Happy October! 🍂 The ultimate autumn month is finally here! 🎃
Did I always romanticize fall? Nope! Things have changed, though, since I left teaching. These days, I’m able to spend more time at home, and so I can embrace and truly experience the coziest season of the year. So… YES! I decorate for fall. I enjoy being a homebody. I get in a very pumpkin-spice-and-everything-nice mood, and I don’t try to deny it. One of my favorite activities during autumn is watching shows and movies either on my own or with my partner. Some of them remind me of autumn and I try to rewatch them (or specific episodes) every single year. There’s just something about their vibes, stories, or characters that make me instantly think of autumn.
Some of them are too predictable, but others might not be too much.
In any case, I’m sharing mY FAVORITE fall autumn shows and movies in this post.
1. Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
Gossip Girl might be a trainwreck for many people (I agree!) but it’s one of the coziest shows out there for me. Admittedly, It holds a very special place in my heart because it’s the very first show I started watching right after breaking free from a traumatic relationship.
Anyway, Gossip Girl reminds me of autumn because of all the school drama, the memorable Thanksgiving episodes (especially, THE iconic one), the chilly Manhattan nights, and of course, Blair Waldorf herself. Blair is the Queen of Autumn for me, especially with her dark academia style in the first season of the show.
I’m hoping to rewatch it soon – especially with my partner, but that might be a long shot. 👀
2. Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
That’s a classic one. Unironically, I watched Gilmore Girls for the very first time just in 2023. I’m currently rewatching it with my partner, and honestly, there are so many elements and moments that remind me of fall.
I feel that especially the first three seasons are full of autumn activities and scenery, cute sweaters, returning to school vibes, and a bunch of pumpkins and coffee. I’m also in love with the 2000s nostalgia and the cozy storylines that keep you invested and somehow, feel familiar. Even better, there are 7 seasons and a sequel that consists of 4 episodes, so it’s definitely a show that can keep you busy for a while.
I’d gladly rewatch Gilmore Girls many more times.
Btw, have you read my thoughts on Jess’ feelings for Rory? 😱
3. Dead Poets Society (1989)
That’s a heartbreaking movie, but at the same time so inspiring and carries so strong dark academia vibes. I feel about it the way I feel about The Secret History by Donna Tartt. In Dead Poets Society we get to watch the transition of the nature that also indicates the way the characters change through the months – from August to December. The movie focuses on the first term of the school year, and we get to watch the academic studies of the main characters. I love the autumn elements that I see in the scenery, and the way the characters experiment with expressing themselves through poetry.
The main message of the movie might be ”Carpe Diem” but at the same time I feel like it inspires me to go after my dreams and beliefs no matter what. Also, Robin Williams in legendary in it! 💖
4. Corpse Bride (2005)
For me, Corpse Bride is the perfect movie to watch in fall. It’s dark, a little spooky but not too much, and with intense gothic vibes. Some people consider it a Halloween movie even though that wasn’t Burton’s intention. I can see why though. It’s definitely one of the movies I like to watch when October ends.
It features ghosts, skeletons, and of course the corpse bride herself who’s actually the cutest ever, and experiences actual growth during the movie. It’s a romantic and whimsical film that doesn’t get a happy ending, but still feels, in a twisted way, very optimistic.
5. How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
Disclaimer: I haven’t finished the show yet.
That’s an unusual one, but How I Met Your Mother does remind me of fall. We do get to see the seasonal changes in several New York scenes. There’s also something really cozy about the friends gathering together, talking about their lives, and worrying about love. There are also several Halloween and Thanksgiving episodes with memorable seasonal scenes and outings.
Plus, Ted Mosby specifically is an AUTUMN for me – just like Richard Gilmore (that’s canon event). He always carries a bittersweet melancholy that gives me strong fall vibes.
6. Sex and the City (1998-2004)
That’s just another show that took me forever to start watching. So, Sex and the City is not like Gilmore Girls. It doesn’t carry as much nostalgia, and doesn’t really focus on just one season that much. It still makes me think of fall for very specific reasons. Carrie Bradshaw picking up a stray leaf, the characters wandering around New York with a cup of coffee in hand, and of course, the iconic autumn fashion.
Also, Carrie’s unforgettable quote:
There is a time of year in New York when, even before the first leaf falls, you can feel the seasons click. The air is crisp, the summer is gone. And for the first night in a long time, you need a blanket on your bed.
I feel like the early ’00s shows were so much more attuned to the seasons changing even if their vibe or aesthetic didn’t actually have anything to do with them.
7. 13 Going on 30 (2004)
13 Going on 30 is one of the cutest movies out there. It fits the season and I could see it being a seasonal rewatch because of the strong nostalgia vibes, the cozy apartment scenes, the planning girlie who makes it, and all the small self-care rituals. Also, it’s a movie that always brings me closer to my inner child, and Jennifer Garner is adorable in it.
Btw, any chance you remember Jenna literally romanticizing fall in that one photoshoot scene with the autumn leaves all around her? Yeah, that’s the mood I’m talking about.
8. Matilda (1996)
This used to be one of my favorite films when I was a kid! The classic family fantasy movie focuses on Matilda starting school, a girl who loves reading and books. The theme of found family is also very strong and Miss Honey’s house is cozy and probably smells like homemade cookies.
Maltida is a cozy and whimsical film with a happy ending, a few dark moments, many books, and a girl who loves learning. What’s more autumn than that?
9. Hocus Pocus (1993)
That’s the most predictable pick, I know! This movie screams autumn though since it takes place in Salem during Halloween night. The fall imagery is there: the autumn leaves, the crip air, and the pumpkins. The witches are also there!
More than that, there’s probably no better place to be than Salem in autumn and it just looks magical. The movie is slightly creepy but also too funny and silly to take it seriously. That’s what makes it so enjoyable and one of my favorite films to watch when the nights get longer and colder.
10. Friends (1994 – 2004)
Friends was my first comfort show. It’ll always remind me of fall not just because of all the memorable Thanksgiving episodes but also because of Chandler being specifically traumatized by this holiday – iykyk! Also, the episodes mostly take place either in Monica’s apartment or Central Perk. Both places are extremely cozy, especially the famous orange couch at the coffee shop.
The NYC setting, the turkey scene!!!, the fall fashion, and the friendship between the main characters are the extra elements that make the show super cozy for me, and as very good fall watch.
What are your favorite shows and movies for autumn season? Let me know in the comments! 💖
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