There’s something about the fall season that just calls for a Studio Ghibli marathon. The nostalgia, the slower pace, the feeling of wanting to curl up under a blanket with some tea and get lost in the whimsy… If you’ve been meaning to start (or rewatch) some Ghibli films this season, here’s our pick of the ones that feel the most fall.

1. Spirited Away

Category: Fantasy, coming-of-age | Tone: Eerie, wondrous, a little melancholic

Spirited Away follows a girl named Chihiro whose family accidentally wanders into a world of spirits, where her parents are turned into pigs and she has to take a job at a bathhouse to survive and find a way to save them. It has that in-between-worlds feeling that fits autumn perfectly: bathhouses lit up at night, spirits wandering in from the cold, a girl finding her footing in a world that doesn’t quite make sense yet. One of my favorite SG mvoies and YES I am biased. I also have a soft spot for little cutesy sprites.

2. Howl’s Moving Castle

Category: Fantasy, romance | Tone: Whimsical, cozy, a little dramatic

Howl’s follows Sophie, a young hatmaker who gets cursed by a witch and turned into an old woman, and ends up taking refuge in the walking castle of a mysterious wizard while she searches for a way to break the spell. Few things scream “fall” like a crackling fireplace, and Howl’s gives you exactly that: Calcifer glowing in the hearth of a castle that’s basically one giant cluttered, cozy home on legs. It’s a journey that’s hard to forget, and watching Sophie transform from anxious to sure of herself, while every character slowly finds their way back to hope, is what makes it worth revisiting each year.

3. Kiki’s Delivery Service

Category: Fantasy, coming-of-age | Tone: Warm, comforting, low-stakes

Kiki’s follows a young witch who leaves home at 13 to spend a year living independently, as is tradition, and ends up starting a delivery service out of a seaside town using the one power she has: flight. It isn’t technically an autumn film, but the coziness of it (bakeries, warm interiors, a girl finding her community in a new town) makes it an easy rewatch this time of year. It’s comforting in a low-stakes way, which is sometimes exactly what we need, and by the end I was so invested in the characters that I still catch myself wondering what happened next.

4. My Neighbor Totoro

Category: Family, fantasy | Tone: Sweet, slow, deeply comforting

A classic for a reason. Totoro follows sisters Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their father while their mother recovers in the hospital, and stumble into a friendship with the forest spirits living nearby. There’s something so comforting about watching the girls find their way through that uncertainty with so much innocence and wonder, turning what could be a heavy story into one that feels light and hopeful instead. Set among rice fields, forest spirits, and long summer -> autumn afternoons, it’s slow, it’s sweet, and a great balance for those needing a little comfort.

5. Whisper of the Heart

Category: Coming-of-age, slice of life | Tone: Gentle, reflective, hopeful

Whisper of the Heart follows Shizuku, a book-loving middle schooler who becomes curious about a boy whose name keeps showing up on the library checkout cards of every book she loves. Following that curiosity ends up leading her to her own answers about what she wants to do with her life. Set against a backdrop of hilltop views and golden afternoon light, it’s less about magic and more about discovering yourself, and it fits the season (and maybe your 2 AM thoughts) really well. Yes, as an adult, I’m still learning lessons from childhood movies.

If you only have time for one, I would vote – Spirited Away. It’s the most atmospheric, the most “fall night with the lights dim” of the bunch, and it holds up on every rewatch.

Fall is the perfect season to slow down and reconnect with yourself and the things that bring you joy. This list might look different for everyone, but the most important part is remembering to take time to rest and actually enjoy life. Until the next one blooms! xoxo