By Bhavita Kopparthi, Stentorian Staff Writer
Leaves are falling, the air is getting colder, and it’s time to break in your sweaters again. To me, there is nothing better to do on a fall night than to watch a cozy, autumn movie. Curling up on your couch with a pile of blankets and hot beverage sets the mood for a good film. Here’s the criteria for a good fall movie or TV show: it should have a generous amount of fall colors (oranges, reds, and browns), make you feel warm, and be easy to watch but not too plain. From horror to rom-coms, there are an abundance of options. But what are NCSSM students watching this fall?
Italy Anguiano Franquez recommends Gilmore Girls, a cult classic show about a mother and daughter’s life. They must make complicated decisions for their future while dealing with their complex past. It has elements of comedy, romance, family drama, and especially fall themes. With seven seasons, if you are looking for a comfort show to binge-watch, this is probably the one for you.
Although Mean Girls fits every season, it also correlates with fall. The iconic scene from the Halloween party evokes a feeling of spooky spirit. Mean Girls is a classic movie, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you should as soon as possible. It follows new student Cady Heron’s transition to North Shore High School. She begins as an outcast but ends becoming rather popular. Along her journey, Cady faces obstacles regarding friends, romantic interests, and her academics. Many may argue that Mean Girls is more of a Christmas movie, but in my opinion, a lot of back-to-school movies fit into the autumn category as well.
Based on the sheer amount of orange in this movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox automatically earns itself a spot on this list. It is a comforting film about change, purpose, and family. At first glance, it may just seem like any other animated movie, but there are a lot of hidden messages that you need to watch a second time to understand. The stop motion is amazing and the overall mood of the movie is perfect for these few months. With the music and the editing, this film feels like it was intricately curated to watch on a Saturday night in October.
One student thinks Howl’s Moving Castle is a great fit for the fall. They love the art studio, Studio Ghibli, calling it “admirable.” Moreover, this film is perfect for lovers of art and music alike. The plot is also very well developed and overall wonderful to see play out.
Some other very popular choices are Knives Out, Dead Poets Society, and Remember the Titans. If you are more into horror movies, autumn is the perfect season for you. From horror comedies to psychological thrillers, there are a multitude of options for fear fanatics. The Conjuring movies are always a good pick and in fact, the third movie released in early September.
For those who love Halloween but could go without the horror, Leah Cruz suggests Hocus Pocus. It follows a brother and sister who have recently moved to Salem. They get caught up in a magical disaster and must work together to prevent things from worsening. Leah says it is very nostalgic and “encapsulates the Halloween vibe.”
Melissa Hernandez Rojas says Twitches and Halloweentown are some of her top picks for this season. Twitches stars Tia and Tamera Mowry, twins who reunite to save their kingdom with their magical powers. Halloweentown is about a family that moves to Halloweentown, a safe haven for supernatural beings. Chaos ensues after a shocking fact is revealed and the family must work together to protect their world. This seems to be a popular cliche—a lot of Halloween, and horror movies in general, often revolve around the main character moving to a new town and getting wrapped up in a complicated situation involving the town’s history and superstitions—but familiar themes are what give movies that nostalgic and warm feel that we love.
Autumn is one of the best times to watch a movie or TV show—not only because of the weather, but also since the entertainment industry seems to be cranking out release after release around this time of year. Hopefully, this article was helpful for finding at least one movie to watch this fall. So put on some warm clothes, get comfortable in your bed, and get watching!
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