Hard as it is to say goodbye to summer, autumn is a great excuse to lean into the cosier things in life – soft blankets, hot cuppas and your favourite comfort watches. From tried and true classics to some recent releases, we’ve rounded up 10 great series and films to stick on in the coming weeks.
Gilmore Girls
No series is as synonymous with autumn as Gilmore Girls; it’s part of the show’s DNA. According to Rolling Stone, show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino actually came up with the entire concept after she and her husband visited the small town of Washington Depot, Connecticut, around the month of October. Apparently, she was so charmed by the whole experience, that she based Stars Hollow and all of its characters on that trip.
From the colourful leaves to Lorelai’s incredible wardrobe, there’s something inherently comforting about this series and I never tire of it no matter how many times I rewatch it.
When Harry Met Sally
Nora Ephron and autumn? Everyone knows that’s a match made in heaven. In Harry Met Sally, Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) ponder whether men and women can ever just be friends. Meeting as college graduates in 1977, the film charts their friendship through twelve years of chance encounters in New York. Shot on 35mm film, it’s warm and nostalgic and yes, I’ve wanted that exact cable-knit jumper (IYKYK) for years.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
For some, autumn equates to pumpkins, hot chocolate, and giant, oversized scarves. For others, the season is all about the dark and gothic. If you’re after something a little more sinister (but not too scary) Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will satisfy that itch. Based on the Archie comic book series of the same name, the series is all about the occult and doesn’t shy away from blood or satanic rituals. Light some candles, brew up a hot drink and get ready to be unsettled.
Stepmom
If you need a cry, this movie will do it. Released in 1998, the story follows Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon), a terminally ill woman who must come to terms with her ex-husband’s new fiance, Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts). Largely shot in New York, it’s visually stunning with plenty of autumn foliage and cosy indoor scenes.
You’ve Got Mail
Another Nora Ephron film to make the cut, You’ve Got Mail is the epitome of autumn. A love letter to the Big Apple, it’s all kinds of cosy. Set back when the internet was still a pretty novel concept, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) fall in love over instant messenger… both blissfully unaware that he’s trying to put her out of business. To quote Kathleen Kelly, “Don’t you just love New York in the fall?”
Practical Magic
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman star as two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, who face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them ever finding lasting love. Something of a cult classic, the 90’s fashion and gorgeous soundtrack really do it for me.
Wednesday
A supernatural coming-of-age story executive produced by Tim Burton and starring Jenny Ortega, Wednesday is witty, creepy and deliciously dark. In season one, Wednesday has just been expelled after dumping live piranhas into the school pool as vengeance against her brother’s bullies. Keen to find her a better academic fit, her parents Gomez and Morticia Addams swiftly enrol her at their high school alma mater, Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree, and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents. Season two is officially in production (with much of it being shot in Ireland!) so there’s still plenty more to come.
Hocus Pocus
I know we’re still almost two months out from Halloween, but there’s already Christmas chocolate on the supermarket shelves so I think I’m justified in including Hocus Pocus on this list. One of the most iconic 90s films of all time, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy play the Sanderson sisters, a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts one Halloween night. The sequel came out two years ago, almost 30 years after the original’s release. Watch them both in one sitting for a spooky season spooktacular.
Little Woman
Set in 19th century Massachusetts, Little Women tells the story of the March sisters – Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth – who as they enter the threshold of womanhood, go through many ups and downs in life and endeavour to make important decisions that can affect their future. Whether you watch the 1994 version or the 2019 remake, both are great… though I have a special affinity for the latter simply because of Saoirse Ronan’s woman speech.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Last but not least, Fantastic Mr. Fox, one of my favourite Wes Anderson films. Warm shades of red, orange, brown and yellow bring to mind the changing scenery while the feast scene is reminiscent of Thanksgiving, a distinctly autumnal holiday. Hilariously funny, this is one you can watch year-round, but it’s particularly good to curl up in front of as the weather gets crisper.
Feature image cr. Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022
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