Fall Film Watchlist

Hannah Smith ’26

Arts & Entertainment Editor

As the temperature dips into the 60s and Target starts putting out their cheesy Halloween decorations, there’s no better way to spend an afternoon than by watching a movie that emulates that perfect autumn feeling. Let this watchlist of films act as your guide for this fall season and beyond.

Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” follows an overly-ambitious private school student who focuses so much time and energy on his extracurriculars — and the new first-grade teacher, that his academics start to suffer for it. Staying on the theme of students taking things to the extreme, “Election” stars a young Reese Witherspoon who’s campaign for class president becomes a nightmare for one teacher in particular. “Kicking & Screaming” is like “Saltburn” without all the graphic sex scenes and brutal murders. Make sure you’re watching the Noah Baumbach film if you want something to get you in the mood for fall as opposed to Will Ferrell’s movie by the same name, which I’m sure is just as good. Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” is the family reunion from hell, but don’t let that dissuade you from watching this beautiful story of expectations, failure, and familial love. “Captain Fantastic,” “Swiss Army Man,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” are some of my all time favorites that take audiences on adventures they’ll never forget. At risk of sounding cliché, these are the films that will change the way you look at the world after you watch them.

Waning on the stranger side of comfort, these experimental films from the last decade are truly special. “The Lobster” takes place in a dystopian world where you turn into an animal of your choosing if you don’t find a lifelong partner within a certain block of time. David Lowry is the director responsible for the next two movies; “The Green Knight” is the type of fantasy story your parents would tell you as you fall asleep, but for adults, and it is everything you could possibly hope for. “A Ghost Story” is a deeply devastating film starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara in which the surreal elements keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

“Frances Ha” is one of those films that I believe everyone should watch at least once in their life. Greta Gerwig plays a 20-something year old girl trying to follow her dreams in New York, but of course, she has no idea what she’s doing. There are so many films out there with the same premise, including her own film “Lady Bird,” but there is something so charming about this film that makes it the perfect addition to this fall watchlist. “High Fidelity” and “Garden State” are the types of films you keep coming back to when you want the comfort of an early 2000s rom-com and a really great soundtrack. “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Columbus,” “The Skeleton Twins” and “Ghost World” are some of my favorite hidden gems that never get the representation they deserve in watchlists, and I’ve taken it upon myself to change that. Each of these films are so unique and incredible. They are the definition of comfort television.

There’s nothing quite like cozying up under a blanket and putting on a great horror film. I’ll save my Halloween watchlist for a later Tripod edition, but here are a few movies to get you ready for October. The following films are what have been expertly categorized as “cozy horror.” “An American Werewolf in London” is such a great horror comedy with some of the most outrageous special effects I’ve ever seen. The transformation scenes alone deserve all the Oscars. Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” is approaching its 20 year anniversary later this month and what better way to celebrate than to do a double-header with “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” two films that I don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending. “What We Do in the Shadows” is such a fun take on the mockumentary subgenre, and the show by the same name is that much better. “Super 8” is a coming of age story with the same youthfulness and curiosity as “It,” “Stand By Me” and “Stranger Things.” What more could you ask for in a movie?

Nothing screams autumn like Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Crimson Peak,” two films that epitomize Del Toro’s haunting and fantastical filmmaking aesthetic. Some more traditional horror thrillers include “The Others,” “Signs,” “Super Dark Times” and “Salem’s Lot.” “The Others” is one of those movies where it’s best to go into it knowing nothing, and the same goes for “Signs.” All you need to know is they are two mystery classics, and “Signs” is one of the better additions to M. Night Shyamalan’s fluctuating filmography. “Super Dark Times” is wildly unsettling and twisted. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I do think it earns a place on this watchlist for its ingenuity alone. 

These next films don’t necessarily align with any genre, especially not comfort or horror, but they evoke that fall feeling in such peculiar ways that I felt obligated to include them. “Chronicle” and “Dream Scenario” are two completely original stories, and the same goes for “Enemy” and “Stalker.” I won’t even begin to explain the premise of these movies, partially because I have a set word count and partially because I would be wrong, but these are really great watches if you’re looking for something new. “Rounders” and “The Game” are very similar in their sneaky intensity and nonstop action. These are the movies you watch and realize you’ve been clenching your fists for the past hour and a half. “Donnie Darko” isn’t necessarily an underground pick, but how could I possibly finish a fall list without such a classic. It would be like making a December watchlist without “Home Alone” or a September list without “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Knives Out,” or a single Meg Ryan movie…