I’ve seen John Hughes’ Ferris’ Bueller’s Day Off upwards of twenty-five times in my life. I’m willing to bet you watch the same cheesy movie every year on Christmas Eve (in fact, my family puts A Christmas Story on the television first thing Christmas morning, and, when it ends, we play it again. And again. For the whole day.) As the leaves start to change color and temperatures start to drop, I can’t help reminiscing on my favorite cozy autumn films and plotting my rewatches.
5. Halloween (1978)
Obviously! John Carpenter’s Halloween is a master class in creating a perfect villain (more on that here!) and building eerie suspense. While this film can’t rival the jump scares and in-your-face gore of the modern horror industry, Michael Myers has made a lovely home in the mind of the public consciousness, and he’s not going anywhere quickly. We have many iconic horror antagonists now, but few can compete with John Carpenter’s blueprint.
4. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The nostalgia of a classic Disney film is perfect for a cozy night in, and it was hard to pick just one for this list. I think Belle sets a great example of curling up by the fire with a book and the I-can-fix-him attitude of a true delusional romantic girl.
Okay, the fixer-upper-guy is optional, but the book and the fireplace are not!
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
First of all, no, this doesn’t count as a Disney classic. Second of all, the best part about this film is you can get two or three (or four? Five?) rewatches in before your window closes in January!
This film is perfect for throwing on in the background while making pumpkin cookies and hot chocolate. Tune in for your favorite songs and soak up the unparalleled energy of the Pumpkin King.
2. The Conjuring (2013)
This is my most self-indulgent pick by far, but I stand by it. I’m well aware that it doesn’t have the cult-classic status of the other films on this list, but it is my personal favorite movie of all time, and it just had to make the spooky season rewatch list! Not that I ever wait until fall to turn it on. Its scary enough to haunt your dreams but has a heart-warming story of familial love at its core; this film is the perfect balance of spooky season scares and cozy autumn vibes.
That, and Ed and Lorraine Warren will always make me cry. Mark my words, in twenty years, this will top horror classics lists.
1. Ghostbusters (1984)
The ghouls! The comedy! The goop! The theme song! I will not be elaborating further. The ultimate fall classic.
Why Rewatch?
As you can tell, I’m a huge sucker for a rewatch. If I love a movie, it gets added to the repertoire of things I watch again and again—but why? I know how it ends, I know the characters, and all the jump scares have been ruined! In my opinion, the best movies aren’t about shock value or the element of surprise. There are many things that can keep audiences coming back to a movie: compelling writing, heart-warming characters, powerful themes, or straight-up nostalgia.
Not only are these movies comforting classics, but they are great tools for writers! Rewatching a movie helps you become familiar with the techniques of telling a great story, so always pay attention to the movies you keep coming back to and ask, “Why?”
Keywords: movie, film, fall, horror, thriller, writing, screenwriting