The 15 best fall movies and TV shows on Netflix in Sept 2024

Gilmore Girls, Haunting of Hill House, and Wednesday — Photo:
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 Entertainment Weekly’s list of the best 15 fall movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix right now.

01 of 15

Fear Street trilogy (2021)

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.

Where to watch the Fear Street trilogy: Netflix

Director: Leigh Janiak

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

02 of 15

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (2018)

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.

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

03 of 15

Monster House (2006)

Because the tweens in your life deserve spooky stories too! Monster House is the tale of — stay with me here — a monstrous house, with Steve Buscemi, Catherine O’Hara, and Maggie Gyllenhaal lending their voices to the neighborhood-terrorizing affair.

First-time feature director Gil Kenan told EW in 2006 that he loved getting scared by movies as a child. “Horror is so naturally suited to that age in a kid’s life, when they’re moving from being a kid to being a grownup in their mind,” he said. “I can’t imagine a better natural setting for a horror film than adolescence.” EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum agreed, praising the film’s gorgeous motion-capture animation and Kenan’s “zingy sense of kids, comedy, fright, and visual perspective.”

Where to watch Monster House: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Gil Kenan

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Catherine O’Hara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Fred Willard, Kevin James

Related content: A chat with Monster House director Gil Kenan

04 of 15

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

The Haunting of Hill House (screen grab) Victoria Pedretti CR: Netflix — 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’ spines. If you’re chasing your own spine-tingling 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.”

Where to watch The Haunting of Hill House: Netflix

Director: Mike Flanagan

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

05 of 15

The Half of It (2020)

The Half Of It - Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer — 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 Maureen Lee Lenker 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.”

Where to watch The Half of It: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Alice Wu

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

06 of 15

Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)

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. As EW’s Dana Schwartz 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).

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

Related content: Gilmore Girls cast: Where are they now?

07 of 15

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020)

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.

Where to watch Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Netflix

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

08 of 15

School Spirits (2023)

In 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.”

Where to watch School Spirits: Netflix

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

09 of 15

Wednesday (2022–present)

Jenna Ortega on 'Wednesday' — Courtesy of Netflix

The brunette yin to Sabrina’s 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 its second season is due sometime in 2025.

Where to watch Wednesday: Netflix

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

10 of 15

Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Friday Night Lights | ''I just went through a similar Friday Night Lights experience, my sister was starting to get worried when I managed to work it into everyÂ… — Bill Records/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Quite simply one of the best things on television during its miraculous run, Friday Night Lights was a football show that wasn’t really about football. But at the same time, there’s so much football to be had.

EW’s Whitney Pastorek lauded the “perfectly observed dysfunction and vibrant joy” that the Texas-set show balanced week in and week out — although full disclosure, she mentioned those massive strengths during a discussion of the big weak spot in season 2. But never fear, under the warm, loving influence of Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and Mrs. Coach (Connie Britton), the show bounced right back. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t stop streaming this gorgeous slice of raw, real, emotional Americana.

Where to watch Friday Night Lights: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Cast: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford, Taylor Kitsch, Aimee Teegarden, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki

11 of 15

All American (2018–present)

All American - Daniel Ezra as Spencer James — 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 Kristen Baldwin, herself 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.

Where to watch All American: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

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

12 of 15

Last Chance U (2016–2020)

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 sugar-coat 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.

Where to watch Last Chance U: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

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

13 of 15

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (2024)

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 cut-throat 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.”

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

14 of 15

Virgin River (2019–present)

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. Fingers crossed for a fall release date when season 6 drops sometime in 2025.

Where to watch Virgin River: Netflix

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

15 of 15

Happiness for Beginners (2023)

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.

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