Plan a trip to Stars Hollow, take a stroll down Fear Street, or spend an evening at Hill House. Whatever you choose, it's giving autumn. The 15 best movies/TV s

Plan a trip to Stars Hollow, take a stroll down Fear Street, or spend an evening at Hill House. Whatever you choose, it's giving autumn.

The 15 best movies/TV shows on Netflix to get you in the mood for fall

Plan a trip to Stars Hollow, take a stroll down Fear Street, or spend an evening at Hill House. Whatever you choose, it's giving autumn.

By Sara Netzley

and Kevin Jacobsen

on September 18, 2025 11:15 a.m. ET

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as Lorelai and Rory Gilmore on 'Gilmore Girls'; Victoria Pedretti as Eleanor 'Nell' Crain Vance in 'The Haunting of Hill House'; Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams on 'Wednesday'. Credit:

Everett; Netflix (2)

Spooky. Sporty. Scholarly. Choose your fall movie adventure — or maybe some (pumpkin) spicy combination of all three.

Whatever your autumn vibe, Netflix has you covered, from a Mike Flanagan thriller series to a leaf-peeping small town (*Virgin River*) to football both real (*Last Chance U*) and fictional (*All American*). So grab your snuggliest sweater and read on for **'s list of the best 15 fall movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix.

All American (2018–present)

Daniel Ezra as Spencer James on 'All American'.

Ser Baffo/The CW

*All American *follows the *Friday Night Lights* playbook by using sports as a backdrop to explore social issues. Based on the real-life story of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, Daniel Ezra stars as Spencer James, a South Central L.A. football phenom recruited to play for a wealthy Beverly Hills high school. Cue the inevitable culture clash that finds Spencer torn between the life he knows and the posh world he's thrust into.

EW critic, a non-football aficionado, fell for the show's mix of glowing California teen drama and the nuance it brings to unpacking race and class in America. *—Sara Netzley*

Where to watch *All American*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Cast: **Daniel Ezra, Taye Diggs, Samantha Logan, Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou, Bre-Z, Cody Christian

America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (2024–present)

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on 'America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders'.

Now it's going to get just a little bit grim and scold-y: How much do you know about the ugly side of football's beauty? *Cheer* creator Greg Whiteley pointed his camera at the 2023 hopefuls for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad, and what he found were cutthroat competition, grueling physical demands, and nearly impossible beauty and body standards, all for very little financial compensation. As EW's critic put it, "Come for the high kicks, and brace for the heartbreak." *—S.N.*

Where to watch *America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders*: Netflix

**Director: **Greg Whiteley

**Cast: **Kelli Finglass, Judy Trammell, Victoria Kalina, Kelcey Wetterberg, Charlotte Jones, Reece Weaver, Nate Crnkovich, Dolly Parton**

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (2018)

Christine McConnell in 'The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell'.

If you crave the macabre but don't want to dip your toes into true terror, Christine McConnell has cooked up something just for you. The artist and internet personality worked with Jim Henson's crew to create her puppet cohosts, including Rose the reanimated raccoon and Rankle the mummified Egyptian cat.

This creepy, crafty baking show was frightfully underwatched, but its six episodes are ready to be discovered in all their scripted reality/DIY glory. These curious creations are bizarre, charming, and edgy enough to keep you glued to the couch, whether that's in your tidy condo or a moldering gothic mansion. *—S.N.*

Where to watch *The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell*:* *Netflix

**Director: **Kirk R. Thatcher

**Cast: **Christine McConnell, Adam Mayfield, Dita Von Teese, Colleen Smith, Michael Oosterom

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020)

Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman on 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'.

Sure, the Dark Lord's taken a special interest in you, but you've still got to make friends at your new school. That's just one of the problems facing half-witch, half-human Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) in Netflix's pitch-black adaptation of the Archie Comics character.

Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told EW that he always intended for *Chilling Adventures of Sabrina *to be, well, chilling. "The idea was to do a dark horror version of *Sabrina*, something that was more of a slow-burn horror, like* The Exorcist* and *Rosemary's Baby* and all those great satanic horror movies from the 1960s and 1970s." Although the show's four-season run wasn't quite as long as Aguirre-Sacasa had hoped, Shipka's Sabrina did fulfill her unholy destiny by turning up on her Archie pagemates' CW show *Riverdale* a year later. *—S.N.*

Where to watch *Chilling Adventures of Sabrina*: Netflix

**Cast:** Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Davis, Tati Gabrielle, Michelle Gomez, Chance Perdomo, Miranda Otto, Richard Coyle

Donnie Darko (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko, Jena Malone as Gretchen Ross, and James Duval as Frank the rabbit in 'Donnie Darko'.

Newmarket Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection

The autumnal atmosphere of this cult classic psychological thriller is best enjoyed in the last few months of the year. Set over the course of a chilly October, *Donnie Darko* follows the titular moody teen (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is informed by a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume that the world will end in 28 days. Donnie becomes increasingly disturbed by the entity, which begins influencing him to take drastic actions in his community. EW's critic calls *Donnie Darko* an "excitingly original indie vision," with special praise for Richard Kelly's direction: "He swings big — with flair." —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Donnie Darko*: Netflix

**Director:** Richard Kelly

**Cast:** Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogen, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Ashley Tisdale**

Fear Street trilogy (2021)

The Skull Mask Killer in 'Fear Street Part One: 1994'. Netflix

This time-hopping trio of films will delight old-school horror fans as well as newcomers to the slasher genre. Based on a series of best-sellers by *Goosebumps* author R.L. Stine, the interconnected *Fear Street *movies — set in 1994, 1978, and 1666 — all unfold in a murder-friendly little town filled with the likes of Gillian Jacobs (*Community*) and Sadie Sink (*Stranger Things*).

"We've done slasher movies in various ways, and I was interested in how we could reinvent the [slasher] genre a little bit," director Leigh Janiak told EW. "Part of that came from this opportunity to tell a different kind of story that had a bigger narrative, connected over all three, that you need to watch in a short amount of time to get the full experience. It's not a traditional sequel model." If that's not enough to convince you, the *Fear Street* three landed on EW's list of the best horror films of 2021. *—S.N.*

Where to watch the *Fear Street *trilogy: Netflix

**Director: **Leigh Janiak

**Cast: **Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch

Firefly Lane (2021–2023)

Sarah Chalke as Kate Mularkey on 'Firefly Lane'. Diyah Pera/Netflix

This cozy dramedy, about the bond between women over the various seasons of their lives, is like a warm hug (not unlike the next show in this list). Based on the Kristin Hannah novel, *Firefly Lane* follows the friendship between Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey from their teens through their adulthood. Bouncing between their teenage years and adulthood (with Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke playing the characters in their 40s), the show tracks the many ups and downs as they take vastly different paths as their friendship evolves. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Firefly Lane*: Netflix

**Cast:** Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Ben Lawson, Beau Garrett, Ali Skovbye, Roan Curtis, Yael Yurman**

The 37 scariest movies of all time

'Gilmore Girls' documentary in the works to celebrate show's 25th anniversary

Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as Lorelai and Rory Gilmore on 'Gilmore Girls'. Everett Collection

Okay, yes, *Gilmore Girls *spans the seasons in Stars Hollow. But c'mon, when you picture Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel), they're clutching coffee cups while fast-talking their way around the orange and red foliage of the opening credits. An EW's writer declared in 2017, "fall is for *Gilmore Girls*" in all its school-blazer, skinny-scarf, multiple-Thanksgivings glory.

Peak fall episodes to queue up: "Kiss and Tell" (season 1, episode 7); "The Road Trip to Harvard" (season 2, episode 4); "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They" (season 3, episode 7); and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (season 6, episode 6). *—S.N.*

Where to watch *Gilmore Girls*: Netflix

**Cast: **Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, Melissa McCarthy, Edward Herrmann, Scott Patterson, Sean Gunn, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia**

The Half of It (2020)

Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu and Daniel Diemer as Paul Munsky in 'The Half of It'.

KC Bailey/Netflix

No matter how far graduation is in your rearview, fall sparks nostalgia for those back-to-school days. But instead of grabbing a backpack and fretting about midterms, settle in with *The Half of It*, an LGBTQ+ spin on *Cyrano de Bergerac* that finds closeted, self-contained high-schooler Ellie (Leah Lewis) helping sweet jock Paul (Daniel Diemer) write love letters to his cool-girl artist crush.

EW's critic applauded director Alice Wu's tender handling of Ellie's first tumble into love, as well as Wu's exploration of "how our messy, well-intentioned attempts to do right by our own hearts can both wound and help us fumble toward the people we're meant to be." *—S.N.*

Where to watch *The Half of It*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Alice Wu

**Cast: **Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Becky Ann Baker, Enrique Murciano

Happiness for Beginners (2023)

Luke Grimes as Jake and Ellie Kemper as Helen in 'Happiness For Beginners'. Barbara Nitke/Netflix

In this Hallmark-y (it's a compliment!) camping movie, Ellie Kemper plays a recent divorcée whose wide-eyed pixie energy bumps up against her brother's sloe-eyed, smooth-voiced best friend (*Yellowstone*'s Luke Grimes). While Kemper's Helen figures out how to navigate her new single life, she also finds herself falling in love against the autumnal splendor of the Appalachian Trail.

Kemper told EW that she was excited to play the grump in this adaptation of Katherine Center's novel, and that filming was a nice change of pace. "As an adult, especially living in a city, you forget how soothing and healing and restorative it is to be in nature," Kemper said. *—S.N.*

Where to watch *Happiness for Beginners*: Netflix

**Director: **Vicky Wright

**Cast: **Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Blythe Danner, Nico Santos, Ben Cook, Esteban Benito, Shayvawn Webster

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

Victoria Pedretti as Eleanor 'Nell' Crain Vance in 'The Haunting of Hill House'. Netflix

Between *The Haunting of Bly Manor*, *Midnight Mass*, *The Fall of the House of Usher*, and *The Midnight Club*, director Mike Flanagan has been Netflix's go-to fall (as in the season) guy for years, and his jump to Amazon Studios' stable of auteurs likely sent chills down many a Netflix execs's spines. If you're chasing your own spooky experience, start with *The Haunting of Hill House*, Flanagan's adaptation of Shirley Jackson's classic ghost story starring Elizabeth Reaser, Michiel Huisman, Kate Siegel, and Victoria Pedretti.

"A ghost can be a lot of things: memories, guilt, regrets, trauma, loss," Flanagan told EW. "We all have our ghosts to contend with, and that contention is where we learn the most about ourselves, as individuals and as a society. Ghosts are just reflections, and I find that fascinating." *—S.N.*

Where to watch *The Haunting of Hill House*: Netflix

**Director: **Mike Flanagan

**Cast: **Elizabeth Reaser, Michiel Huisman, Kate Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen**

Last Chance U (2016–2020)

Dior Walker-Scott in 'Last Chance U'.

In a time of increasing CTE awareness and decreasing high school football participation rates, this critically acclaimed docuseries about junior college players is, in the words of EW's critic, "a bluntly honest look at this desperate, almost nihilistic era of American football."

Lest that sound too grim or scold-y, he also describes *Last Chance U*'s focus on the dreams of its players, coaches, and teachers as ludicrously involving, with a cinematic feel that doesn't sugarcoat the statistical improbability of these young athletes making it to the NFL. If you love sports, storytelling, and/or real stakes, fall is the perfect time to enroll in *Last Chance U. —S.N.*

Where to watch *Last Chance U: *Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Cast: **Ron Ollie, Brittany Wagner, Buddy Stephens, Garrett Kruczek, John III Franklin, Frank Wilson Jr.

School Spirits (2023–present)

Peyton List as Maddie Nears on 'School Spirits'. Paramount +

On *School Spirits*,* *Peyton List plays a recently deceased girl stuck in her high school while she tries to uncover the truth behind her death. (As if sines and cosines weren't scary enough). The supernatural drama was born on Paramount+ and is enjoying a healthy afterlife on Netflix, with a second season in the works. Come for the mystery-unraveling paranormal fun, stay for winky episode titles like "My So-Called Death," "Dead and Confused," and "Séance Anything." *—S.N.*

Where to watch *School Spirits: *Netflix

**Cast: **Peyton List, Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, Spencer Macpherson, Kiara Pichardo, Sarah Yarkin, Nick Pugliese, Rainbow Wedell

Virgin River (2019–present)

Colin Lawrence as Preacher and Kandyse McClure as Kaia on 'Virgin River'.

Like *Gilmore Girls*, *Virgin River* doesn't just weave its quirky spell in the autumn months. But in our hearts, it's always fall in this Northern California-set show featuring a cast of thousands (give or take) led by Alexandra Breckinridge and Martin Henderson.

That crisp fall feeling could come from its Vancouver filming location, where the perpetual chill in the air lends itself to slouchy beanies and reddened noses. Or it could be due to the warm, cozy hug that comes from binging four seasons of fresh starts, self-discovery, found families, small-town gossip, and, of course, new love. *—S.N.*

Where to watch *Virgin River*: Netflix

**Cast: **Alexandra Breckinridge, Martin Henderson, Tim Matheson, Annette O'Toole, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Zibby Allen, Lexa Doig, Mark Ghanimé

Wednesday (2022–present)

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams on 'Wednesday'. Courtesy of Netflix

The raven-black yin to Sabrina Spellman's platinum-blonde yang, death-obsessed Wednesday Addams was reborn on Netflix with Jenna Ortega taking over the role from Christina Ricci, who starred in the beloved '90s *Addams Family *film franchise. Ortega told EW she was game for the challenge of making the character her own: "You know, it's funny and sweet and almost charming to hear this 8-year-old's obsession with murder and blood and guts. As she gets older, that nasty attitude or [those] biting remarks, it's almost kind of hard to not make it sound like every other teenage girl. So, it's like, how do we establish this character and give her the same fire without letting her become something that she's not?"

The show clearly did something right. *Wednesday *landed on Netflix's top-10 most-viewed shows for the first half of 2023, and earned 12 Emmy nominations, including Best Comedy Series. *—S.N.*

Where to watch *Wednesday*: Netflix

**Cast: **Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Riki Lindhome, Hunter Doohan**

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