8 cozy and creepy Netflix shows and movies to add to your fall watchlist

Falling leaves. Haunted hayrides. Hot apple cider and cinnamon donuts. Fall has something wonderful and cozy about it. It's one of my favorite seasons because I can cook heartier meals, bake fall desserts, and snuggle on the couch under a warm blanket while watching cozy or creepy movies and shows.

Autumn often includes colorful foliage and stylish outerwear, but those are just bonuses. The season really brings a sense of opportunity, whether it's falling in love, solving a murder mystery, or winning the Homecoming football game. It allows us to feel nostalgic as we watch our favorite characters from the comfort of our couch as the seasons begin to change.

It's the perfect time to grab your favorite blanket, some apple cider, and some cinnamon sugar donuts, and begin a binge fest of the coziest or scariest fall-themed shows and movies.

My Life with the Walter Boys

My Life with the Walter Boys is the perfect cozy fall drama. It doesn't just sprinkle in fall holidays; it weaves autumn vibes into the drama as we watch Jackie evolve from a stylish New Yorker to a more relaxed rancher. Her story is truly one of opportunity as she grieves the loss of her family and adapts to the Walters' inviting, cozy kitchen. While their household is always bustling, they welcomed her with open arms.

The cinematography makes the series feel like fall in the outdoor scenes, whether they're working on the ranch or hiking. The series often shoots during sunrise or sunset to add extra mist or color grading to the scenes. Beyond the YA drama and love triangle, the series features many rural fall traditions, such as local bonfires, Friday night football games, and rodeo competitions. You don't want to miss it.

Virgin River

While Virgin River doesn't technically take place only in fall, the series often looks like autumn, partly because the cast films in Vancouver. The frequent mist and pine forests contrast with the earthy tones, making it feel like it's fall all year round.

We fell in love with nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) years ago when she first arrived to help Doc Mullins with his medical practice. She's been kind and opinionated and won the heart of Jack (Martin Henderson). Virgin River is the ultimate comfort watch because it focuses on emotional healing, community, romance, and growth. You'll want a warm blanket like one from Mel's cabin, with Preacher's grilled cheese and tomato soup. It's the perfect fall indulgence.

Happiness for Beginners

I love Hallmark movies. They are usually low-stakes and fun, and that's the formula that Happiness for Beginners followed. Ellie Kemper plays Helen Carpenter, a recent divorcee, who signs up for an immersive camping trip along the Appalachian Trail. Who else signed up for the trip? Her brother's best friend, Jake (Luke Grimes). We see where this is going. His sarcasm is the opposite of Helen's, but his preparedness on the trip endears him to her.

While it's somewhat predictable, the scenery is breathtaking with colorful leaves, gorgeous mountain ranges, and yellow fields. The supporting cast adds to this camping trip with their quirky personalities, yet some of them always list what they're grateful for, bringing it back to the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving. It's not the best film, but it's fun and worth a watch.

Enola Holmes

Cozy mysteries are perfect for fall, since the season is often associated with reading inside by a warm fire. Enola Holmes leans into this trope as our heroine solves ciphers, secret newspaper messages, and old-fashioned maps. Millie Bobby Brown played the part perfectly as a young, independent detective. Many of us grew up on Sherlock Holmes and now rooted for his teenage sister.

Enola's iconic red dress contrasts the muted tones of that Victorian period and traditional autumn palette, showing how rebellious she was. But the film excelled in both cinematography and costume design, staying true to history with its warm glows and autumn textiles. If you like Enola as much as I do, there are two more movies.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder blends the back-to-school trope with the cozy murder-mystery genre. A local teenager, Andie Bell, was murdered at the beginning of the series, and five years later, Pip, a high school senior, makes it her senior project to solve the case. She's determined and delightful, and she relies on old-school methods like Polaroids, corkboards, and stakeouts.

It often feels like an old-fashioned mystery as you watch Pip confront suspects in the shadows at night. She's uncovering secrets people want to keep buried, and that can be dangerous. With each season being only six episodes, this is an easy binge, and you'll see Pip learn just as much about being a teenage girl as she does about the case.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Almost everyone knows the story of the witch Sabrina, but Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina went a bit more goth and eternal autumn as Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) figured out her path in life. It always looked like October, with chilly air, dark woods, and the eerie Spellman Mortuary. It's the perfect series to get you in the mood for Halloween.

The series ran for two seasons and featured many fall-themed and Halloween episodes, including the premiere, which included a rare Halloween eclipse. Other memorable episodes featured the dark baptism and Sabrina's 16th birthday in the dark woods and a gothic episode at Spellman Mortuary, where their fears torment them. It's the perfect combo of nostalgia and creepiness.

Wednesday

Wednesday Addams is another creepy and kooky character we've grown up with, but Jenna Ortega's version in Netflix's Wednesday took it to another level. She owned her character by making her an intense, dark teenager. Who knew Wednesday's boarding school uniform would be coveted as high fashion, but it's become a popular Halloween costume option.

Nevermore Academy looks like a gothic castle with gargoyles, creepy woods, and an interior design of lace and velvet. It's not a typical boarding school and features secret societies and monster hunts, but it still has enough YA drama and love triangles to keep you hooked. It's the kind of series you'll watch to view with friends and lots of snacks.

The Haunting on Hill House

If you like horror, then you already know director Mike Flanagan's work. He's got several on Netflix. However, if you're new to his style, start with The Haunting of Hill House, an adaptation of a ghost story by Shirley Jackson. The series focuses on the Crane family, who lost their mom 26 years ago, and they all have different perspectives.

The house is just as much a character as each family member. It looks like a haunted mansion and gives you goosebumps as things pop out. While it's a horror series, each sibling is also battling their inner demons. Such as drug addiction, denial, and control issues. It's 10 episodes long, so there's plenty of time to focus on both scary ghosts and inner demons.

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