With temperatures dropping and leaves falling in Berlin, autumn’s arrival is hard to deny. Another summer comes to an end, and with shorter days, it is only instinctual to start spending your evenings on the couch rather than in the park. For a film fan, this is not a tragedy but finally an opportunity to catch up on that watchlist that was neglected all summer long. But what makes the perfect fall watch? Is it a spooky thriller to put you in a dark, gloomy mood? Is it a campy romp to spark inspiration for this year’s Halloween costume? Or a cozy comfort film that makes you feel warm inside when it’s cold outside? Here is TITLE’s list of fall film recommendations, including something for every fall mood.
Crimson Peak (2015), directed by Guillermo del Toro—Creepy and Campy!
Somewhere between a horror soap opera and a faux-gothic thriller, Crimson Peak is equal parts camp and creepy. Mia Wasikowska (queen of gothic films, in my humble opinion) plays the young writer Edith, who, in early 1900s Buffalo, NY, is haunted by her mother’s ghost, which incessantly warns her, “Beware of Crimson Peak.” After her father’s mysterious death, she marries Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), a charming English baronet, and moves with him to his decaying ancestral mansion, Allerdale Hall, in England. The house sits atop red clay that seeps up through the floor and stains the snow blood-red. It isn’t long before Edith senses that Allerdale Hall is not safe for her. The crumbling mansion, like the husband who brought her there, is concealing something sinister. Visually stunning, with irresistible costumes, hair, and makeup, and a melodramatic story that’s great fun.
Vamps (2012), directed by Amy Heckerling—Campy!
Vamps is a horror comedy film, written and directed by Amy Heckerling of Clueless fame. It is campy, over-the-top, and kind of absolutely unhinged. It stars Krysten Ritter and Alicia Silverstone as beautiful, fashion-obsessed vampire roommates in New York City, navigating maintaining a youthful image while on a strict no-human-blood diet. Heckerling turns the vampire trope into a Sex and the City-style romp, but not without sneaking in amusing commentary on beauty standards and consumerism. Deeply silly and deeply charming, it’s not a film meant to be taken too seriously, but one best enjoyed with a group of girls, gays, and a lot of wine.
Coraline (2009), directed by Henry Selick—Cozy and Creepy!
Coraline is one of those films that proves that animated films are not just enjoyable for children. It may be the most whimsical movie ever made, and the love, care, and talent behind it show in every frame. Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is an 11-year-old who moves into a new house with her always-working parents. An only child, she has to find ways to entertain herself, and the big, creaky house makes the perfect playmate. Then she discovers a hidden door to a parallel world, where her parents give her all the love and attention she craves, she can eat whatever her heart desires, and the strange neighbors from real life become her personal entertainment program. But, of course, it all comes at a price. Both the film and its heroine are strange, lovable, and incredibly relatable for anyone who has ever been called “imaginative” or a “daydreamer” as a child.
All That Heaven Allows (1955), directed by Douglas Sirk—Cozy!
All That Heaven Allows is a melodrama that is as gorgeous as it is devastating. Directed by Douglas Sirk, the film follows Cary Scott (Jane Wyman), a widowed, well-to-do suburbanite whose days are filled with country club lunches and polite company. Then she falls for Ron Kirby, her younger gardener, a gentle, down-to-earth man who lives by his own rules among the trees. Their romance sets the whole town talking. Her friends sneer, her children are mortified, and Cary must decide whether to follow her heart or protect her place in society. The Technicolor is lush, with saturated reds, golds, and autumn greens that make every frame look like a painting, and the story is as melodramatic as it gets, in the best way! Beneath the soapy surface is a sharp critique of class, conformity, and the cost of other people’s opinions, which is why the film still feels so relevant today.
Petite Maman (2021), directed by Céline Sciamma—Cozy!
Petite Maman is a small, quiet miracle of a film, and at just 72 minutes it makes every minute count. Directed by Céline Sciamma, it follows Nelly, an 8-year-old who has just lost her grandmother and travels with her parents to clear out her mother’s childhood home. Her mother, overwhelmed by grief, soon slips away, leaving Nelly to wander the woods her mother used to play in. There she meets Marion, a girl her own age who is building a treehouse and who looks strikingly like her. The two become fast friends, and Nelly slowly realizes that Marion is her mother as a child. Sciamma never makes a fuss over the magic, and the film is all the better for it. The autumn palette is warm and soft, the children’s performances are wonderfully natural, and the story’s gentleness is what makes it so moving. It’s a tender, deeply felt meditation on grief, childhood, and the chance to know your parents as people, and it will linger long after the credits.
