10 Movies To Watch In August If You're Already Craving Fall

Published Aug 26, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT Sky Blanton is a Movie Contributor at ScreenRant with professional experience covering movies, television, and pop culture. Her published work spans news, interviews, features, and opinion pieces, with a focus on film, franchise storytelling, and the entertainment industry. She earned her bachelor's degree in Communications with a concentration in Professional Writing and a minor in Business Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. August always feels a little strange when you're ready for fall before summer is actually over. The weather may still be warm, but suddenly you're thinking about cooler nights, the color of leaves changing, cozy movie nights, and everything that comes with the season. Luckily, you don't have to wait for September to get into the mood. There are plenty of movies that already feel like fall, even when autumn isn't technically part of the story. These movies have the kind of settings, stories, and characters that feel right as summer winds down, be it a quiet house, a small town, a family gathering, a lonely stretch of woods or a story filled with nostalgia. Some are comforting, some are melancholy, and some are downright unsettling, but they all have that unmistakable feeling of transition that comes with this time of year. So, if you're officially over summer but still have a few days of August to get through, consider this your excuse to start the fall movie marathon early. 10 The Devil's Advocate (1997) Directed by Taylor Hackford Taylor Hackford's 1997 supernatural thriller follows Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves), a Florida defense attorney who accepts an irresistible job at a prestigious New York law firm. His move marks the beginning of a completely different life, but the deeper Kevin gets into his new career, the more unsettling that opportunity becomes. Kevin leaves behind the familiar for something exciting and unknown, but the polished world of suits and ties he enters gradually reveals a much darker side. Set in New York and filled with shadowy interiors and supernatural horror, the movie has an atmosphere that feels right as the days grow shorter. It also has an adult, gothic edge that makes it a great alternative to more obvious Halloween picks. The Devil's Advocate places focus on ambition, temptation, and the cost of getting exactly what you want, making it a fitting choice for those last days of August, when you're ready to trade summer's lighter mood for something darker. 9 The Family Stone (2005) Directed by Thomas Bezucha The Family Stone is technically a Christmas movie, but it has plenty of the warmth and melancholy that makes fall. The 2005 comedy-drama follows Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) when she joins her boyfriend's family for the holidays in their New England home. She quickly finds herself at odds with a family that already has years of history, traditions, and complicated relationships. The New England setting and busy family home give the movie that cozy, stay-inside feeling that starts to sound much more appealing once summer winds down. More importantly, the story is about people realizing that their relationships are changing and that some things cannot stay the same forever. There is plenty of humor, but the movie has an emotional undercurrent that keeps it from feeling like a typical holiday comedy. It brings some of the comfort of the colder months without going straight into Christmas mode, making it a nice movie to reach for when you are ready for summer to end. 8 The Village (2004) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan The Village is a great choice for anyone who is already ready for the darker side of fall. M. Night Shyamalan's 2004 thriller follows an isolated community surrounded by woods, where the residents live in fear of mysterious creatures that supposedly inhabit the forest. The village itself feels almost idyllic, but the claim is always weighed down by the threat just beyond the trees. The woods are beautiful, quiet, and unsettling all at once, giving the store an eery atmosphere that feels right for fall. The villagers spend their lives trying to preserve what they know, while younger characters begin questioning rules that have kept them isolated. That tension gives a strong sense of change and uncertainty. The Village has the folklore, isolation, and creeping dread that you would want from a fall watch without being an outright Halloween movie. 7 The Witch (2015) Directed by Robert Eggers The Witch gives a darker, more atmospheric side of fall without needing to rely on Halloween. Robert Eggers' 2015 folk horror film follows a Puritan family living on an isolated farm in 1630s New England, with a dense forest looming just beyond their home. As strange evens begin to unfold, the distance from civilization becomes increasingly frightening. The setting itself is a huge source of The Witch's draw. The woods feel beautifully threatening, while the family's isolation makes every small change feel more significant. Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is also growing into adulthood as her family's beliefs and relationships begin to break down around her, giving the overall plot a strong transitional feeling. 6 The Invitation (2015) Directed by Karyn Kusama The Invitation captures the uneasy feeling of returning to something familiar and realizing it no longer feels the way you remember. Karyn Kusama's psychological thriller follows Will (Logan Marshall-Green) as he attends a dinner party at the home he once shared with his ex-wife, Eden. What starts as an awkward reunion becomes increasingly uncomfortable as Will notices strange behavior among the guests. Much of the movie takes place inside the house, surrounded by old memories, former friends and relationships that have changed. Will is dealing with more than his growing suspicion. He is also confronting a part of his past that he cannot get back, which gives the movie a melancholy quality beneath all the tension. 5 The Lake House (2006) Directed by Alejandro Agresti The Lake House is a good late-August watch because it has that strange feeling of wanting to hold onto something that is already changing. Kate and Alex build a relationship through letters sent across two years, turning the lake house into a place where they can connect even when their lives refuse to line up. Their romance has a wistful air to it that makes the movie feel more reflective than a traditional romance movie. The lake house itself does a lot of the lifting. The setting and old architecture allow for the story to slower in rhythm, while the changing seasons make the passing of time more tangible. For the last week of August, The Lake House gives that same sense of pause before life starts moving again. 4 The Blair Witch Project (1999) Directed by Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick Credit: Artisan Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection The Blair Witch Project understands why the woods can feel different once summer starts giving way to fall. Heather, Mike, and Josh enter the Maryland forest expecting to document a local legend, but their trip quickly becomes a fight against confusion, exhaustion, and fear. The further they travel, the less recognizable their surroundings become. The movie also makes camping feel wonderfully uncomfortable, turning what should be an adventure into something more isolated. If part of the appeal of fall is that the outdoors starts feeling a little mysterious again, The Blair Witch Project takes that feeling and runs with it. 3 The Edge of Seventeen (2016) Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig The Edge of Seventeen is a good fit for late August because it nails the feeling of being stuck between what was and what comes next. Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is seventeen, her best friend is dating her older brother, and suddenly the life she thought she understood does not quite look the same. Friendships change, high school starts to feel temporary, and the future begins creeping into conversations that once felt far away. The movie does not romanticize growing up, either. It is awkward, funny, frustrating, and sometimes genuinely sad, which makes its nostalgia feel so genuine. 2 The Empty Man (2020) Directed by David Prior The Empty Man taps into the uneasy side of fall, when familiar places can start to feel strange after dark. James Lasombra (James Badge Dale) investigates the disappearance of a teenager and ends up following a trail that leads from an urban legend to a mysterious cult. The film starts as a missing-person case but gradually becomes something much harder to explain. Jason spends much of the story moving through empty streets, wooded areas, and abandoned buildings where he never quite knows what he will find. That gives The Empty Man the feeling of an August night when the sun goes down a little earlier and the world suddenly becomes much quieter. 1 The Good Son (1993) Directed by Joseph Ruben After his mother's death, 10-year-old Mark Evans (Elijah Wood) is sent from Arizona to stay with his relatives in coastal Maine. The rocky coastline, isolated house, and gray skies give the movie another melancholy atmosphere that feels worlds away from the carefree version of childhood that Mark has lost. The movie has a strong feeling of innocence slipping away. Mark initially sees his cousin Henry as a potential friend, but Henry's disturbing behavior gradually transforms ordinary childhood spaces into places of danger. A bridge, an ice-covered pond, and the family home all become threatened without losing their picturesque qualities. That contrast gives The Good Son a nostalgic sadness, as though Mark has stumbled into the darker side of growing up before he is ready. They may not all be fall movies, but they each have something that makes them feel just right for the end of August.