10 movies to watch for the perfect sweater-weather binge

Autumn is the time of crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters and pumpkin spice, well, everything. As shorter days and colder temperatures take hold, we’ll be retreating inside to seek familiar comforts in the form of some cozy classics and newer gems that all but demand that you drape yourself in soft fabrics before you press play. We’ve rounded up 10 movies you’ll want to snuggle up with this season—fluffy blankets not included.

Knives Out

Murder mysteries are best watched on days when the sun sets early—even when they’re as funny as Knives Out. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is hilarious as he investigates the death of the patriarch of an obscenely wealthy (and catty) family, while Ana de Armas’ compassionate Marta gives the flick its warm-hearted centre. Plus, how many other movies have had a viral moment thanks to a cream-coloured cable-knit sweater?

Watch it on Amazon Prime Video 

When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally is both the quintessential fall movie and a go-to comfort watch so it had to be on this list. You get an autumnal New York City (the dream), an all-time great screenplay by Nora Ephron and butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of chemistry between stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, who also sport fantastic late-‘80s sweaters and outerwear that would legit look good today. The classic rom-com about two reluctant friends who eventually fall in love is perfect for when you’re in a good mood and equally fitting on a gloomy day when you need to be cheered up—it never fails.

Watch it on Crave

Practical Magic

Sure, cult fave Practical Magic, about two sisters (Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock) who seem to have nothing in common except for the fact that they’re both witches, tends to be revisited leading up to Halloween, but its cozy vibes extend beyond spooky season. You can practically feel the crisp air in the supernatural rom-com, but the movie is surprisingly earnest and full of love. It’s like being wrapped in a warm hug.

Watch it on Crave

Good Will Hunting

Nothing says fall like heading back to school, especially when said school is a college campus with picture-perfect foliage — aka University of Toronto standing in for MIT and Harvard. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s breakthrough drama, which follows a self-taught genius (Damon) working as a janitor at MIT, is feel-good without being overly saccharine. Built on the tight-knit bonds between the characters, including maybe a career-best Robin Williams, this Oscar-winning movie will make you yearn for more friends and family time.

Watch it on Crave

Stepmom

Whereas some movies aren't concerned with what season the story takes place, you need only take one glance at the rose-and-gold-hued Stepmom to notice that it’s indisputably set during the fall. The movie explores the frothy relationship between a terminally-ill mother (Susan Sarandon) and the woman her ex is set to marry (Julia Roberts as the titular stepmom), and it’s a major tearjerker, so make sure you’re ready for a proper cry before pressing play.

Watch it on Netflix  

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Few actors have as comforting of a screen presence as Everyone’s Dad, Tom Hanks. But the Oscar winner reached peak nice in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, taking on the role of Mister Rogers—basically the kindest man on television. The drama, which tells the IRL story of a cynical journalist (Matthew Rhys) whose walls are broken down as he forms a friendship with the TV star, lives up to both Hanks’ and Rogers’ reputations and though you may even shed a tear or two, it’ll feel more cathartic than devastating.

Watch it on Netflix

Remember the Titans

Football is the sport of the fall, and Remember the Titans is definitely one of the best movies about the game. Beyond football, the film tackles some complicated subjects like racism—Denzel Washington’s Coach Herman Boone is tasked with integrating a high school team in the early ‘70s—while hitting all the triumphant notes you could ask for of a crowd-pleasing sports movie. You’ll be wishing you were in a lively (pre-COVID) stadium IRL while cuddled on the couch sing-crying to "Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye."

Watch it on Disney+

The Half of It

Real talk: The Half of It is not particularly autumnal. But while it lacks fall foliage, it more than makes up for it with its big heart and tender story, partly based on Cyrona de Bergerac. The second movie from acclaimed filmmaker Alice Wu follows a shy teen (Leah Lewis) in a small conservative town who develops a crush on a popular girl (Alexxis Lemire) while helping an inarticulate classmate (Daniel Diemer) write her love letters. While it’s technically a romantic dramedy, at its core, the film is actually about a young queer woman searching for deeper connection in love and beyond and the modern coming-of-age story about the interior life of an LGBTQ female lead is as refreshing as it is charming.

Watch it on Netflix

You’ve Got Mail

Yes, there’s already a Nora Ephron movie on this list, but no one captures the magic of the season like she does and bonus, Ephron wrote and directed this one. You’ve Got Mail’s cozy vibes rival When Harry Met Sally’s to truly satisfying results and although it’s a totally winning rom-com, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as two rival booksellers who don’t know they’ve fallen for each other online, it does get docked a few points for a dated premise that’s kindof unsavoury in the era of catfishing.

Watch it on Crave

Soul Food

Featuring a stacked cast that includes stars like Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long and Mekhi Phifer, Soul Food is a moving dramedy about the struggles of an extended family held together by their longstanding tradition of getting together for dinner every Sunday, no matter what. Nothing brings people together like food, and this movie is sure to remind you of hearty feasts with your own loved ones—especially the meals that got a little heated, even outside the kitchen.

Watch it on Crave

Notting Hill

This charming British rom-com stars Julia Roberts as a world-famous movie star who makes a grand (yet somehow whisper-quiet) declaration of love in one of the best romantic speeches ever—honestly!—to Hugh Grant in the middle of his cute independent bookstore. It is the movie version of cashmere leggings—the ultimate comfort.

Watch it on Crave

BEFORE YOU GO: Lady Gaga did her 'House of Gucci' Italian accent for nine months straight

[video_embed id='2314038']BEFORE YOU GO: Lady Gaga on her Italian accent for 'House of Gucci' [/video_embed]