It’s starting to get colder outside; the wind grows fierce and sudden rain hits in the middle of the day, sometimes for hours or just minutes. Ice lattes and cold brews are replaced with expressos and cappuccinos. The ground is covered by leaves, and we are constantly in the debate whether to go outside with two coats to fight the cold or a thinner cardigan. All these changes can only mean one thing, the Fall season has finally arrived and it’s time to binge-watching some classics and not-so-classics.
Most of us already have it covered with a classic Harry Potter marathon, but if you are looking to expand your horizons when it comes to the field of films, here I’ll give you the perfect list of movies to binge-watch this month.
We begin this list with a beloved classic…. The Goonies (1985)
Growing up together in the Goon Docks area of Astoria, Oregon, four boys are faced with the sad truth, their homes are about to be turned into a country club and that is their last weekend together before each of them goes their separate ways. However, luck might be in their favor as while playing, they find hidden a secret pirate map meant to lead them to a treasure hidden in town. But it won’t come so easily as a family of criminals is after the treasure too.
The Goonies could be described in the following four words perfectly: mystery, adventure, fun, and iconic. From the friendship between the boys, the comedy relief, and the thrill of the chase as time is running out, The Goonies remains an all-time classic. Originally released in the summer of 1985, The Goonies is the perfect film for a night spent at home because it truly makes you travel outside of your coach into an exciting treasure hunt. For the fans of Peter Pan, Jumanji, and Indiana Jones this is the film for you to watch.
But if find yourself more in the mood for a free fall of tears, we got you covered with our next lineup.
Second, on the list is Dead Poets Society (1989)
Counting with beloved legend Robin Williams and fan favorite, Ethan Hawke. Dead Poets Society is a film that I don’t think a single person has ever watched without getting tearful as the credits rolled down, and we feel the need to scream because we wanted it to keep going. Or maybe you were teary-eyed just because that ending is too unfair and too beautiful.
Dead Poets Society, set in 1959, brings the story of John Keating, a new English teacher in the prestigious Welton Academy (a fictional boarding school for boys in Vermont, USA). He teaches a varied class of students; each of them with different problems they hide from the rest. The beauty and meaning of life are shown through Mr. Keating’s poetry lessons.
Dead Poets Society is one of those movies that everyone should watch at least once in their life; for all these lessons and memorable quotes John Keating brings into his classroom, and for the smiles and tears Neil Perry and his group of friends, with the newest member, his roommate for the school year, newbie Todd Anderson, will give you. This film remains a success beyond just its academy award nomination.
Now we go with one of my personal favorite movies of all time,
The third spot in my list goes to…. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Once again Robin William just makes you break into tears and laugh simultaneously, a beautiful but nevertheless painful gift. This movie is no exception to that feeling.
Taking place in South Boston, outcast Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is discovered to be a prodigy in mathematics while working as a janitor at MIT. Despite this, well-known professor Gerald Lambeau, wishes to put him in the spotlight, Will has a past that leaves him no choice but to commit to therapy with psychiatrist Dr. Sean Maguireto (Robin Williams), an old, strained friend of Lambeau’s.
This a favorite of mine for a reason. Good Will Hunting is a story of friendship, newfound love, and most of all, understanding bad things don’t just happen to bad people, it’s just how life is and with the help of people around us we learn to move forward.
Will aims to balance his new relationship with Harvard student Skylar, his friendship and bond with his boys, and tries to figure out where these two men stand in his life. Good Will Hunting is an inspiring story perfect for new beginnings as this season starts.
Forth in line goes to…. (My favorite movie of all time) … Almost Famous (2000)
We might go back to tears, but for now, it’s time for some laughs and the kind of awe that leaves you mesmerized. Know that you are going to remember this scene for the rest of your life and will do whatever it takes to live up to it.
Almost Famous, a silent classic, in my opinion, tells the story of an aspiring teenage journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit), as he embarks on the trip of a lifetime with rock band Stillwater, to write an article for Rolling Stones in the early 1970s. William expected it to be difficult, but what he didn’t expect was to find the relationships around him, something he wants to protect instead of exposing. He was not expecting to fall for the one girl he shouldn’t want (Kate Hudson) or befriend the one band he is supposed to write an article on and become their “enemy” as the band starts to call him, with more affection than they will admit.
Taking place in the era of rock bands and loyal band-aids (they are there for the music, not the rock stars), Almost Famous feels like traveling back in time to a life where we didn’t count on social media to connect, only with human interaction and, as for this group, surrounded by great music.
And now since we mentioned traveling in time, we must go to the fifth place in this list and that is…
Fifth place is The Age of Adaline (2015)
Forever known as the New York City “It Girl”, Blake Lively brings to the screen, Adaline Bowman, a woman stuck in time having been 29 for almost eight decades after a car accident in 1937 that should have killed her but instead let her live life young.
After nearly getting caught by the FBI, Adaline has become an expert on switching identities as life on the run is the only one she can ever know. Yet still, sometimes the heart is stronger than logic as Adaline finds herself falling for Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman). Adaline accepts the relationship knowing that eventually, she will have to disappear, but things get complicated once Ellis introduces her to his parents, who have a past with Adaline and might threaten to expose her secret.
The perfect film for a relaxing night in. Light up some candles, take out the frozen pizza, and pour some wine because The Age of Adaline brings the comfort one needs when the weather gets too cold.
But if you are once again looking for something that will get you jumping and screaming until your neighbors complain then the next film might be a better option…
Sixth place is The Conjuring (2013)
October is over but that does not mean a good scare is not good occasionally. James Wan’s The Conjuring remains the original (and the best) Conjuring film to seek comfort with friends trying to watch the whole film without closing your eyes and not dropping your snacks all over the place – I did that in the cinema when first watched it, it was not fun!
The Conjuring brings to life the story of the Perron family as they move into a farmhouse hoping for a fresh start, but soon their life is turned into a nightmare as paranormal activity starts taking place leaving them with no choice but to seek help from the best in the field: Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Conjuring is one of the worst cases of the real-life Warren marriage encounter in their careers as demonologists and having consulted with the original family about their own experience, the film feels as real as it was for them.
The Conjuring sure steps into a darker tone with the horror genre, but perhaps you want something that still mysterious, but more for the whole family.
In seventh place is Knives Out (2019)
Count with a stellar cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ana de Armas, and Chris Evans.
Knives Out dives into the murder of known crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey after his 85th birthday party where his dysfunctional family reunited in his mansion in Massachusetts including his nurse, young Marta Cabrera.
As a detective, Benoit Blanc tries to figure out who the murderer is, he comes to find out how Harlan had a strained relationship with almost all the members of his family, leaving the question to remain, who killed him?
Knives Out brings the term dysfunctional family and rich people’s problems to a new level, as the webs binding each member of the Thrombey family and the secrets each of them is hiding comes into life while trying to find out who is the murderer amongst them. And who’s getting the money now that the patriarch of the family is dead?
Families can be complicated, but they also add part of the fun into life, whether it is a blood family or chosen family, and another favorite that captures that message perfectly is the final point of my list.
Eighth and final place goes to… Little Women (2019)!
There are many adaptations when it comes to the literally classic by Louisa May Alcott but there are only made by the powerhouse that is Greta Gerwig. As a director and writer, she takes the story into a new light with her creative vision while remaining loyal to Alcott’s true message from the novel published originally in 1868.
Little Women narrates the lives of the March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) as they drift away from their childhood into adulthood and the sacrifices that come with it. The cinematography, costume design, and the chemistry between the cast are some of the elements that make this adaptation so special and my favorite one so far.
Little Women is a story of transition, love, and loss. Each of the sisters’ drafts into a different pact in life despite having started out in the same place, playing, and performing Jo plays in their attic with their neighbor and close friend, Laurie.
Now grown women with different responsibilities and (you could even say) different lives, the movie is a wholesome experience that calls to be watched again and again.
As you can see, there’s something for everyone when it comes to films, especially for those that align perfectly with this season’s mood. I could go on forever with movies that just remind me of this season from animated to mysteries and the best ones from the coming-of-age genre. But for a short list, I think you will find at least one that will set your mood for the last month of fall.
