Despite the hideously hot summer we just had, it’s finally starting to cool off a bit. Kids are back at school. Stores have begun to put out their Halloween wares. And there are hints of yellowing in the trees. Fall doesn’t technically start until September 23 this year, but I’ve been in Fall mode since, well… last Fall. And what better way to celebrate the season (or any season for that matter) with some of the most “overwhelmingly Autumn” movies and shows out there. So whatever climate you’re reading this in, make a cup of tea, light a fall-scented candle, and enjoy this list of movies that give us that Fall feeling.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
I may be hypocritical for bashing movies with that “aqua” filter over the entire movie, because Trick ‘r Treat definitely has a sunset orange one for most of it. But it has an excuse because orange is my favorite color and it’s Halloween. Trick ‘r Treat is hailed as an orgasmic delight for horror, Halloween, and anthology fans all around. Not only do we get five enthralling stories interlooped with each other on one night, we get immaculat stage-setting! It’s obvious that this town loves Halloween with the sheer amount of jack o’lanterns, parties, and decorations hanging about. But everyone is involved somehow! Not one person is staying home to wait it out (well… no one who lived, anyway). It’s that festive atmosphere that draws us in, just like in real life. They took storybook harvest celebrations and some corn syrup blood and made one of the most loved Halloween movies ever.
The Lords of Salem (2012)
It’s par for the course that any horror movie set in Salem gets an automatic high five. Extra points if it takes place during the fall. If I recall correctly, The Lords of Salem doesn’t take place during or on Halloween, but it does look to be in the cooler seasons, so let’s say November-ish (for funsies). That’s actually OK and works better for the film not being set on Halloween; there’s always a chance that a movie will come off as cheesy if it’s set on the holiday, so making it (probably) after-the-fact works in its favor. We still get the early sunset and biting-cold scenes of Heidi walking through the streets of Salem. Pair that with an old graveyard and Witch Trial history, and we’ve got the cold, spooky side of Fall that people rarely mention. Maybe it’s because it’s not the warm glow that pleases our hearts, but instead a bleak finger that reaches out to tear at our souls. I’m not sure, but I love that change every once in a while. Well done, Rob Zombie.
Halloween (1978)
At this point I’m pretty sure I have a girl-boner for Halloween. But I can’t help it — the pinnacle of Halloween movies has to be the one actually called Halloween! But we’ll look past the obvious greatness of John Carpenter’s story and direction and focus on feeling. As many of you may know by now, Halloween wasn’t shot anywhere close to the Illinois October that we’ve all “seen” (in reality, it was Pasadena in springtime). But they did a good job masking the beautiful California neighborhoods with as many leaves and pumpkins as possible. The real “Fall feeling” comes from the nostalgic Halloween decor and costumes seen on every character. The kids wear costumes to school. Michael Myers himself is in costume. Annie is seen strolling the “cold” evening hours in a shawl, men’s shirt and high knee socks. The kids sit on the couch watching horror movies as a jack o’lantern glows in the background. It’s iconic — so much so that it brings my Millenial mind back to a time before I was born to “relive” the late 70s… ahh, the magic of movies!
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-present)
Whoever had the idea to redo Sabrina with an über-edgy gothic aesthetic should get a raise, because this reimagining of our favorite teenage witch is #WitchAesthetic AF! Sabrina lives in Greendale, a city that takes the best parts of HalloweenTown (The Nightmare before Christmas), HalloweenTown (Disney), Diagon Alley (Harry Potter) and Salem (real life and in Hocus Pocus), puts a black-urple-orange filter over it, and sets it in perpetual October. Everyone’s house has a roaring fire. Pumpkins are probably the town’s state bird. Literally everything is touched by dark forces, be it witchcraft or the harvest. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a delight to watch because it’s a somewhat realistic idea of a place we’d all love to live in. Slightly touched by magic, slightly touched by Satan, but all October all the time. No matter the time of year, I can watch this series and instantly be transported to her world, it undoubtedly has that strong of a draw.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
You know you have something special when a movie set on Halloween was actually filmed then. I love Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark because it reminds me of the autumns of my childhood. Not only does it retell the frightening stories I grew up reading, but it reminds me of the pumpkin patch I would go to, or the birthday parties I would have. It’s almost as though they filmed it through a child’s eyes. All of the magic and wonder of the season is presented to us with a simple corn field, or a corduroy jacket. And it makes it even better knowing they did that in real life. It’s hard not to feel it. The fondness I have for Fall oozes out of every single scene. And I wouldn’t hesitate to think this isn’t just me. I don’t think it’s limited to age, as I’m sure it transports everyone to that time in their real life (or in their dreams) that they’ve experienced going trick-or-treating with their friends, or exploring that haunted house at the end of the street. It’s a movie made for kids, but at the time you’re watching it, you are one again.
The Witching Season (2015)
This list wasn’t written in any particular order, but I think I saved the best for last. I first heard of The Witching Season a few years ago as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed. An eerie vintage witch, or skeleton (I don’t remember what exactly) was hanging from a tree. That’s it. It was just moving in the wind under the changing leaves. And to be honest, that’s all it took. The Witching Season is a series of shorts (and now, a feature-length film) that follows people’s misfortunes on Halloween night. The stories in this anthology are ones we would recognize: a terrifying doll, someone in the house, etc. It’s really the small details that make The Witching Season so enjoyable for fans of Fall. The trees have all changed color. The sound design of wind blowing is supreme. The creators are just as obsessed with the fans as we are of them, and it shows. Each year they do a “31 Shots of Halloween” with b-roll that is some of the most aesthetically pleasing shots I have ever seen. The whole vibe is how I picture the autumn of my childhood. Real settings. Real people. No hyper-edited shots. Just fall as we all truly see it. Beautiful.
Have any recommendations for Fall films? Leave a comment and let us know!
