My 2025 Autumn Watchlist

It’s been officially autumn for almost a week! I adore this season. The last few weeks have been particularly high-stress, so I’m more than ready to decompress with a candle, some coffee, a sweater, and some comfort media. Here are some movies and TV shows that, even if they don’t all take place in autumn, I associate with the fall season.

Movies:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Perfect for enjoying cozy ghost vibes, without having to subscribe to the horror element.

Murder by Death

A clever, only-slightly-creepy spoof on famous detective tropes. The Thin Man series, Charlie Chan movies, and various Agatha Christie vehicles are represented here—plus, Peter Falk does a great imitation of Humphrey Bogart (as the character Sam Diamond).

Young Frankenstein

A slightly raunchy, but mostly funny spoof of the old Frankenstein movies. One of Mel Brooks’ best.

Gaslight

Apart from the final entry, this is the most frightening one on the list. If you’re looking for a suspenseful and psychologically intense film—oh boy, have you got it with Gaslight.

When Harry Met Sally

A favorite year-round, but especially cozy in fall.

You’ve Got Mail

Need I say more? The Meg Ryan autumn romcom universe is top-tier.

Boys’ Night Out

I’ll be honest, this one makes it on the autumn list mostly because of Kim Novak’s outfits. Makes me want to go to the thrift store right now and just convert my entire wardrobe into nothing but cable-knit sweaters. Anyways, this is my go-to rainy day, guilty pleasure comfort movie.

Harold and Maude

Another “autumn by association” film. Don’t forget the oat straw tea!

Back to the Future

This also isn’t really a fall movie, but it’s perfect for this season. 

Television Shows:

As Time Goes By

One of the reasons this show is so comforting for me is because everything mostly remains the same throughout the series. I sometimes find it difficult to process shows that are constantly introducing new characters or throwing plot curveballs; so the fact that Lionel, Jean, Judith, Sandy, and Alistair all just live in the same cozy little world makes this show a wonderful slice of escapism.

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone offers a wide range of vibes you can choose from. If the creepy/scary ones aren’t your thing (they definitely aren’t mine), a few sweet and touching ones include Walking Distance, Nothing in the Dark, and One for the Angels.

M*A*S*H

My mom and I got to spend some one-on-one time together a few weekends ago, and I told her “I want to watch a show that gives us the same cozy feeling that others say they get from Gilmore Girls.” I can’t exactly explain why, but M*A*S*H turned out to be that ultimate autumn comfort show for us. I was a hardcore M*A*S*H girl back in 2022, and I probably watched the whole series through three or four times that year (thank you, MeTV reruns!)

After leaving a toxic M*A*S*H fandom, and taking an extended break from one of my favorite shows of all time, this “reset” with my mom was exactly what I needed. I’m now allowed to see the show through my own lens and form my own opinions. And I actually enjoy it even more now than I did back in 2022.

Phineas and Ferb

I don’t talk about this show enough here on the blog, but it’s genius. Some specific Halloween-themed episodes: One Good Scare Ought to Do It! and The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein.

Stranger Things

This is a complete deviation from not just the other items on this list, but also from my viewing habits in general. As someone who can barely handle horror, your girl somehow watched two seasons of Stranger Things during her freshman year of college. I may have watched through my fingers 75% of the time, but it was worth it. I love the characters, the storytelling is excellent, and the 80s vibes are On Point. The final season is dropping in three parts, starting this November, but I’m still debating whether I can even handle season three. (I don’t think I’ll ever watch season four.) I’ll definitely just be reading plot summaries for the final season… But in the meantime, I’m rewatching some of the non-scary parts of the series, and praying very hard that Steve Harrington doesn’t die in season 5.