7 Pumpkin Spice Movies to Binge for the Season

Pumpkin Spice Latte season is officially here, thanks to Starbucks’s promptness and the abrupt change from summer to autumn. School is back in session, the weather is finally cooling off, and there’s nothing better than a sweet and spicy mix with a daily dose of much-needed caffeine to keep up with the fast pace of fall. 

But underneath it all, after a long day of work, many of us want to chill out with a movie, and many of us are craving a film that evokes our favorite fall beverage: the Pumpkin Spice Latte. So what makes a “Pumpkin Spice Movie”? First and foremost, it has to either take place in or represent autumn in some way. But it also has a bit of sweetness, a bit of spice, and a bit of that ineffable ingredient that makes it unique and unforgettable. So here are seven Pumpkin Spice movies to binge throughout autumn.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

The first movie that comes to mind when we think of a pumpkin spice latte is easily the classic Nora Ephron rom-com, When Harry Met Sally. Starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, the film answers the age-old question: Can men and women just be platonic friends? But it’s multi-colored film poster of leaves isn’t the only thing that makes it a pumpkin spice film.

Some of the film’s most iconic moments are both sweet and spicy, from Harry and Sally’s first contentious encounter to Sally’s famous reenactment of an orgasm at Katz’s Deli. As the characters walk through an autumnal New York City, coffee in hand, trying to solve their love lives, we can’t help but think they should really be sipping on pumpkin spice lattes.

Mean Girls (2004)

It may not seem like the epitome of fall since it takes place throughout the school year, but Mean Girls is definitely a perfect pumpkin spice film. For starters, one of the most iconic lines has actually coined its unofficial holiday on October 3rd, right in the thick of pumpkin spice latte season just before the film’s pivotal Halloween party. 

Beyond this, however, Mean Girls is definitely both spicy and sweet. It’s ultimately a film about friendship with a saccharine finale in which Cady (Lindsay Lohan) shares her Spring Fling tiara with the entirety of her class. Between Cady’s arc from innocence to vengeance to kindness, hilarious dirty jokes, and the sweet but naughty rendition of “Santa Baby,” nothing is more “pumpkin spice” than Mean Girls.

Clueless (1995)

If pumpkin spice lattes existed when Clueless was released in 1995, Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) would be Starbucks’s favorite customer. Although she had privilege and a bit of a mean streak exhibited by any Type-A popular girl, she was also caring and kind in her own way. Clueless may have summer vibes because of its California setting, but its school year timeline still provides some autumnal vibes.

But when we think of the profile of a typical pumpkin spice latte drinker, the stereotype is a sometimes basic girl who appreciates the finer things in life with a unique sense of humor and curiosity. If that doesn’t describe Cher and her mission to help Tai (Brittany Murphy), what else does?

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy is the ultimate pumpkin spice film. Between its fantasy autumnal vibes as Westley travels through forest and trees to find his one true love. But it’s not just a classic romance — it’s a fairytale with a twist. Just like a sweet and spicy fall-centric latte, The Princess Bride has everything: fantasy, magic, romance, and the most quotable “spicy” jokes.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Clearly, 1995 was the year of pumpkin spice films with the first installment of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, which starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as the central couple. While the film itself may take place in the summer, it captures the nostalgia and comfort of autumn as they walk throughout Vienna on a chilly summer’s eve in a flannel and a leather jacket. 

From their romantic chemistry to their deep philosophical discussions on politics, love, death, and every facet of life to the fleeting nature of their relationship, Before Sunrise is not just the feeling of drinking a pumpkin spice latte. It is the feeling after finishing one, when all you want is another to satisfy the intrigue it first brought.

The Craft (1996)

While most “spooky season” films wouldn’t necessarily fall into the pumpkin spiced category, The Craft wins out thanks to its fantastical feminist elements. When three outcast teenage girls finally find their fourth to make an official “coven,” they become all-powerful witches. Does drinking a pumpkin spice latte make anyone else feel omnipotent? But as the film spirals into darkness, it gets spicier and spicier, leaving the sweetness behind. Even still, as one of the more morbid films on this list, it may also remind us of the digestive after-effects sometimes caused by the iconic PSL.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

We couldn’t complete this list of pumpkin spice films without a trademark Wes Anderson movie. The Royal Tenenbaums is easily his most autumnal film with the changing leaves seen throughout the New York City setting. As the Tenenbaum family tries to reconcile when Royal claims to have cancer, the prodigal children evoke the sweet feeling of most Wes Anderson films. However, the familial fighting, incest plot, and absurdist humor adds the much needed spice. Whether or not Wes would be happy about one of his films being compared to a Starbucks beverage, though, we’re not so sure.