It’s officially Fall. While it might not feel like it in Southern California, elsewhere, the leaves are falling, everything is turning orange, and pumpkin spice is back. So to celebrate that momentous occasion and give myself something to picture in my head while Southern California stays the same climate, here’s five films to get you ready for fall. These might not be the scariest, or even “Halloween” movies, but they all show off that changing of the seasons in great ways.

5. Pumpkinhead

He might not taste like pumpkin spice, but Pumpkinhead still brings out all those Fall vibes. It’s not even set around Halloween, but this 1988 classic from Stan Winston gives us one of the best 80s monster movies. Lance Henriksen proves here why he’s a master of horror and royalty of the genre. It’s a revenge flick, it’s horror, it’s a creature-feature, you get everything here. There’s pumpkin patches, what more could you want to kick off the best season of the year?

4. Ginger Snaps

You can see the brown/orange of the grass behind them in that photo. It’s really all you need to tell me that Fall is coming. Werewolf movies can happen any time of year, but in the Fall/Winter it always feels like the best time. Everyone is bundled up inside, the days get darker faster, and you never know what can be lurking out there in the forest. Ginger Snaps captures that feeling and them some.

This one gives you the comparison of “becoming a woman” to being a werewolf. Halloween and a Full moon give Ginger Snaps the leg up over some other Fall films for this list.

3. Trick R Treat

Five interwoven stories. That’s what you get with Trick R Treat. Check out that image and tell me that a flaming pumpkin isn’t Fall as f**k. I’ll wait. This one has quite the talented cast with Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Leslie Bibb, and more. This might be the best “recent” Fall movie we’ve had, but don’t take it from me. Sam is now a Halloween icon.

So next time you’re trying to get into the mood for Fall and colder weather, let Sam and that flaming Jack O’ Lantern warm you up.

2. Fright Night

Fright Night has it all when it comes to Fall. Vampires, movie marathons, fog, overcast weather, horror hosts, and hot cocoa. This is one of my favorite horror movies out there and it just feels like Fall whenever it’s on. The story also gives off those vibes of a teenage experience during the Fall. There’s only a couple scenes during the day in this one, and the only one where it’s bright and sunny out is the finale.

Give the remake a shot for a Fall themed double feature.

1. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Halloween AMC FearFest

This one is all about the opening scene. I’ve talked about it before in the Top 4 Part 4s In Horror list I did last year. Just watch this for yourself.

All you can hear is the wind rustling, dust kicking up, that orange color to the title cards, it’s Fall perfection. The lighting, time of year, and colors are all on full display. This might be the most Fall thing ever, and Starbucks or whoever else would be wise to copy it for the return of Pumpkin Spice.

It’s so deceptively simple and it signals the return of the horror icon Michael Myers to our screens after a couple years away. With Halloween Kills coming out on October 15th, this one is worth a revisit (even if it doesn’t technically count in that universe).

You could add a million different horror movies to this list that evoke the feeling of Fall. At the end of it all, it’s all about personal preference. You might want HalloweenTown on this list because it’s arrival on our TV screens meant the coming of Fall. Either way, what’s your favorite Fall-feeling horror flick?

For more on horror, check out THS Fright-A-Thon 2021, the ultimate horror marathon, or stay tuned to That Hashtag Show.

The 2021 Halloween Movie Marathon Schedule [Fright-A-Thon]