Autumn is here, filled with pumpkin spice, cozy blankets and falling leaves, make sure you are ready to relax with some great movies. Please keep in mind that some of these films have a PG-13 rating or higher.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
This film is from the 60’s, but still holds up great! It’s a short 25 minute length animation, but has a fun story about Charlie and his friends on Halloween night. Charlie goes to a Halloween party, Lucy goes trick or treating and Linus waits for the mythical “Great Pumpkin”.You can watch this fun tale with all your family! It’s available to watch on Apple TV and is rated G.
Coraline
This incredible stop-motion animation will get you right in the spooky spirit. It follows a young girl named Coraline after she discovers a portal in her new house. The new world she finds is full of excitement, present parents and anything she wants. The only irregularity being her parents have buttons for eyes. But.. is everything as it seems there? You can watch it on Max, it has a PG rating.
Donnie Darko
Via UsMagazine
This cult classic movie is my favorite film in general, but also gets me into the fall spirit. It follows teenager Donnie Darko after he begins having schizophrenic visions of a man in a rabbit suit named Frank. As his mental health worsens, he begins to wake up in odd places such as a trashed school, a burnt house and even worse. Donnie tries to manage his normal school life while trying to understand Frank the rabbit. You can watch it on Prime Video; it has a R rating.
Hocus Pocus
Via CinemaBlend
Hocus Pocus has been a fall classic since it came out in the 90s. It follows a Californian boy named Max as he moves to Salem, Massachusetts. While out with his sister and friend, he accidentally brings a coven of witches back to life. Now, he has to stop them from cursing the town with the help of his friends and a talking cat. This film has adventure, romance, and lots of laughs. Hocus Pocus 1 (and 2!) are available to watch on Disney+, it has a PG certification.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Via MUBI
Fantastic Mr. Fox is an impressive stop motion film from legendary director Wes Anderson. It has a satisfying color palette, impeccable symmetry and is overall such a cinematic looking movie. It takes place in the fall and is full of apples, cider, pies and Thanksgiving turkey. It’s based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. It follows Mr. Fox as he begins to steal from three farmers and the consequences he gets himself into. It has a star studded cast with George Clooney, Bill Murray, Meryl Streep and more.
Scream
Via PopSugar
Scream is the 90s slasher that reinvented the horror genre forever. It follows Sidney Prescott, a teenager in California after a masked killer begins to attack her town of Woodsboro. There’s lots of adventures, plot twists, jumpscares and more. This was also the pioneering film in twisting common horror tropes such as purity, the “final girl” and motives. It greatly changed the genre to uplift and recognize powerful women instead of judging them. It’s a spooky yet funny slasher with a rich history worth watching. You can see it on Paramount+, it has a R-rated certification.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Via LoveToKnow
Finally, the Nightmare Before Christmas is a great transition from the fall season into the Christmas season. It follows Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloweentown who is bored of scaring people every year. He stumbles along Christmastown and is in awe of it. He tries to take over the holiday but it begins to go horribly wrong. You can watch this on Disney+, it has a PG rating.
These are just a few of the many great fall movies! Make sure to find your own hidden gems this Autumn.