11 Movies to Celebrate the First Day of Fall

Now that your tank tops and swimsuits have been put into storage to make way for cozy cable knit sweaters and jean jackets, it’s time to reboot what’s playing on your television, too.

To help you get into the autumn spirit just in time for the first day of the season (Sept. 22), here are 11 movies loaded with gorgeous foliage, hot drinks, and fall vibes galore. Don’t forget your pumpkin latte or cinnamon cider before pressing play!

If you’re game for a classic rom-com, it doesn’t get much better than “When Harry Met Sally.” Set among New York’s idyllic autumn cityscapes, there’s no way you won’t be in a fall mood after watching all the scenes full of warm and fuzzy feels (and some laughs!)

Available to stream on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.

Starring Tiffany Haddish and John Cho, “The Oath” is a dark comedy in which the characters are implored to sign an oath of loyalty to the president. The deadline to sign happens to be Thanksgiving, which means you get both a juicy plotline and leaf peeping opps.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Warm up for October’s lineup of horror flicks with this comical murder mystery set in autumn. It offers a thrilling ride with loads of twists and turns and is definitely more cognitive puzzle than murderous bonanza. You won’t be able to guess the ending.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

When teenager Lara Jean’s private (and intense!) love letters to crushes are made public, her entire world is thrown into a world of havoc. She ultimately decides to confront the drama head-on as best as she can. The story is based on the young adult trilogy of novels penned by Jenny Han, and if you like the first movie (released in 2018) there are two more to watch.

Available to stream on Netflix.

Our favorite lawyer dressed in pink is obviously Elle Woods. The storyline follows her journey to wow her ex (then ditch him) by nailing it at Harvard and is set in autumn on campus.

Available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

“Save the Last Dance” follows Sara, a white Midwesterner, who moves to Chicago’s south side following her mother’s unexpected death. Once school begins in the fall, she starts dabbling in dancing again and ends up falling for one of her fellow classmates who dances, too. 

Available to watch on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

When 12-year-old Miguel, an aspiring musician, is accidentally taken to the vibrant, colorful Land of the Dead, he goes on a search to find his great-great-grandfather. Along the way, Miguel meets Hector, and the two are on a mission to get him back home again while also ending the family’s generation-long ban on music.

Available to watch on Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

For a movie that’s squarely fall and a little bit Halloween-spooky, look no further than “Practical Magic.” The rom-com follows three sister-witches who’ve long avoided using their powers, but find themselves in need of evoking them to get out of some unsavory situations.

Available to watch on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.

“Uncorked,” which debuted in Sept. 2020, tells the story of a man determined to become a master sommelier. It was filmed in the late fall in Memphis, Tennessee, which lends to some cozy fall moments throughout the movie.

Available to watch on Netflix.

Decades later, Julia Roberts still dazzles in “Mystic Pizza,” an ’80s rom-com that charts the lives—and complicated romances—of three pizza parlor waitresses in Mystic, Connecticut. With several iconic outdoor scenes, you’ll get your fill of some breathtaking autumn foliage.

Available to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

“You’ve Got Mail” was set just on the cusp of the Internet age — back when you had to use dial-up and would get an actual, verbal notification that you received an email. It was one of the first rom-coms that explored online dating, a very common thing in today’s day and age.

Available to watch on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.