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Cozy fall movies and shows: sweater weather, back to school, spooky season

84 titles chosen by hand for the season: the sweater-weather comfort tier, the back-to-school canon, and the October warm-up that is fun before it is frightening. Each page carries scare, gore and emotional-weight tags, and what is streaming right now sits first in every section.

Sweater weather

Warm, talky and a little wistful. Leaves optional, blankets not.

  1. 1Gilmore Girls posterGilmore Girls (2000) · seriesNo gore · measured · TV-14A quick-witted mother-daughter duo navigates life and love in a charming town, always with warmth and whimsy.Prime Video · Hulu
  2. 2Over the Garden Wall posterOver the Garden Wall (2014) · seriesMildly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · TV-PGTwo brothers navigate a surreal, melancholy forest, encountering whimsical characters on their journey home.Prime Video · Hulu
  3. 3Only Murders in the Building posterOnly Murders in the Building (2021) · seriesNo gore · brisk · TV-MAThree strangers obsessed with true crime find themselves in a whimsical, witty, and brisk mystery.Disney+ · Hulu
  4. 4You've Got Mail posterYou've Got Mail (1998)No gore · measured · PGTwo charming booksellers, rivals in real life, fall for each other through anonymous online messages.Paramount+
  5. 5Practical Magic posterPractical Magic (1998)Mildly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13Two witch sisters navigate wholesome humor and heartwarming romance while battling a campy, evil spirit.Max
  6. 6Little Women posterLittle Women (2019)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGFour earnest sisters navigate love and loss while coming of age in Civil War-era America.Hulu
  7. 7Pride & Prejudice posterPride & Prejudice (2005)No gore · measured · PGA witty, romantic drama unfolds as five sisters navigate love and societal pressures in Georgian England.
  8. 8Sense and Sensibility posterSense and Sensibility (1995)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGTwo sisters navigate rigid society, finding love and heartbreak after their family's sudden misfortune.Fandango at Home (free)
  9. 9The Holdovers posterThe Holdovers (2023)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA curmudgeonly instructor, a troubled student, and a grieving cook find heartwarming connection during a snowy Christmas break.Peacock · Fandango at Home (free)
  10. 10Knives Out posterKnives Out (2019)Light gore · measured · PG-13A debonair detective sifts through a family's witty lies and red herrings in a whimsical, suspenseful mystery.83
  11. 11Autumn in New York posterAutumn in New York (2000)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A playboy restaurateur and a free-spirited woman find intimate, melancholy romance as fate looms.Hoopla · YouTube (free) · Tubi
  12. 12Sweet November posterSweet November (2001)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A driven ad man falls for a free spirit, and their month together reshapes everything he knows about love.The Roku Channel · Plex · Tubi
  13. 13The Cider House Rules posterThe Cider House Rules (1999)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13An earnest young man learns about life and love as he leaves the only home he has ever known.MGM+ · Kanopy · Hoopla
  14. 14Harold and Maude posterHarold and Maude (1971)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA morbid young man finds an unconventional zest for life through a free-spirited, much older woman.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
  15. 15Mystic Pizza posterMystic Pizza (1988)No gore · measured · RThree young women navigate first loves and big dreams in a charming, bittersweet coming-of-age story.Prime Video · MGM+ · Kanopy
  16. 16The Remains of the Day posterThe Remains of the Day (1993)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA head butler's intimate world of decorum and duty faces melancholy challenges from love and war.Prime Video · Hulu · The Roku Channel
  17. 17The Age of Innocence posterThe Age of Innocence (1993)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA lawyer in 19th-century New York navigates intimate, melancholy desires against society's earnest expectations.Prime Video · The Roku Channel · Tubi
  18. 18A Room with a View posterA Room with a View (1986)No gore · measured · NRA young woman's Italian holiday blossoms into unexpected romance, challenging her rigid English life.Max · Criterion · YouTube (free)
  19. 19When Harry Met Sally... posterWhen Harry Met Sally... (1989)No gore · measured · RA witty and wholesome romance unfolds as two friends navigate the messy line between platonic and passionate love.91
  20. 20Fantastic Mr. Fox posterFantastic Mr. Fox (2009)No gore · measured · PGA clever fox outwits three farmers in a whimsical, darkly comic caper filled with dry wit.
  21. 21Amélie posterAmélie (2001)No gore · measured · RA shy Parisian waitress secretly orchestrates joy for others, finding whimsical romance along the way.
  22. 22The Trouble with Harry posterThe Trouble with Harry (1955)Light gore · measured · PGA quiet Vermont village unravels into darkly comic chaos as townsfolk discover a very dead body.
  23. 23The Royal Tenenbaums posterThe Royal Tenenbaums (2001)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA family of former prodigies navigates two decades of betrayal and disaster with witty, absurdist humor.
  24. 24Never Let Me Go posterNever Let Me Go (2010)Light gore · emotionally devastating · measured · RChildhood friends navigate a tender love triangle and a melancholy fate in a secluded English boarding school.
  25. 25Far from the Madding Crowd posterFar from the Madding Crowd (2015)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13An independent woman in Victorian England navigates three distinct courtships amidst melancholy, atmospheric beauty.
  26. 26Jane Eyre posterJane Eyre (2011)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A young governess finds intimate, melancholy romance with her enigmatic employer in an atmospheric, measured drama.

Back to school

Campuses, corridors and the first cold morning of the year.

  1. 1Good Will Hunting posterGood Will Hunting (1997)No gore · emotionally devastating · measured · RA brilliant but troubled young man finds his way with the help of a compassionate therapist.Paramount+ · MGM+
  2. 2Rushmore posterRushmore (1998)No gore · measured · RA quirky teenager’s crush on his teacher sparks a whimsical, dryly funny rivalry with an unlikely friend.Hoopla
  3. 3The Social Network posterThe Social Network (2010)No gore · emotionally heavy · brisk · PG-13A cerebral and intimate drama unfolds as a tech visionary's ambition leads to both triumph and betrayal.Apple TV+ · MGM+ · YouTube (free)78
  4. 4The Perks of Being a Wallflower posterThe Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A shy freshman navigates the pangs of first love and friendship with witty, melancholic earnestness.Kanopy
  5. 5Lady Bird posterLady Bird (2017)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA witty and earnest coming-of-age story unfolds as a strong-willed teen navigates family and future.Hulu · Max · YouTube (free)
  6. 6Mean Girls posterMean Girls (2004)No gore · brisk · PG-13A new girl navigates high school's cutthroat social scene with sharp wit and satirical humor.Paramount+ · Peacock · Kanopy
  7. 7Clueless posterClueless (1995)No gore · brisk · PG-13A whimsical, brisk comedy follows a shallow Beverly Hills teen playing matchmaker with witty, wholesome charm.Netflix · Paramount+ · Kanopy
  8. 810 Things I Hate About You poster10 Things I Hate About You (1999)No gore · measured · PG-13Witty banter and wholesome charm abound as new students navigate the whimsical world of high school romance.Disney+ · Peacock75
  9. 9The Breakfast Club posterThe Breakfast Club (1985)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RWitty banter and heartfelt confessions unfold as five detention-bound teens discover common ground.Hulu · Peacock
  10. 10Heathers posterHeathers (1989)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · RTeenage angst and dark humor collide as a new student upends high school hierarchy with deadly satire.Prime Video · Pluto TV · YouTube (free)
  11. 11Election posterElection (1999)No gore · measured · RA determined student's ambition clashes with a teacher's resentment, sparking a darkly comedic high school battle.Paramount+ · Kanopy
  12. 12Pretty in Pink posterPretty in Pink (1986)No gore · measured · PG-13A working-class girl navigates first love and social divides, finding heartwarming romance in every measured step.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
  13. 13Remember the Titans posterRemember the Titans (2000)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGTwo football coaches overcome their differences, forging a gritty, uplifting team of champions in a true story.Disney+ · Hulu
  14. 14Rudy posterRudy (1993)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGAn undersized athlete with immense heart pursues an improbable dream of playing football for Notre Dame.The Roku Channel
  15. 15A Beautiful Mind posterA Beautiful Mind (2001)No gore · emotionally devastating · measured · PG-13A brilliant mathematician's mind grapples with the weight of genius and the shadows of a secret world.Apple TV+
  16. 16Mona Lisa Smile posterMona Lisa Smile (2003)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A passionate art history professor challenges 1950s societal expectations, inspiring her students to find their own way.Kanopy · Hoopla
  17. 17School Ties posterSchool Ties (1992)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A star athlete hides his faith at a 1950s prep school, facing gritty betrayal and melancholy discovery.Paramount+
  18. 18Wonder Boys posterWonder Boys (2000)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA witty, darkly comic drama unfolds as a stalled writer navigates a melancholy, misadventurous weekend.Kanopy · Hoopla
  19. 19Cruel Intentions posterCruel Intentions (1999)No gore · emotionally heavy · brisk · RWealthy stepsiblings play a cruel game of seduction, using others as pawns in their darkly comedic, briskly paced drama.Netflix · Hulu · Kanopy
  20. 20Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone posterHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)Mildly scary · measured · PGA young wizard discovers a whimsical world of magic, friendship, and heartwarming adventure at a special school.Max · Peacock
  21. 21Matilda posterMatilda (1996)Mildly scary · measured · PGA brilliant girl with telekinetic powers navigates a whimsical world of cruel adults and kind mentors.YouTube (free)
  22. 22The Graduate posterThe Graduate (1967)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA young man's melancholy affair with an older woman becomes a witty, dark satire of suburban ennui.Prime Video · Kanopy · The Roku Channel
  23. 23St. Elmo's Fire posterSt. Elmo's Fire (1985)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RSeven college friends face down adulthood's messy realities, navigating love and careers with witty, melancholic earnestness.
  24. 24Dead Poets Society posterDead Poets Society (1989)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGAn inspiring teacher encourages students to defy rigid tradition and find their own voices, stirring both joy and sorrow.
  25. 25Say Anything... posterSay Anything... (1989)No gore · measured · PG-13An eternal optimist pursues a brilliant valedictorian, navigating first love and her father's disapproval with witty charm.
  26. 26October Sky posterOctober Sky (1999)No gore · measured · PGAn earnest, uplifting story about a coal miner's son reaching for the stars against all odds.

Spooky season starters

October energy without the endurance test. The scary ones live on the Halloween page.

  1. 1Hocus Pocus posterHocus Pocus (1993)Mildly scary · brisk · PGThree campy sister witches return to Salem, unleashing broad, darkly-comic mayhem for a brisk, whimsical Halloween.Disney+
  2. 2Hocus Pocus 2 posterHocus Pocus 2 (2022)Mildly scary · brisk · PGThree high school students must stop three resurrected, revenge-seeking witches from unleashing campy havoc on Salem.Disney+
  3. 3Coraline posterCoraline (2009)Properly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA curious girl finds a wondrous world behind a secret door, but its whimsical charm hides a chilling price.Hulu · The Roku Channel
  4. 4Beetlejuice posterBeetlejuice (1988)Mildly scary · light gore · measured · PGNewly dead, a couple enlists a deranged demon to scare an affluent family with surreal, darkly comic antics.Max
  5. 5Ghostbusters posterGhostbusters (1984)Mildly scary · brisk · PGDisgraced parapsychologists launch a ghost-busting business, battling a world-ending supernatural threat with witty, broad humor.Netflix
  6. 6The Addams Family posterThe Addams Family (1991)Mildly scary · light gore · measured · PG-13A darkly whimsical family celebrates the return of a long-lost uncle, but his memory loss raises suspicions.Paramount+ · Kanopy · Hoopla
  7. 7The Addams Family posterThe Addams Family (2019)No gore · measured · PGA darkly comic animated family faces a greedy reality TV host and prepares for a big family reunion.Peacock · YouTube (free)
  8. 8Casper posterCasper (1995)Mildly scary · measured · PGA friendly ghost longs for connection while his boisterous uncles create delightful, spectral chaos.Hulu · Peacock
  9. 9Halloweentown posterHalloweentown (1998)Mildly scary · measured · GA whimsical, wholesome fantasy adventure unfolds as a young witch discovers a secret portal to a magical town.Disney+ · Hulu
  10. 10Sleepy Hollow posterSleepy Hollow (1999)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · measured · RA skeptical detective confronts whimsical horrors and darkly-comic decapitations in a perpetually atmospheric, measured mystery.Paramount+ · Kanopy · YouTube (free)
  11. 11The Rocky Horror Picture Show posterThe Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)Mildly scary · light gore · measured · RA newly engaged couple stumbles into a surreal mansion of mad science, music, and darkly comic seduction.
  12. 12Edward Scissorhands posterEdward Scissorhands (1990)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A gentle, unfinished creation finds bittersweet love and acceptance in a pastel, whimsical suburban world.Disney+
  13. 13Clue posterClue (1985)Mildly scary · light gore · brisk · PGSix eccentric guests at a dinner party become suspects when their blackmailing host turns up dead.Paramount+
  14. 14The Craft posterThe Craft (1996)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · RTeenage witches in Catholic school discover dark powers, bringing gritty, darkly comic suspense to their suburban lives.Max · Plex
  15. 15Donnie Darko posterDonnie Darko (2001)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · RA troubled teenager's visions of a giant rabbit lead to surreal crimes and a suspenseful, dreamlike mystery.Prime Video · Hulu · Kanopy
  16. 16The Sixth Sense posterThe Sixth Sense (1999)Properly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A child psychologist uncovers a boy's chilling secret, weaving a measured tale of suspense and melancholy.Apple TV+ · Peacock · Fandango at Home (free)
  17. 17The Village posterThe Village (2004)Mildly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A sequestered village lives in chilling dread, and one man's curiosity unravels their measured peace.Peacock
  18. 18It posterIt (2017)Terrifying · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · RChildhood fears manifest as a shape-shifting clown while young outcasts confront terror in a bleak Maine town.Max
  19. 19Scream posterScream (1996)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · brisk · RA masked killer turns horror movie tropes into deadly games for a group of unsuspecting teenagers.Paramount+ · Starz · Hoopla75
  20. 20The Blair Witch Project posterThe Blair Witch Project (1999)Properly scary · emotionally heavy · a slow burn · RStudent filmmakers vanish in the woods, leaving behind chilling footage and an unsolved, bleak mystery.Max
  21. 21It Follows posterIt Follows (2015)Properly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RAfter a sexual encounter, a chilling, dreamlike force relentlessly pursues a young woman.Peacock
  22. 22The Dead Zone posterThe Dead Zone (1983)Mildly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA comatose teacher awakens with psychic visions, grappling with a chilling gift that brings melancholy and dread.Paramount+ · YouTube (free)
  23. 23The Witches of Eastwick posterThe Witches of Eastwick (1987)Mildly scary · measured · RThree small-town women conjure a flamboyant stranger who brings both whimsical fantasy and darkly comic horror.Tubi
  24. 24Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me posterTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)Properly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · RA surreal, slow-burn mystery unravels as dark visions and supernatural encounters haunt agents investigating a murder.Max · Criterion
  25. 25Stranger Things posterStranger Things (2016) · seriesProperly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · TV-14A small town grapples with a chilling supernatural mystery, secret experiments, and a peculiar young girl.Netflix79
  26. 26Twin Peaks posterTwin Peaks (1990) · seriesMildly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · TV-MAAn FBI agent investigates a surreal small-town mystery, uncovering darkly comic secrets and dreamlike suspense.Paramount+
  27. 27Corpse Bride posterCorpse Bride (2005)Mildly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA darkly comic fantasy unfolds as a nervous groom accidentally weds a whimsical corpse in the underworld.
  28. 28Young Frankenstein posterYoung Frankenstein (1974)No gore · brisk · PGA brilliant surgeon embraces his mad ancestry, reanimating the dead with brisk, darkly comic absurdity.
  29. 29E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial posterE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Mildly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA lost alien finds an unlikely family as children protect him from the world and help him return home.
  30. 30The Witches posterThe Witches (1990)Mildly scary · light gore · measured · PGA boy and his grandmother battle a coven of witches who are turning children into mice.
  31. 31Arsenic and Old Lace posterArsenic and Old Lace (1944)Light gore · brisk · NRA drama critic discovers his sweet aunts are serial murderers, leading to darkly comic and briskly paced mayhem.
  32. 32Trick 'r Treat posterTrick 'r Treat (2007)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · measured · RFour darkly comic Halloween tales weave together, each a pulpy, campy surprise with a whimsical, measured pace.
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