By Camila Nakamura
As an international student coming from a place where seasons are not as differentiated as here in Canada, the Fall just feels magical – I grew up watching movies set in this time of the year, and now I am finally experiencing it in “real life”. So, I thought I would share some Fall-themed movies to relax and enjoy the post-midterm period and the ending of my favorite season of the year!
Just a side note that I will not be including horror films or Halloween-themed movies for this list, as I think they deserve their own list in the future. But anyway, here are my Fall movie recommendations:
You’ve Got Mail
When I think Fall, this is the first film that comes to mind. It is a 1998 rom-com directed by Nora Ephron that tells the story of Kathleen, a small bookstore owner fighting against the new big corporate bookstore that just opened in her neighbourhood – little does she know that her competitor is coincidentally the stranger she connects with over anonymous chat rooms online. It is a sweet “enemies-to-lovers” plot set in a beautiful New York City in the Fall, that will surely make you feel cozy and warm.
Inside Llewyn Davis
I will start by saying that this one is not for everyone. It is a little slow-paced and slightly experimental, relative to most mainstream movies, but if you are looking for something that portrays more of the moody side of Fall, this one is for you. It is the story of a folk musician in the 1960s navigating issues in his personal and professional life. Oscar Isaac plays the main character superbly and even performs a few folk tunes throughout the film. For me, folk music feels very autumnal, and like this movie, perfectly captures that period of transition between Fall and Winter.
Mystic Pizza
For me, this is one of the most underrated rom-com/coming of age films of all time. It is a light-hearted story about three Portuguese-American sisters who work on a pizza parlour in the coastal town of Mystic, Connecticut. Though an uncommon starting point for a rom-com, the film follows the sisters as they live through romances, personal struggles, and experience girlhood together. It is a wholesome story, perfect for those looking for an easy watch for the weekend. Not to mention, it features a lot of beautiful landscapes filled with the yellow leaves of North American Fall.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
I simply could not go without recommending this one. The director, Wes Anderson is known for the very recognizable visual style he uses in his films, consisting of symmetrical compositions, with simple, yet eye-catching color palettes and very particular ways of moving the camera around (you might have seen people shooting videos using his style on TikTok recently). In Fantastic Mr. Fox, we are presented with a stop motion that tells a fable-like story by Roald Dahl set in a wonderful Wes-Andersonian Fall. The art direction and production design are the stars of this one, and they are accompanied by a clever writing and fun voice interpretations by stars like George Clooney and Meryl Streep.
The Silence of the Lambs
I did not include horror films on this list, but I thought I would include something close to it, a thriller, after all, Fall is the season of mysteries and suspense. This 1991 classic tells the story of Clarice Starling and the FBI going after a violent criminal with the help of one of the most iconic villains of all time, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I won’t say more about the plot, because I think this is one of those films that the less you know before watching, the better. For this one, I am not sure if it is actually set in the Fall, but the gloomy cinematography and colors of the movie always feel very Fall to me.
My name is Camila, and I am a second-year student, majoring in Law & Society. I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to Toronto at the end of 2022. In my free time, I like playing the piano, and exploring the city, but my favourite thing to do is watching movies. I am passionate about cinema, so you’ll probably see me talking a bit about that here! I
I have always enjoyed writing because I the process of finding the words to communicate a thought and organizing them is very fun, so I am glad that I found the LA&PS Voices at York, to keep doing an activity I am really interested in.
