14 Best Fall Rom-Coms, Ranked

Bend It Like Beckham is a heartwarming, fun, and captivating tale. Following the story of soccer-obsessed Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), the daughter of a strict Indian couple, you start to root for her more and more through the motions of this 112-minute movie.

Not allowed to play soccer, the male-dominated sport (in the UK), because of her dad’s (Anupam Kher) own experience as a cricket player when he first arrived in England, Jess is not happy. She understands that he is trying to protect her and definitely doesn’t want the same racist actions to affect her, but her love for soccer is just too strong.

So, when one day, Juliette Paxton (Keira Knightly) sees her play in the park and asks her to join Hounslow Harriers, the team she plays for, Jess jumps at the opportunity.

Quickly the two athletes jump into a great friendship. Sadly, Coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) comes in between them, as both are interested in the Irish lad.

With the tension of Jess’ sister’s (Archie Panjabi) wedding and other tidbits, Bend It Like Beckham proves to be an all-time-favorite rom-com to enjoy.

Not explicitly set in fall. Soccer season in the UK starts in the late summer and goes into the fall, winter, and spring. It truly is an excellent addition to this list, but having less of an autumnal feel is the only reason it’s ranked so low.

New England truly is the best setting for anything that takes place in fall, so this Connecticut-based movie is a joy for anyone who watches it.

Following the love lives of three waitresses at a pizza parlor in a small town that relies on fishing proves to be quite entertaining. Young Julia Roberts plays one of the main characters, Daisy Araújo. Together with her two sisters, Kat (Annabeth Gish) and Jojo (Lili Taylor), she experiences what it’s like to go through the highs and lows of a summer romance with someone different than you.

Her sisters have their own unique problems. Jojo, who doesn’t want to get married to fiancé Bill quite yet, and Kat is interested in a married man.

All plausible storylines, Mystic Pizza, is a romanticized version of reality, yet is so fun to watch!

Louisa May Alcott’s famed story retold by Greta Gerwig is the best adaption of this novel.

The New England set coming-of-age tale has all the components of romance, comedy, growing up, and tragedy within the timeline. Although the love shared between the romantic partners isn’t the most important part of Little Women, it still plays a large role.

Whether you put Little Women on as a comfort watch to snuggle up with in the colder months or to revel in the magic of filmmaking, this is truly a movie for all.

The most amazing autumnal scenery, stellar acting, and even a new twist to the famed story make this a go-to every rewatch every year since its 2019 premiere.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck‘s masterpiece is definitely on the more serious end of the compounds of what a rom-com consists of, but this still fits on the spectrum of the genre. Plus, there are always laughs when Damon and Affleck share the screen.

Set in the prestigious setting of MIT, Will Hunting (Damon) is a math wizard. He’s helping MIT janitor staff as part of his parole. Why is he not a student? His South Boston upbringing didn’t exactly steer him in the college direction.

But Will being as smart as he is makes Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) and therapist Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) determined to help him.

Finding love, breaking free from generational cycles, and the group he grew up with, Good Will Hunting‘s dramatic setting is lovingly filled with the Boston backdrop, which is the most beautiful during the third season of the year.

No, not the Lynyrd Skynyrd song. Witherspoon’s Hallmark-esque rom-com Sweet Home Alabama gives off all the fall vibes one could want.

Melanie, a New York City fashion designer, goes back to her home in Alabama to get a divorce from her high school sweetheart. At first, she doesn’t feel like she belongs in the small town anymore, but her community quickly makes her believe otherwise.

As she realizes how much she has changed for the worse, Melanie starts to embrace her old self. All the lies she told about her past come to light, and when fiancé Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) travels down south to get married, everything changes.

Some of Sweet Home Alabama‘s fragments have not withstood the test of time, but it’s an overall pleasant watch.

This vampire flick that shot Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart to worldwide fame is not exactly a rom-com but might as well be. The campiness of it all allows the viewer to let out a chuckle or two, even if it is supposed to be a deeply serious tale about vampires.

Edward Cullen (Pattinson) is a vampire who meets Bella Swan, an Arizona transplant who moved back to Forks, Washington, to be with her dad after her mom and stepdad decide to travel. Immediately enamored by the 104-year-old creature, Bella stumbles into a world she never could have expected.

Vampires, werewolves (that imprint on babies? Oh, wait, that’s in the last installment), and the most amazing fall setting is such a Twilight vibe.

Travel back in time and be sure to get overwhelmed with a kick of vampire-craze nostalgia. Twilight really is that movie.

Everyone’s favorite blonde, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), created a new era of college-set movies. Yes, she loves pink, has a high pitched voice, and was the leader of her sorority, but that doesn’t mean you should underestimate her.

Proving that girly knowledge can come in handy, Elle proves someone’s innocence through perm science. That’s rather iconic, right?

Harvard is the backdrop of many shows and movies, and Elle arrives at the beginning of the fall semester ready to take on law school. She is not just a ditsy person, who only likes to shop. That is just one thing about her. She is so much more, and why is it so bad to look good anyways? With pep in her step, Elle makes sure that everyone will remember her.

And who can forget about Bruiser, her perfect little chihuahua?

Love might not be Legally Blonde’s lead focus — but it sure is included — and is quite heartwarming at that. The early 2000s comedy proves you can have love and a career.

Want to go to England but don’t feel like traveling across the pond? Well, I have a solution for you.

You can leave your suitcase and passport behind and turn on Notting Hill instead. The colorful London neighborhood lends its name to this Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movie that is seemingly set in the fall. Or it could potentially be just another breezy British day. Hey, who’s to say, but both options give off the same atmospheric scenery, so that’s all we need.

When Anna Scott (Roberts), a famous actor, and William Thacker (Grant), a travel bookshop owner, meet their chemistry proves to be off the chart.

This late ’90s rom-com has all the best qualities that the genre possesses. At times predictable, that’s exactly what has made Notting Hill such a classic.

Going through the motions of falling in love and having to deal with the reality of fame is something not many can relate to, yet this movie makes it feel all the more down to earth.

A lesbian rom-com in the 2000s? Really? Did they exist? Yes, and this one is actually good, too.

Kissing Jessica Stein follows a standard plot of a New York woman in her late 20s who has everything going for her besides a riveting love life. Her job as a journalist is going well. She has a decent social life and family close by. The one thing missing is a partner. So, as her mom is nagging and her many dates are going from bad to worse, she stumbles into something new.

Here comes Helen (Heather Juergensen). She is independent, seductive, and works at an art gallery. This is someone Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) never even imagined in her wildest dreams.

Centered in the beautiful scenery of New York City in the fall, Jessica goes through the motions of how to explain this to everyone around her: an ex-boyfriend who wants to reenter her life in a romantic way and her own conflicting feelings.

Kissing Jessica Stein might not completely explain how sexuality exists on a spectrum, but this is a great rom-com that everyone should watch.

Just a tip: Pretend the last 15 minutes don’t exist.

It’s the season of Halloween, so we had to include some spooky movies. Okay, Practical Magic is not that scary, but it’s filled with witchy fun!

Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) grow up with a curse following their family. Every time they truly love a significant other, they are destined to die a somewhat young death. This scared the two young siblings, yet they eventually decide to still thrust themselves into woes of romance.

When they get older, Gillian leaves the family’s quiet, quaint life behind for the thrill of adventure. Sally stays, falls in love, and has kids. Until one day, her husband dies. Upset as she is, the kids are a driving force to move her forward. Her life goes on, with one little caveat: As she moves back in with her aunts, she forces them not to teach them any magic.

Yet when Sally has to rescue Gillian from an abusive boyfriend, their magic is let loose again. Through the power of persuasion, love, and mystery, Practical Magic ensures that this Halloween flick has all the romance one could possibly need.

Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) starts her junior year of high school with the same shy attitude as always, but this time around, her older sister, Margot (Janel Parrish), is not there to guide her. She is off to college, not just any college, but St Andrews in Scotland! She is all the way across the pond.

So, with just her younger sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart), and her dad (John Corbett) around, Lara Jean falls into the same routine as always. Kitty, however, is not about to let that happen. She comes up with a plan — send out all the letters Lara Jean “wrote” to her crushes over the years.

Lara Jean has no idea whatsoever until one day Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh (Israel Broussard), and Lucas (Trezzo Mahoro) approach her. In a quest to avoid Josh, Lara Jean kisses Peter, and the two enter a fake relationship. LJ to get Josh off her back, and Peter to make his ex jealous.

This fun story created by Jenny Han allows the viewer to feel everything Lara Jean experiences: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is one of the best modern rom-coms encapsulating that nostalgic quality. To experience this movie is to throw you into the realm of teenage angst. Whether you’re back in school for the fall semester or just want to recapture what once was, this is a movie that should be on everyone’s fall (re)watch list — and, hey, check out the sequels too!

Love & Basketball is just one of those movies that will never get old. No matter how many years have passed, there won’t ever be a time when Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) aren’t the epitome of love.

Set in Los Angeles, the childhood friends turned basketball proteges turned rising stars have many roles in each other’s lives, but they always find their way back to the strong bond they developed as kids. Monica’s line, “I’ve been in love with you since I was 11, and that sh*t won’t go away,” explains it all.

Playing for one’s heart seems a common enough practice in current rom-coms, but it all started with Love & Basketball. This cult classic will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, perfect for the fall season.

This movie definitely focuses more on love than basketball, so even non-sport-lovers will be intrigued by this entry. So as the leaves (sometimes) fall in Love & Basketball, and the two mains stumble into the whirlwind of life as competitors, there’s one thing for certain — this is a must-watch for everyone.

Yes, When Harry Met Sally is the best rom-com ever made. Yes, it deserves the first spot in every list. And yes, I will be watching it every year until the day I die.

But, the iconic movie’s conclusion is why it should technically be categorized as set in the holiday season. Spanning over 12 years, When Harry Met Sally truly takes place in every season. Yet, it is fall and winter that are synonymous with the feature.

Is there anyone on this earth who doesn’t get the jitters to watch Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) slowly fall in love with each other through the years, the minute the leaves start falling? Probably. But, for the sake of this list, I’m going to say no.

Nothing grand besides the ending really happens. That doesn’t matter though. When Harry Met Sally‘s beauty lies in its everyday scenarios. The instant classic has stayed relevant through the years with quick-witted lines, impeccable chemistry, and realistic characters.

From a fake orgasm at Katz’s Deli to a stroll around The Met, this rom-com classic transports you to the magic of New York in all of its glory.

No Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble are necessary in 1998, just a chatbox. At least that’s how Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) communicate. There are just a few pesky little things standing in their way. 1. They are both in a relationship. 2. They don’t know each other’s names. 3. They are competitors turned mortal enemies.

Doesn’t sound like the start of a great relationship, right? Yet, Nora Ephron makes it work.

Kathleen runs her mom’s small children’s bookstore on the Upper West Side in New York City and is an optimistic presence in everyone’s lives. That is until Joe, his dad, and his grandpa storm into the neighborhood with their massive Barnes & Noble-like chain. Unsurprisingly, they drive the independent bookstores to the edge until they can no longer afford the rent in the expensive neighborhood.

This drives a wedge between them, making it Kathleen’s mission to rescue her store and, in the process, badmouth Joe. She, however, still doesn’t know that it’s him whom she has madly fallen in love with.

Through the motions of the story, they go through every season. Still, there’s something so fall-ish to You’ve Got Mail. The city that never sleeps is the most idyllic during that time of year, and so is the movie.