Autumn and Halloween Movies

 Autumn and Halloween Movies

Of all the activities I love participating in during autumn, I love watching movies the most. There’s nothing like putting on a seasonal favorite with a pumpkin spice candle lit and a bag of candy corn wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. 

To me, autumn movies are all about coziness. What I find cozy might not be the same for you, so I’ll define it here. To be considered a fall favorite, you must be

1. A little bit dark

2. A little bit spooky

3. Include fall foliage and scenery

I’m not really into the hardcore horror films. Slasher movies filled with blood and nightmare-inducing scenes of torture aren’t too cozy for me. That being said, I love a good creepy movie. Give me a haunted house any day. For this post, I’ve excluded actual horror movies. Maybe we’ll get to those in another post, but I had to draw the line somewhere, or I would be here typing all day.

Some of these movies are Halloween favorites, and some are just great for autumn. All of them give off some great Autumn vibes for me. 

Coraline (PG)

I’m sure this creepy, silly, and visually stunning movie is a staple on most of your fall movie lists. It’s about a little girl, Coraline, who moves into a new apartment in an old pink house with many strange characters and secrets. This is an excellent movie for older kids, but it can be scary for the younger ones. 

The Addams Family (PG-13)

I’m talking about the 1991 film with Anjelica Huston. I always tell my husband I want to live in the Addams’ big, creepy house with a beautiful graveyard. This movie is funny and weird, and to this Halloween-loving girl, it is cozy.

Hocus Pocus (PG)

I spoke briefly about this movie in my “Waiting for Autumn” post. This is the best Halloween movie ever made. It’s got witches, spooky vibes, comedy, trick-or-treating, a talking black cat, and an autumn/Halloween 90s aesthetic everywhere you look. I grew up watching Hocus Pocus constantly during October, as it was always on the Disney channel on repeat. Super nostalgic.

Halloweentown (G)

This one hangs out adjacent to Hocus Pocus in my brain. This was another Disney channel constant during October in the late 90s and early 2000s. It’s super kid-friendly and silly but so fun. 

Rocky Horror Picture Show (R)

Speaking of kids, this is not the movie for them. This raunchy, weird, musical comedy is about an innocent, newlywed couple who shelter from a storm in a house of horrors. Hosted by a mad scientist, “Sweet Transvestite,” the newlywed’s stay gradually takes away their innocence in the most inappropriate and silly ways possible. You probably know the song “Time Warp” from this film. 

Dead Poets Society (PG- today it would be rated PG-13)

I’ll admit, this film is not one I re-watch often because of the weight of the storyline, but it’s an absolute masterpiece nonetheless. Robin Williams stars as an inspirational English teacher at an all-boys boarding school whose methods, though inspiring, veer from the school’s norms. The boys are inspired to begin a “Dead Poets Society-” a secret club where they can read poetry to each other in the black of night and learn to live life to the fullest. This film is classic dark academia and perfect to watch on a rainy day. 

Clue (PG- but PG-13 by today’s standards)

Campy, ridiculous, and fabulous, this has to be one of my favorite dark comedies. Based on the board game Clue it is about a murder at a mysterious dinner party. There’s blackmail, there’s affairs, there’s dead people in closets, and there’s the most amazingly stupid dialogue. A few of my favorite moments include “I’m gonna go home and sleep with my wife” and “Flames, flames, on the side of my face…”

Beetlejuice (PG- definitely PG-13 today)

This is great for older kids because it has some creepy moments. Beetlejuice has a little bit of everything: it’s a comedy and a ghost story, and it has Winona Ryder in it. This one is less cozy and more just fun.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG)

This is one of my favorite films of all time. This stop-motion animated musical film by Tim Burton satisfies both my Halloween and Christmas cravings, and I often watch it throughout the year. It’s beautifully animated (if, like me, you think twisted stuff is beautiful), and the soundtrack is a masterpiece.

Corpse Bride (PG)

I always think of Corpse Bride as The Nightmare Before Christmas’ younger, not quite as impressive cousin. Also written and directed by Tim Burton, this film has the same beautiful stop-motion animation and a few fun songs. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter voice the main characters, so you know it has to be good.

R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (PG)

This is a Goosebumps-style spooky film about teenagers who get caught up with some evil traveling carnival people who want to turn all of them into food for the creepy carnival ghouls. There’s a Halloween festival complete with a corny dance-off, a haunted house walk-through attraction, and lots of Halloween and autumn vibes. Definitely not a masterpiece of a film, but it's still a favorite of mine. 

I narrowed this list several times before deciding which movies to include here. I adore many more Halloween and autumn movies, but these are the stand-out favorites that make it to my to-watch list year after year.

What are your favorite movies to watch in autumn?