These 5 movies are pure autumn vibes

Summer is finally coming to a close, though you wouldn't know it with this weather. Still, autumn is upon us, and it's personally my favorite time of year. Halloween season is the best time of year. From horror films to cozy romantic comedies, this time of year is perfect for many different genres of entertainment.

But there are just certain films that really capture that autumn vibe for me, movies that I find myself revisiting year after year. Not just Halloween-centered films, either, but media that feels at least part of the season in some way. The toughest part of a list like this is narrowing it down to just five, because I could probably go on for thousands of words about dozens of movies.

Hocus Pocus

Watch Hocus Pocus on Disney+

Okay, so they may not all be Halloween films, but this first one certainly is. I'm probably aging myself here, but Hocus Pocus is that classic that's not exactly a great film, but one I will watch at least once every year around this time. This fantasy comedy is exactly what I envision when I think of autumn, and the whole aesthetic of the film reflects that.

Hocus Pocus tells the story of three evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) who are accidentally resurrected by teen Max (Omri Katz), and then we get to see the hilarious consequences of that. It's not exactly a compelling premise, but the performances of the central cast are the real selling point here. Plus, there's always good old-fashioned nostalgia, and Hocus Pocus has built up quite a bit of that over the decades. It's akin to a comfort show you can binge when life overwhelms you in that way.

Knives Out

Watch Knives Out on Amazon Prime Video

There's nothing really specific that makes Knives Out such a great autumn film other than that's just the time of year it seems to take place in. But more than that, it's the vibes of the film itself that capture that fall feel. It may be a murder mystery with a genuinely compelling story at its center, but it has "cozy mystery" written all over it.

This is especially the case with Daniel Craig's absolutely stellar performance as private detective Benoit Blanc. Craig is just clearly having so much fun in the role, and that makes the entire film a fun time by extension. Knives Out has turned into a franchise, as well, though I consider Glass Onion to be more of a summer film. It remains to be seen just what kind of vibes Wake Up Dead Man will have, though it's been argued that Netflix is shooting itself in the foot by not releasing it in more theaters.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Watch The Perks of Being a Wallflower on HBO Max

Coming of age stories work best for me during the summer or fall, depending on the atmosphere of the film in question. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the brilliant book of the same name, sits comfortably in the latter for me. Maybe that's because it's such a depressing film, and more upbeat coming-of-age movies work better in summer, or perhaps it's just the entire feel of the film.

Either way, when September and October come around, it's time for me to revisit The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Logan Lerman's star-making performance as protagonist Charlie is a revelation, and you can feel every desperate moment of his trauma-filled life. This is definitely not a cozy viewing experience, but it fits in perfectly with autumn.

Coco

Watch Coco on Disney+

This beautifully bittersweet meditation on death is one of Pixar's finest films, and it takes place during the annual Day of the Dead celebration. Coco is full of wonderful culture, amazing songs, and it balances both an autumn feel and something approaching Halloween aesthetics. Like a lot of Pixar's greatest movies, Coco is an emotionally poignant journey.

Miguel's (Anthony Gonzalez) journey through the Land of the Dead is a colorful and gorgeous visual treat. Though it's a devastatingly sad movie, there's also a cozy vibe at its center as if everything is going to be okay after all, because nothing ever really ends if those who love you remember you. Coco is exactly what I look for during this time of year.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Apple TV+

If I could only take a select number of movies with me to a deserted island, it would probably be the entire line-up of Charlie Brown films. As we are now in the beginning of autumn, however, it's that time of year for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. While technically more of a television special than a movie, I treat it more like the latter because it usually accompanies my movie binge marathons for this time of year.

As a kid, I always sympathized with Linus because I, too, would wait in a pumpkin patch if I thought I could catch sight of a mythical being that represented my absolute favorite holiday of the year. As an adult, well, I'm still the same because I refuse to grow up. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a classic for a reason, and it remains an autumn staple for me.

Autumn is truly the best time of year

I love the vibe of Halloween, and by this time of year, I'm absolutely sick of summer weather, so autumn is pretty much my ideal time of year. Catch me putting up an alarming amount of Halloween decorations and binge-watching pretty much every film on this list. If you're looking for something a little more frightening, though, check out these horror movies that get scarier the longer you think about them.