5 Films to Watch When You Want to Feel Like It’s Autumn
There is something about autumn that makes you want to stay in, make something warm and put on a film that makes your life feel slightly more cinematic than it actually is. Maybe it is the changing leaves, the colder evenings or simply the fact that everything feels a little slower. And while I would love to say I spend autumn going on long countryside walks and reading by a fireplace, most of the time I am just watching films that give me the same feeling. So, if you are looking for something cosy, romantic and a little nostalgic to watch this season, start here.
Pride & Prejudice, 2005
Pride & Prejudice
We all know the story, but somehow Pride & Prejudice never gets old. Set in 19th-century England, the film follows Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters, as she navigates family expectations, love and, of course, Mr Darcy. At first, the two cannot stand each other, with Elizabeth finding Darcy arrogant and Darcy making absolutely no effort to seem likeable. But as they keep crossing paths, things start to change. It is full of misunderstandings, stolen glances, awkward conversations and the kind of slow-burn romance that makes you want to stare dramatically out of a window afterwards. Add the English countryside, old houses and chilly walks, and it is basically autumn in film form.
You’ve Got Mail, 1998
You’ve Got Mail
If you have ever imagined what it would be like to live in New York during autumn, You’ve Got Mail will probably make you want to book a flight immediately. Kathleen Kelly owns a small independent bookshop on the Upper West Side and finds herself falling for a mysterious man she has been talking to online. The problem? She has no idea that he is actually Joe Fox, the owner of the huge bookstore chain that has just opened nearby and is threatening her business. So while they are arguing in real life, they are falling for each other online. It is romantic, funny and full of bookshops, cafés, coats and New York streets covered in leaves. Basically, a very good excuse to romanticise your life.
Notting Hill, 1999
Notting Hill
Notting Hill starts with what is probably every bookshop owner’s most unrealistic dream: a world-famous actress walking into your shop and then somehow falling in love with you. William Thacker is a fairly ordinary man living in Notting Hill and running a travel bookshop when Hollywood actress Anna Scott walks in. After an awkward first meeting, their lives keep colliding and what starts as an unlikely friendship slowly turns into something more complicated. Of course, dating one of the most famous women in the world is not exactly straightforward, so there are misunderstandings, awkward moments and a fair amount of emotional chaos along the way. But between the little London streets, bookshop and cosy flat, the whole film feels like the kind of rainy afternoon you actually want to have.
Amélie, 2001
Amélie
Amélie follows Amélie Poulain, a young woman living in Paris who decides to secretly improve the lives of the people around her. She helps strangers, interferes in people’s love lives and quietly solves little problems without ever taking credit for them. While she is very good at making everyone else’s life more interesting, she struggles when it comes to her own. Things change when she meets Nino, an equally quirky young man who collects discarded photographs from photo booths around Paris. What follows is a very sweet, slightly strange love story about two people trying to find each other without quite knowing how to say what they feel. It is whimsical, funny and just odd enough to be charming.
Un Otoño Sin Berlín, 2015
Un Otoño Sin Berlín
If you want something a little more melancholic, Un otoño sin Berlín is the one. The Spanish film follows June, who returns to her hometown in northern Spain after spending time away. Coming home means reconnecting with Diego, an old friend and someone she once had a much deeper relationship with. But returning is not quite as simple as she expected. The people and places are familiar, yet June has changed, and so has Diego. As they spend time together again, they begin confronting what happened between them and what they actually want from their lives now. It is quieter and more introspective than the other films on this list, with that very particular feeling of returning somewhere familiar and realising that you are not quite the same person anymore. And honestly, that feels very autumn to me.
Maybe that is what makes these films perfect for this time of year. They are all different, but they have that same feeling of slowing down, falling in love, finding your way back to something or simply noticing the little things around you. Basically, films for when you want your evening to feel a little more special than sitting on the sofa in your pyjamas. Although, obviously, you should still be sitting on the sofa in your pyjamas.