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45 Classic Fall Films You Should Watch This Autumn

Pour yourself some apple cider (maybe add a little whiskey), and get cozy watching these classics.

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If you asked us, when the leaves start to turn and a chill hits the air, there's no better time to curl up with a cozy blanket, your favorite fall beverage, and a classic fall read—or, better yet, a classic autumn film.

Whether you're looking for love, laughs, or something to keep the whole family entertained, we've rounded up some of the most iconic fall films ever made, featuring football, high school elections, holiday romances, and more. Now pop the popcorn, heat up the cider (or some midnight margaritas, á la Practical Magic), grab your throw blanket, and get ready to fall hard for these fall films.

Dead Poets Society

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There's something innately autumnal about going back to school—even if you're only in class for the duration of this 1989 classic about a prep school teacher (Robin Williams) who sets out to inspire his students to shake off stuffy tradition and come into their own.

More: Classic Movies You Need to Watch ASAP

When Harry Met Sally

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Perhaps the most memorable moment of this Nora Ephron classic is when the titular characters (played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan) meet in Central Park on an autumn day. Just the foliage in the background alone will convince you to grab a hot drink and stroll through the Big Apple this fall.

Practical Magic

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Want something to get you into the Halloween mood but not up for a horror fest? Mix up some midnight margaritas and try this 1998 story about sisters Sally and Gillian who have to cope with their family history of both heartbreak and witchcraft when Gillian's abusive ex-boyfriend brings law enforcement and the supernatural to their door.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox

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The feasting, family, and friends (and of course director Wes Anderson's signature autumnal color palette) in this adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book all remind us of our favorite season, and the offbeat performances from greats like George Clooney and Meryl Streep make it a pick that's fun for the whole family.

St. Elmo's Fire

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This Brat Pack classic, centered on a group of 20-something-year-olds (including Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Ally Sheedy) as they date, work, and try to figure out how to be adults after graduating from Georgetown, all set in a New England autumn that will have you nostalgic for your J.Crew catalog days.

Good Will Hunting

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The movie that put Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the map. In this autumnal tale, a janitor at Harvard (Damon) is discovered to be a mathematical genius and sent to therapy with an unconventional psychology professor (Robin Williams, who won an Oscar for his performance) to help him deal with his past, and the demands on his future.

More: The Best College Movies of All Time

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Autumn in New York

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Need a little tear-jerker? This NYC love story (set, naturally, in autumn) stars Richard Gere as a womanizing restauranteur who finds himself falling in love with a quirky young woman (Winona Ryder) who only has months to live.

More: Sad Movies for When You Need a Good Cry

You've Got Mail

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"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address," enthuses Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) the scion of a bookstore empire in his anonymous emails to his virtual pen pal and real-life rival Kathleen Kelly in this Nora Ephron charmer. Get lost in some nostalgia for autumn in NYC, your favorite neighborhood bookstore, and of course, the iconic, defunct America Online email alert as enemies become friends and find love in the most unlikely places.

More: The Best Rom-Coms on Netflix

Bram Stoker's Dracula

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If you want a few more scares, why not turn to the original big-name monster: Dracula. Francis Ford Coppola's sultry and sumptuous 1992 retelling of the horror classic pairs Gary Oldman, Wynona Rider, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves as the undead count, his would-be vampire bride, and the monster hunters out to take him down.

More: The Best Movies for Halloween

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Remember the Titans

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It's just a fact that fall and football go together. So naturally, this heartwarming classic deserves a spot on your autumn watchlist. Denzel Washington plays a coach tasked with galvanizing a newly integrated high school football team.

Clue

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There's something also inherently autumnal about mysteries. While we definitely recommend breaking out the board game Clue sometime this season, you might as well watch the film adaptation, too.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Some might argue that the Harry Potter films are more Christmas-y than autumnal, but there are so many scenes chock full of fall vibes in this classic. The quidditch, the Great Hall, the butterbeer? We'll let you decide for yourself.

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Legally Blonde

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In addition to being an all-around incredible movie, Elle Woods serves up some serious fall vibes as a Harvard Student. There's girl power, self-care, good friends, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, and impeccable fashion–what more could you want?

Coco

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Pixar's Coco is a beautiful (and educational) film for the whole family to enjoy. You'll learn about the traditions and significance surrounding Día de los Muertos while enjoying fun characters and a great storyline. Plus, an incredible color palette.

Edward Scissorhands

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Anything from Tim Burton is sure to pair well with the autumn months. This one has just the right dose of creepiness without being a full-fledged scary movie, making it perfect viewing for your pre-Halloween movie nights. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder are, after all, the onscreen couple to end all onscreen couples.

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The Craft

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Practical Magic will inevitably leave you craving more witchy energy, and there's really no better complement than The Craft. A group of angsty teenage girls get into all kinds of magic and mischief in this cult classic from 1996. We'd caution against watching it with your gal pals, lest you get any ideas...

October Sky

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The title alone exudes fall vibes. Based on a true story, October Sky follows a coal minor's son (played by a young Jake Gyllenhaal) and his friends who are determined to build a rocket and shoot it into space.

Halloween

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Fall is basically synonymous with spooky season. Get into the spirit with the OG slasher flick about a mental patient who escapes a sanitarium, where he's been living for the last 15 years for murdering his babysitting sister, and returns to his hometown to stalk a female babysitter and her friends.

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Planes, Trains & Automobiles

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When Neal Page (Steve Martin) can't catch a flight home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, he finds himself on a three-day odyssey with loudmouth shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). It's a laugh-out-loud film you'll surely want to watch before digging into your turkey and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

Sleepy Hollow

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Another Tim Burton movie that'll put you in the Halloween mood. The 1999 flick tells the story of police constable Ichabod Crane who is sent from NYC to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow by a mysterious, mythical creature.

Headshot of Lauren Hubbard
Lauren Hubbard
Writer

Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.

Headshot of Meg Donohue
Meg Donohue
Associate Fashion Commerce Editor

Meg is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com where she researches trends, tests products, and looks for answers to all your burning questions. She also co-writes a monthly column, Same Same But Different. Meg has previously written for Cosmopolitan and Town & Country. Her passions include travel, buffalo sauce, and sustainability. She will never stop hoping for a One Direction reunion tour.

Headshot of Sophie Dweck

Sophie Dweck is the associate shopping editor for Town & Country, where she covers beauty, fashion, home and décor, and more. 

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