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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) · seriesDry wit · cozy · comfort watch · 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) · seriesWholesome humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · 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) · seriesDry wit · cozy · comfort watch · 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)Dry wit · cozy · date night · measured · PGTwo charming booksellers, rivals in real life, fall for each other through anonymous online messages.Paramount+ · YouTube (free)
  5. 5When Harry Met Sally... posterWhen Harry Met Sally... (1989)Dry wit · romantic · date night · measured · RA witty and wholesome romance unfolds as two friends navigate the messy line between platonic and passionate love.Paramount+91
  6. 6Practical Magic posterPractical Magic (1998)Wholesome humor · whimsical · date night · emotionally heavy · PG-13Two witch sisters navigate wholesome humor and heartwarming romance while battling a campy, evil spirit.Max
  7. 7Fantastic Mr. Fox posterFantastic Mr. Fox (2009)Dry wit · whimsical · family watch · measured · PGA clever fox outwits three farmers in a whimsical, darkly comic caper filled with dry wit.Disney+
  8. 8Little Women posterLittle Women (2019)Heartwarming · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PGFour earnest sisters navigate love and loss while coming of age in Civil War-era America.Hulu
  9. 9Pride & Prejudice posterPride & Prejudice (2005)Dry wit · romantic · date night · measured · PGA witty, romantic drama unfolds as five sisters navigate love and societal pressures in Georgian England.
  10. 10The Holdovers posterThe Holdovers (2023)Dry wit · melancholy · date night · emotionally heavy · RA curmudgeonly instructor, a troubled student, and a grieving cook find heartwarming connection during a snowy Christmas break.Peacock · Fandango at Home (free)
  11. 11Knives Out posterKnives Out (2019)Dry wit · whimsical · date night · measured · PG-13A debonair detective sifts through a family's witty lies and red herrings in a whimsical, suspenseful mystery.The Roku Channel83
  12. 12Autumn in New York posterAutumn in New York (2000)Melancholy · date night · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A playboy restaurateur and a free-spirited woman find intimate, melancholy romance as fate looms.Prime Video · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
  13. 13Sweet November posterSweet November (2001)Romantic · date night · 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
  14. 14The Cider House Rules posterThe Cider House Rules (1999)Melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13An earnest young man learns about life and love as he leaves the only home he has ever known.MGM+
  15. 15Harold and Maude posterHarold and Maude (1971)Dry wit · whimsical · late-night trip · emotionally heavy · PGA morbid young man finds an unconventional zest for life through a free-spirited, much older woman.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
  16. 16The Royal Tenenbaums posterThe Royal Tenenbaums (2001)Dry wit · melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · RA family of former prodigies navigates two decades of betrayal and disaster with witty, absurdist humor.Max
  17. 17Mystic Pizza posterMystic Pizza (1988)Wholesome humor · romantic · date night · measured · RThree young women navigate first loves and big dreams in a charming, bittersweet coming-of-age story.MGM+ · Kanopy · Hoopla
  18. 18Never Let Me Go posterNever Let Me Go (2010)Melancholy · full attention · emotionally devastating · measured · RChildhood friends navigate a tender love triangle and a melancholy fate in a secluded English boarding school.Prime Video
  19. 19The Remains of the Day posterThe Remains of the Day (1993)Melancholy · date night · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA head butler's intimate world of decorum and duty faces melancholy challenges from love and war.Prime Video · The Roku Channel · Tubi
  20. 20The Age of Innocence posterThe Age of Innocence (1993)Melancholy · date night · 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
  21. 21A Room with a View posterA Room with a View (1986)Romantic · date night · measured · NRA young woman's Italian holiday blossoms into unexpected romance, challenging her rigid English life.Max · YouTube (free) · Tubi
  22. 22Sense and Sensibility posterSense and Sensibility (1995)Melancholy · date night · emotionally heavy · measured · PGTwo sisters navigate rigid society, finding love and heartbreak after their family's sudden misfortune.
  23. 23Amélie posterAmélie (2001)Whimsical · date night · measured · RA shy Parisian waitress secretly orchestrates joy for others, finding whimsical romance along the way.
  24. 24The Trouble with Harry posterThe Trouble with Harry (1955)Dry wit · darkly comic · date night · measured · PGA quiet Vermont village unravels into darkly comic chaos as townsfolk discover a very dead body.
  25. 25Far from the Madding Crowd posterFar from the Madding Crowd (2015)Romantic · date night · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13An independent woman in Victorian England navigates three distinct courtships amidst melancholy, atmospheric beauty.
  26. 26Jane Eyre posterJane Eyre (2011)Melancholy · date night · 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)Dry wit · intimate · comfort watch · emotionally devastating · RA brilliant but troubled young man finds his way with the help of a compassionate therapist.Apple TV+ · Paramount+ · Kanopy
  2. 2Rushmore posterRushmore (1998)Dry wit · whimsical · comfort watch · 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)Gritty · full attention · emotionally heavy · brisk · PG-13A cerebral and intimate drama unfolds as a tech visionary's ambition leads to both triumph and betrayal.Criterion · MGM+ · Fandango at Home (free)78
  4. 4The Perks of Being a Wallflower posterThe Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)Dry wit · melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · PG-13A shy freshman navigates the pangs of first love and friendship with witty, melancholic earnestness.Prime Video · Kanopy
  5. 5Lady Bird posterLady Bird (2017)Dry wit · heartwarming · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · RA witty and earnest coming-of-age story unfolds as a strong-willed teen navigates family and future.Max · YouTube (free)
  6. 6Mean Girls posterMean Girls (2004)Dry wit · satirical · date night · brisk · PG-13A new girl navigates high school's cutthroat social scene with sharp wit and satirical humor.Paramount+ · Kanopy · YouTube (free)
  7. 7Clueless posterClueless (1995)Dry wit · whimsical · date night · brisk · PG-13A whimsical, brisk comedy follows a shallow Beverly Hills teen playing matchmaker with witty, wholesome charm.Paramount+ · Starz · Hoopla
  8. 810 Things I Hate About You poster10 Things I Hate About You (1999)Dry wit · whimsical · date night · measured · PG-13Witty banter and wholesome charm abound as new students navigate the whimsical world of high school romance.Disney+75
  9. 9The Breakfast Club posterThe Breakfast Club (1985)Dry wit · heartwarming · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · RWitty banter and heartfelt confessions unfold as five detention-bound teens discover common ground.Hulu
  10. 10Heathers posterHeathers (1989)Dark satire · campy · late-night trip · strong violence · 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)Dry wit · satirical · full attention · 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)Wholesome humor · nostalgic · date night · measured · PG-13A working-class girl navigates first love and social divides, finding heartwarming romance in every measured step.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
  13. 13October Sky posterOctober Sky (1999)Feel good · family watch · measured · PGAn earnest, uplifting story about a coal miner's son reaching for the stars against all odds.YouTube (free)
  14. 14Remember the Titans posterRemember the Titans (2000)Feel good · family watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PGTwo football coaches overcome their differences, forging a gritty, uplifting team of champions in a true story.Disney+
  15. 15Rudy posterRudy (1993)Feel good · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PGAn undersized athlete with immense heart pursues an improbable dream of playing football for Notre Dame.The Roku Channel
  16. 16A Beautiful Mind posterA Beautiful Mind (2001)Cerebral · comfort watch · emotionally devastating · measured · PG-13A brilliant mathematician's mind grapples with the weight of genius and the shadows of a secret world.Apple TV+
  17. 17Mona Lisa Smile posterMona Lisa Smile (2003)Earnest · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A passionate art history professor challenges 1950s societal expectations, inspiring her students to find their own way.Kanopy · Hoopla
  18. 18School Ties posterSchool Ties (1992)Gritty · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A star athlete hides his faith at a 1950s prep school, facing gritty betrayal and melancholy discovery.Paramount+
  19. 19Wonder Boys posterWonder Boys (2000)Dry wit · melancholy · full attention · emotionally heavy · RA witty, darkly comic drama unfolds as a stalled writer navigates a melancholy, misadventurous weekend.Kanopy · Hoopla
  20. 20Cruel Intentions posterCruel Intentions (1999)Dark satire · campy · date night · emotionally heavy · RWealthy stepsiblings play a cruel game of seduction, using others as pawns in their darkly comedic, briskly paced drama.Netflix · Hulu · Kanopy
  21. 21Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone posterHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)Wholesome humor · whimsical · comfort watch · measured · PGA young wizard discovers a whimsical world of magic, friendship, and heartwarming adventure at a special school.Max · Peacock
  22. 22Matilda posterMatilda (1996)Big broad humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · PGA brilliant girl with telekinetic powers navigates a whimsical world of cruel adults and kind mentors.YouTube (free)
  23. 23The Graduate posterThe Graduate (1967)Dry wit · melancholy · full attention · emotionally heavy · PGA young man's melancholy affair with an older woman becomes a witty, dark satire of suburban ennui.Kanopy · The Roku Channel · Plex
  24. 24Dead Poets Society posterDead Poets Society (1989)Earnest · comfort watch · 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)Dry wit · romantic · date night · measured · PG-13An eternal optimist pursues a brilliant valedictorian, navigating first love and her father's disapproval with witty charm.
  26. 26St. Elmo's Fire posterSt. Elmo's Fire (1985)Dry wit · melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · RSeven college friends face down adulthood's messy realities, navigating love and careers with witty, melancholic earnestness.

Spooky season starters

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

  1. 1Hocus Pocus posterHocus Pocus (1993)Big broad humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · 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)Big broad humor · whimsical · comfort watch · brisk · PGThree high school students must stop three resurrected, revenge-seeking witches from unleashing campy havoc on Salem.Disney+ · Hulu
  3. 3Coraline posterCoraline (2009)Properly scary · no gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA curious girl finds a wondrous world behind a secret door, but its whimsical charm hides a chilling price.Hulu · Max · Peacock
  4. 4Beetlejuice posterBeetlejuice (1988)Absurdist humor · whimsical · late-night trip · measured · PGNewly dead, a couple enlists a deranged demon to scare an affluent family with surreal, darkly comic antics.Max
  5. 5Ghostbusters posterGhostbusters (1984)Dry wit · campy · comfort watch · brisk · PGDisgraced parapsychologists launch a ghost-busting business, battling a world-ending supernatural threat with witty, broad humor.Hulu · Fandango at Home (free)
  6. 6The Addams Family posterThe Addams Family (1991)Dark satire · campy · comfort watch · measured · PG-13A darkly whimsical family celebrates the return of a long-lost uncle, but his memory loss raises suspicions.Paramount+
  7. 7The Addams Family posterThe Addams Family (2019)Big broad humor · whimsical · family watch · 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)Wholesome humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · PGA friendly ghost longs for connection while his boisterous uncles create delightful, spectral chaos.Hulu · Peacock
  9. 9Halloweentown posterHalloweentown (1998)Wholesome humor · whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · 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+ · YouTube (free)
  11. 11Corpse Bride posterCorpse Bride (2005)Whimsical · family watch · mildly scary · emotionally heavy · PGA darkly comic fantasy unfolds as a nervous groom accidentally weds a whimsical corpse in the underworld.Max
  12. 12Young Frankenstein posterYoung Frankenstein (1974)Dry wit · whimsical · comfort watch · brisk · PGA brilliant surgeon embraces his mad ancestry, reanimating the dead with brisk, darkly comic absurdity.
  13. 13The 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.Fandango at Home (free)
  14. 14Edward Scissorhands posterEdward Scissorhands (1990)Whimsical · date night · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A gentle, unfinished creation finds bittersweet love and acceptance in a pastel, whimsical suburban world.Disney+ · Hulu
  15. 15E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial posterE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Heartwarming · family watch · mildly scary · emotionally heavy · PGA lost alien finds an unlikely family as children protect him from the world and help him return home.Starz
  16. 16The 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.Peacock
  17. 17Arsenic and Old Lace posterArsenic and Old Lace (1944)Dry wit · darkly comic · date night · brisk · NRA drama critic discovers his sweet aunts are serial murderers, leading to darkly comic and briskly paced mayhem.
  18. 18Clue posterClue (1985)Whimsical · light gore · brisk · PGSix eccentric guests at a dinner party become suspects when their blackmailing host turns up dead.Kanopy · Pluto TV
  19. 19The 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
  20. 20Donnie Darko posterDonnie Darko (2001)Melancholy · full attention · 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
  21. 21The Sixth Sense posterThe Sixth Sense (1999)Properly scary · no gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A child psychologist uncovers a boy's chilling secret, weaving a measured tale of suspense and melancholy.Netflix · Apple TV+ · Hulu
  22. 22The Village posterThe Village (2004)Suspenseful · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A sequestered village lives in chilling dread, and one man's curiosity unravels their measured peace.Hulu
  23. 23It 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
  24. 24Scream 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.Hulu · Paramount+ · Peacock75
  25. 25The Blair Witch Project posterThe Blair Witch Project (1999)Properly scary · no gore · emotionally heavy · a slow burn · RStudent filmmakers vanish in the woods, leaving behind chilling footage and an unsolved, bleak mystery.Max
  26. 26It Follows posterIt Follows (2015)Properly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RAfter a sexual encounter, a chilling, dreamlike force relentlessly pursues a young woman.Paramount+ · Peacock · Pluto TV
  27. 27Trick '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.Max · AMC+
  28. 28The 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+ · AMC+ · YouTube (free)
  29. 29The Witches of Eastwick posterThe Witches of Eastwick (1987)Mildly scary · no gore · measured · RThree small-town women conjure a flamboyant stranger who brings both whimsical fantasy and darkly comic horror.Tubi
  30. 30Twin 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
  31. 31Stranger 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.Netflix78
  32. 32Twin Peaks posterTwin Peaks (1990) · seriesDry wit · suspenseful · late-night trip · emotionally heavy · TV-MAAn FBI agent investigates a surreal small-town mystery, uncovering darkly comic secrets and dreamlike suspense.Paramount+ · Pluto TV
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