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Our Team’s Favorite Fall Films



Fall is in full swing in Chicago, and our team has embraced the cool weather by participating in some of our favorite traditions during this time of year. From carving pumpkins with friends or heading to the pumpkin patch with our families, even just picking up a fall flavored coffee or pastry on the way into the office, Hawthorne is enthusiastically ushering in the new season. Another way our team has leaned into the theme of the season is through comparing our favorite fall themed films. Whether they are Halloween inspired or fill us with nostalgia for seasons past, we are sharing our top, must-watch fall films!


  1. The Exorcist. First premiered in 1973, this film is at the top of our Chairman and Founder Gene Reineke’s list. Perfect for Halloween, The Exorcist follows the story of a mother after her 12-year-old daughter becomes possessed.

  2. The Blair Witch Project, a 1999 Sundance Film Festival release, became a thing of legend as the hyper-realistic found-footage style film raised questions from audiences about whether it was more than a work of fiction. Terrifying and reverent, Assistant Account Executive, Christian Scillian, chose this as her go-to fall movie.

  3. Disney’s Hocus Pocus is Senior Account Director, Jacki Goense’s pick for her favorite fall movie. Released in 1996, this witchy romp is a perfect Halloween movie for people of all ages.

  4. Halloweentown is Account Executive, Emma Amorose’s go-to Halloween movie. The story of a young witch realizing her powers alongside her family, Halloweentown always delivers the nostalgic, fall feeling you look for in a Halloween flick.

  5. Clue is Senior Account Director, Marisa Coulter’s favorite spooky movie. This fun and mysterious movie, based on the classic board game, is full of twists, turns, and surprises around every corner.

  6. The original House on Haunted Hill is Senior Account Director, Richard Ray’s number one pick. Filmed in 1959, this horror classic follows a group of guests competing for a cash prize by trying to make it through the night in a house haunted by angry spirits.

  7. The Netflix series, Haunting of Hill House, not to be confused with the aforementioned movie, is Senior Account Manager Dan Kowalski’s go-to during the Halloween season. This ten-episode adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s famed novel follows five adult siblings as they grapple with their memories and experiences with the haunted home they grew up in, as the horrors follow them beyond those walls.

  8. Practical Magic, released in 1998 starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, is Account Executive Jennifer Wright’s favorite movie to put on during a stormy night or Saturday afternoon in the fall. The story follows two sisters, who happen to be witches, as they navigate the intricacies of their small town and try to break a curse.

  9. IT (2017) is Vice President Brad Goodman’s choice when it comes to scary movies. Another great book adaptation, this film recreates Stephen King’s classic novel of the same name, following a group of children as they attempt to overcome the evil that lurks in the sewers beneath their sleepy town.

  10. Beetlejuice, known as a quintessential Halloween film, was released in 1988, and is Hawthorne’s Partner Wendi Taylor Nations’ top pick for fall. The film follows the spirits of a deceased couple as they rely on the help of poltergeist Beetlejuice, to help drive out the family that moved into their home.


From horror to nostalgia, these films allow our team to embrace chilling fall feelings and spend quality time with friends, family, and loved ones. Add these movies to your list this fall and share what your favorite movie is with us on social media!

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