The months of September, October, and November are defined by their grey weather, the start of school, and Halloween. I can think of few better activities than to stay up all night and watch movies. Horror movies, obviously- it is horror movie season– but there are plenty of other movies I believe are best watched in this specific period. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Juno (2007) (PG-13): Any and all praise this movie gets will never be enough. This surprisingly emotional comedy movie deals with subjects like marriage, love, parent-child relationships, and the maturity of teenagers, while simultaneously being quite possibly the funniest film I’ve ever seen. There are jokes layered within jokes, and I could go through every individual shot and point out all of the references. I firmly believe Juno should be seen by everyone at least once. Not only is it perfectly suited for this time of year, it has enough mid-to-late 2000s nostalgia to be considered a historical drama. Watch this movie. 

Heathers (1988) (R): Winona Ryder gives an amazing performance in this cult classic, and it is most definitely not without its controversy. While I think a lot of the themes and ideas are fairly relevant, viewer discretion is advised. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so if you’re unsure, it might benefit you to do a couple of google searches to see what you’re willing to handle. It is brilliantly funny, though, and I believe that some of the more insensitive topics are handled more like an intense satirization of high school, especially as it appears in movies, and not necessarily mocking the existence of these events. This movie is, in my opinion, really good. You could probably skip the musical, though.  

Little Women (2019) (PG): I think most people watched this movie back in 2019 when it came out, but it’s still a worthwhile reinvention of a classic. Greta Gerwig takes Louisa May Alcott’s critically acclaimed novel and brings out the feminist side, divulging into the lives of the adult March sisters and the struggles they deal with, while simultaneously flipping through their joyous, vibrant childhoods. I would say it’s worth a watch just for all of the sets and costume design, which suits the season very well.

The Silver Linings Playbook (2012) (R): The Silver Linings Playbook is a fantastic movie about mental health and the demonization that comes with it. This movie stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence who showcase an amazing performance. It delves into the two main characters, Pat has Bipolar Disorder and Tiffany has Borderline Personality Disorder. The movie explores the odd but wholesome relationship between the two. It handles mental illness in a very respectful way, but doesn’t fluff it up. I highly recommend you watch it.

The Sixth Sense (1999) (PG-13): The Sixth Sense is about a young boy named Cole who can see ghosts. This, (as you can imagine) upsets him greatly, and a psychologist named Dr. Crowe helps him learn how to deal with these apparitions. When my dad first came up with the idea for me to watch this, I thought it would be a silly movie and I was overall, not interested. When I ended up watching it, however, I absolutely loved it. I recommend not looking too much into this movie because it is truly best when you don’t know much about it. Everything adds up in the end and you feel this sort of fulfillment when finishing it.