girls’ to death
CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
Gilmore Girls fans should feel right at home with Hart of Dixie. Rachel Bilson plays a New York doctor who moves to a small Alabama town filled with eccentric residents, local traditions and romantic drama. – TP
You can watch all four seasons of Hart of Dixie free with ads on Pluto.
NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Lauren Graham brings some familiar Gilmore Girls warmth to Parenthood, a six-season family drama made for settling into on a chilly Sunday night. The multi-generational cast includes Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard and Mae Whitman. – TP
You can stream all six seasons ofParenthood on Paramount+.
Jessie Redmond / CW / Freemantle / Courtesy Everett Collection
Sullivan’s Crossing follows a Boston neurosurgeon who returns to the campground where she grew up. Its Nova Scotia setting brings the feeling of a fall cabin getaway to the couch. Gilmore Girls stars Chad Michael Murray and Scott Patterson both appear. – TP
You can stream Sullivan’s Crossing on Netflix.
I want a comforting rom-com
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection
If your ideal fall day involves a cozy bookstore and coffee in hand, You’ve Got Mail fits the bill. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall for each other online against a picture-perfect New York autumn. – TP
You can stream You’ve Got Mailon Paramount+.
Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson play mismatched singles whose paths unexpectedly cross in the Hamptons. The beach house, turtlenecks and coastal setting make this Nancy Meyers movie an easy comfort watch.- TP
You can watch Something’s Gotta Give on Disney+ and Netflix.
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Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s friends-to-lovers story delivers plenty of autumn atmosphere, from chunky knitwear to that golden stroll through Central Park. – TP
You can rent or buy When Harry Met Sallyon Apple TV and other VOD platforms.
I want something scary that won’t stop me sleeping
While the whole “the witches are actually going to eat the children” thing definitely freaked me out at age 6, as an adult, the only thing I find scary about the 1993 Halloween classic Hocus Pocus is how talented the witchy trio of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimi and Sarah Jessica Parker truly are. What can I say, I guess this movie really put a spell on me. – DC
You can stream the original Hocus Pocus (and its sequel) on Disney+.
Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Casper turns a haunted mansion into pure ’90s comfort as Christina Ricci befriends its lovable resident ghost. It’s a family-friendly Halloween pick with more charm than scares. – TP
You can stream Casper on Peacock or Disney+.
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Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection
This live-action take on Mystery Inc. delivers early-2000s nostalgia without going too heavy on the scares. Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini and Matthew Lillard bring the cartoon gang to life for a monster-filled island mystery. – TP
You can watch Scooby Doofree with ads on YouTube.
Give me something I can binge until winter
CW Network / Courtesy Everett Collection
There’s nothing better than taking a trip to good ol’ Mystic Falls when the weather starts to get colder, grayer and all around more … vampiric. Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley star in CW’s sometimes-campy, occasionally spooky and all-around iconic The Vampire Diaries, which has eight seasons for you to sink your teeth into this fall. – DC
Stream The Vampire Diaries on Peacock and HBO Max.
Ghosts has plenty of Halloween spirit to carry you through the fall. Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar star in this CBS sitcom about two homeowners who move in unaware that their new abode is haunted by a gaggle of ghosts.
The first four seasons of Ghosts are available to watch free with ads on Pluto; all five seasons are available to stream on Paramount+. – DC
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After her death, Maddie is stuck in an afterlife high school while she investigates her own mysterious disappearance. Peyton List, Kristian Ventura and Milo Manheim star in this underrated, atmospheric teen drama. You can stream all three seasons of School Spirits on Paramount+. – DC
I need something for the whole family
Fox Searchlight / Courtesy Everett Collection
Wes Anderson’s charming stop-motion animation is practically made for fall, with its warm orange palette and countryside setting. George Clooney and Meryl Streep lead the star-studded voice cast. – TP
You can stream Fantastic Mr. Foxon Disney+.
Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection
Set during Día de los Muertos, Pixar’s Coco follows a music-loving boy on a journey through his family’s past. There are laughs and catchy songs along the way, but its emotional ending may have the whole couch reaching for tissues. – TP
Coco is streaming on Disney+.
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection
Few characters are better suited to comfort-watch season than Paddington Bear. His second big-screen adventure is full of kindness and community, with Hugh Grant adding plenty of fun as the flamboyant villain. – TP
Stream Paddington 2 on HBO Max.
I’m after Thanksgiving energy
Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection
Steve Martin and John Candy star in this heartwarming John Hughes film about two strangers who are continuously thrown together after a series of travel mishaps as they try to get home for Thanksgiving. – DC
You can stream Planes, Trains and Automobiles free with ads on Pluto.
For a quick hit of Thanksgiving nostalgia, join Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. The 25-minute special is a gentle, feel-good watch for the post-dinner slump. – TP
A Charlie Brown Thanksgivingis available to stream on Apple TV.
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection
With 10 Thanksgiving episodes to choose from, Friends is made for a holiday marathon. Revisit Rachel’s disastrous dessert, Brad Pitt’s guest appearance and Monica’s turkey dance. – TP
Stream all 10 seasons (but especially those Thanksgiving episodes) on HBO Max.
