Fall into colder weather with these comforting albums, movies, and television shows.
As the leaves crisp and change colour, autumn settles over Kingston. Fall is the perfect time to curl up indoors. During breaks from back-to-school studying, enjoy these recommendations for the best music, movies, and television shows to capture the season’s mood.
Twin Peaks (1990–91)
An all-time favourite of mine, David Lynch’s television series Twin Peaks is a surreal, small-town mystery set in the misty forests of Washington state. The series stars quirky characters right out of any mom-and-pop diner. However, a foreboding sense of unease runs beneath the show’s cheerful surface, balancing the quaint charm of autumn with the growing eeriness of Halloween.
Harvest time conjures up images of small-town living. Few shows embody that atmosphere better than Twin Peaks. The show feels like an autumn collage: flannel jackets, endless cups of coffee, and a titular small town steeped in nostalgia. For a perfect balance of chills and charm, this series is a must-watch during fall.
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
This animated miniseries aired on Cartoon Network in 2014, and rewatching it has since become a fall tradition for many. The show follows brothers Wirt and Greg as they wander through a strange fantasy forest called the Unknown. Like Twin Peaks, Over the Garden Wall blends storybook whimsy with a haunting atmosphere.
Beautifully animated, the show’s palette of oranges, greens, and browns fits with autumn’s changing colours. Its soundtrack, prominently featuring fiddles and banjos, feels nostalgic in a way unique to harvest season. With only ten short episodes, Over the Garden Wall is perfect for binge-watching on either a cozy September or spooky October night.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Set in Boston, Gus Van Sant’s film Good Will Hunting follows a young math genius trying to escape his troubled life. The film’s aesthetics pair New England’s autumn scenery with Elliot Smith’s melancholic soundtrack, evoking the bittersweet beauty of fall.
With its university backdrop and undeniably heartfelt performances by Matt Damon and Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting is a unique masterpiece. The film is also critically acclaimed, having won 25 Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay. As a university student, this is a fall must-watch.
Harvest by Neil Young (1972)
Neil Young’s Harvest remains a classic album of the folk-rock genre. If the work’s title gives any indication, its warm acoustic guitar and pensive lyrics almost beg to accompany the sunset in a farm field.
The track “Old Man” is a personal favourite because of its introspective tone, reflecting on the passage of time alongside changing seasons. Young’s voice has a twang that forces me to sing along anytime I hear it. The entire record has an easygoing mood, which makes it a perfect soundtrack for a warm and cozy evening.
Pink Moon by Nick Drake (1972)
Folk artist Nick Drake’s final album, Pink Moon, is sparse and a bit haunting. Stripped down to just Drake’s voice accompanied by a single acoustic guitar, the album’s honesty gives it a chilling intimacy.
Listening to it as the days grow shorter captures the season’s bittersweet beauty, as grass and plants slowly begin to wither away. It’s the kind of music that pairs perfectly with long evening walks under the falling leaves and has already been on heavy rotation for me during these colder, introspective evenings.
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There are many ways to enjoy the perfect autumn evening. However, choosing a film, TV show, or album to enjoy each fall’s a sweet way to celebrate changing seasons. Hopefully, a pick from this list will become a fall favourite, conjuring cozy feelings of nostalgia every year.
Tags
Fall, Media, Movies, Music, Television
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