By Vienna Wiseman | October 7, 2024
Photo Credit: Joseph Mattaliano
Fall is here! Do you know what that means? The fall movies are too! Whether it's romance in a cozy city, solving mysteries as the leaves change, or the excitement of football bringing everyone together under the autumn sky, there's something for everyone this season.
Here are descriptions and my personal ratings based on a handful of fall movies (in no particular order) with a wide range of genres, storylines, and characters. Click on the name to open to the trailer of the respective movie!
“You’ve Got Mail”: Need an unexpected romantic love story?
Rating: 7.5/10 - I love the scenery and I enjoy the dramatic irony of how the characters’ relationships escalate and affect their everyday life. As a watcher, I know everything going on, but they have no clue. It’s cool to see everything unfold.
The 1998 romantic film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan takes place in Manhattan, New York. Kathleen Kelly, the bookseller, strongly dislikes Joe Fox. Fox is the owner of Foxbooks, the chain store that has recently moved in across the street from Kathleen’s declining local bookshop. Eventually, they begin talking and falling for each other, like any typical enemies to lovers plot; however, they are unaware of each other’s identity. Kathleen and Joe exchange emails while sitting at their computers, but at work, they don't say a single kind word to each other. Will they figure out each other's identities, or will they continue to stay distant in real life while growing closer online? Find out if Kathleen and Joe end up together or remain business rivals. You can watch “You’ve Got Mail” on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV.
“The Sixth Sense”: Looking for a movie with a plot twist at the end?
Rating: 8/10 - The entire movie was interesting as Dr. Crowe works to figure out Cole’s situation. I love the twist at the end! It really makes me want to go back and rewatch to see if I notice anything different now that I know how the plot will unfold.
This 1999 film gives off mysterious fall vibes as Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by the fact that ghosts visit him and he’s the only one that knows. As a child, he’s too frightened to share these experiences with anyone besides child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis). Dr. Crowe works to find the truth behind Cole’s supernatural abilities. Together, Cole and Malcolm uncover something entirely unexpected. You can watch what happens on Disney+, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and more.
“Mystic Pizza”: The perfect mix between pizza, romantic comedy, and that warmth of fall!
Rating: 7/10 - Each girls’ relationship and life is different from each other one way or another, but I like how they come together at the pizzeria with the same aspirations of life and the town.
A film starring Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish, and Lili Taylor made in 1988 about three waitresses in the small town of Mystic. Their lives and love-lives are balanced with working at the local pizza restaurant. Watch the three girls want nothing more than to escape their hometown and express their wishes and plans to do so on Tubi, Pluto TV, MGM+ and Sling TV.
“Coraline”: Want to watch an animated, but creepy family film?
Rating: 6.5/10 - Definitely a film that’s unsettling at times, but a must-watch as the animations are really creative and add to the storyline extremely well.
This dark 2009 stop-motion film was adapted from the novel by Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick. As her family has recently moved into a new house, Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) locates a secret door that leads to an exact replica of her house. The only difference is that the other family and house are better than her real family and everyone on this side has buttons for eyes. This alternative world family tries to keep Coraline forever. Watch to find out what happens with her and her family on Amazon Prime Video, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel.
“A Nightmare on Elm Street”: Fall season means Halloween season!
Rating: 8.5/10 - Great if you love horror films! Not the scariest or jumpiest movie ever, but will give you nightmares and really make you feel like Freddy Krueger is after you at times. The story is told very well and comes full circle in the end.
In the mood to start a horror series? The series began in 1984 with its first film starring Johnny Depp, Heather Langenkamp, and Robert Englund. Teenagers throughout the midwest were tricked by Freddy Krueger, a midnight mangler found haunting teenagers’ dreams, but resulting in them being killed in real-life. After hearing about the mysterious deaths, Nancy and Glen decide to discover the secret that might bring them to solve the mystery of Freddy Krueger after all. Watch this film and the rest of the series on Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video to determine if the duo overcome the enemy.
“Remember the Titans”: Searching for a movie about football or the unification of people through sports?
Rating: 7/10 - Such a moving and inspirational film! I love how the aspect of sports is utilized to either make or break a community.
This 2000 film with Denzel Washington, Ryan Hurst and Ryan Gosling puts the game of American football to the ultimate test. In Virginia, everyone’s life revolves around high school football, but what will change when the school board implements the integration of an all Black school with an all white school? Will football remain as important? Watch how the tradition of football changes on Disney+, Fandango at Home and Amazon Prime Video.
“Knives Out”: A movie full of crime, lies, twists, turns and thrills.
Rating: 10/10 - There’s never a dull moment. As a watcher, I was constantly trying to figure the mystery out myself and, maybe, find clues that the detective missed. I never suspected the actual culprit initially, but it all unravels itself in the end and finally makes sense.
“Knives Out” of 2019 begins with the death of a novelist, Harlan Thrombey (played by Christopher Plummer), surrounded by mysterious clues and concerning family members. Detective Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig) suspects everyone in the Thrombey family is dysfunctional one way or another. Can Blanc solve the case and reveal the truth behind this family? Witness all the family tales and lies unravel as well as the sequel, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video or The Roku Channel. And if you enjoy both, look out for the 3rd movie coming out in 2025 on Netflix!
Now that you have some options and mini reviews of great autumn movies: cook your microwavable popcorn, get out your Sour Patch Kids, open up your device and enjoy the fall movies of your choice!
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