10 best fall movies on Netflix, ranked

Need something breezy to watch while staying in on an autumn night? Just like the freshest apples, I’ve picked you some fall movies to watch on Netflix.

It’s hard to find movies set in the fall that aren’t exclusively Halloween or Thanksgiving-related. No disrespect to the militant spooky season enjoyers, but there’s more than one reason for this season. Therefore, I’m defining “fall movie” as something that feels crisp and cool, maybe with some back to school energy. (Are you catching on to the apple theme, here?) Folks have collectively decided that Gilmore Girls is the quintessential fall show and it pretty famously features winter, spring, and summer too. Outside of horror, I know what people gravitate towards in autumn. And I’ve added one elite spooky movie as a little treat.

Because you never know what Netflix is going to yank from the platform at an inopportune moment, let’s stick to Netflix originals. Luckily there are some really good options. The only downside is that I can’t include any of Mike Flanagan’s limited series. That’s really the best thing to watch on Netflix in the fall. But if you don’t have time to watch The Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunting of Hill House and/or Bly Manor, or The Midnight Club and/or Midnight Mass, here are some options.

10. Persuasion (2022)

A lot of folks, especially Austen purists, do not like this Fleabag wannabe adaptation starring Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding, and Suki Waterhouse. I totally get that. We kind of let the snarky modern language costume drama go a little too far. But I found Persuasion to be cozy and charming just the way it is. Movies based on great novels are always a good way to go in the fall.

9. Vampires vs. The Bronx (2020)

Netflix has a ton of Halloween-y original flicks, but this one is easily my favorite. It uses vampires as a blatant but super satisfying and hilarious metaphor for gentrification.

8. Someone Great (2019)

It’s no When Harry Met Sally but I really love this romantic romp around New York City. If you’re going to have one crazy night in the city, the weather has to be just right. You can’t be sweating through your shorts or dragged down by your long winter coat. This is also a movie about break-ups and new beginnings. Even though fall is technically in the middle of the year, our school-addled brains still kind of think of it as a time to start fresh.

7. The Half of It (2020)

This is the superior modern teenage Cyrano de Bergerac adaptation on Netflix. (Suck it, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser!) But it’s not just about a girl crushing on the girl some guy pays her to help ask out. It’s about those heartbreaking, intense friendships you develop in high school. It’s about what it really means to want to get out of a small town. And it has melancholy vibes that are perfect for a crisp fall afternoon.

6. Do Revenge (2022)

Speaking of new school years and classic adaptations, this teenage take on Strangers on a Train is severely underrated. It’s about two girls who make a pact to get revenge on each other’s nemeses. But all is not necessarily as it seems. Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes are hilarious. Sophie Turner is a scene-stealer. If you happened to miss this one, correct that immediately.

5. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

So you love Glenn Powell. But have you seen him in this period piece about the residents of an island off the coast of France in the English Channel that was under German occupation during World War II? OK, to be fair, he’s not exactly the lead or the romantic interest. But everything from the gentle vibes and the concept of a potato peel pie to the warm color palette screams fall.

4. To All The Boys I Loved Before (2018)

May we all wish to start Fall semester with a fake dating scenario that reveals we were soulmates all along. That’s the dream, isn’t it? In my ideal scenario, my little sister wouldn’t leak my secret love letters to my secret crushes first… but thankfully it worked out fine for Lara Jean.

I know the whole movie doesn’t take place in the fall. I know that, for example, the cherry tree in the iconic scene above blooms in the spring. But if fall doesn’t make you want to flirt on some bleachers, I don’t know what to tell you!

3. The Dig (2021)

This film about the Sutton Hoo archaeological dig occasionally has its characters work up a sweat. It’s the spirit of academic discovery amounting to a fervor, a general golden haze, and the occasional cozy sweater that gets it into this category.

2. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2023)

This is technically four short films. But Netflix gives you the option to watch them all together now. So I’m counting that as one. Wes Anderson is kind of the ultimate autumnal filmmaker. The films are based on a collection of Roald Dahl short stories. I tend to associate him with the fall as well. These stories, however, are for adults. They’re a little bit darker than his children’s tales.

1. Matilda (2022)

Let’s be honest. Even Dahl’s children’s stories are pretty dark. You probably already consider Matilda (1996) to be a fall movie. This musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book, based on the stage show with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, is the best of all worlds. It’s a back to school adventure. Minchin’s lyrics are clever and sufficiently nasty in the best way. Lashana Lynch is a revelation as Miss Honey. And the musical numbers are actually exhilarating and fun to watch.