As someone who cannot watch scary movies, October always feels like a media drought for me. Yeah, I can always re-watch some old favorites, but I still want something that feels like fall. I could always turn to some classic Halloween comedies but I am so tired of watching them over and over. Seriously, how many times can I see Hocus Pocus before it starts feeling stale? Now that Apple has stolen the best Charlie Brown special from us, the fall media drought feels even emptier. If you want something new to watch that fits the fall season, here are some non-spooky recommendations.

             On the video game side of things, I highly recommend playing or watching, What Remains of Edith Finch. Developed by Giant Sparrow, this adventure game follows a member of the Finch family as they return to their abandoned ancestral home. Armed with nothing but a journal and an empty family tree, your goal is to traverse the house and discover the history of the family’s cursed descendants. Some players might find the silent halls of the game eerie but I think the fall feeling in this game lies in its themes of looking back. Fall is the season of change and nostalgia for past times. Even though you may not be a Finch, navigating the generations of the family is sure to touch on some deep memories you may not be aware of. I play it every year. I cry at the same parts. I always end up finding some hidden detail of my life. The game does not have any serious hardware requirements and should run on most machines. If you still cannot run it, there are silent playthroughs of the game on YouTube.

For fall movies, I highly recommend watching the silent horror classic Nosferatu. The film, a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, follows a solicitor as he attempts to protect himself from an invading vampire. This suggestion may sound counterproductive to my goal but hear me out. The extreme campiness of the movie really detracts from the horror. It is hard to be afraid when the only thing you can hear is the oppressive soundtrack of organ music. I still recommend this movie mostly because it serves as the foundation for tons of modern horror movies. Taking a retrospective glance at the movie magic that scared the people of the past puts a fun spin on horror films.