New York City is filled to the brim with activity. It’s the most populous city in the United States due to people wanting career opportunities, to study the arts, experience various cultures, and get an overall sense of excitement. So what movies about New York City highlight these great experiences?
Whether you want to imagine yourself living there one day, or just want to travel to the Big Apple in the comfort of your own home, these movies show off the thrilling nightlife, the busy day-to-day grind at work, and just the overall aesthetic of living in a big city. Here are the best movies about New York City.
6. Saturday Night Fever, Paramount Plus (1977)
One of the best movies about New York City is the dance drama film, Saturday Night Fever. The film is based on the mostly fictional 1976 article by Nik Cohn called “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”.
The 1977 movie stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man who spends his weekends dancing and drinking at a local discotheque while dealing with social tensions and disillusionment in his working-class ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn. The movie is deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant and is one of the all-time best 70s movies.
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5. When Harry Met Sally, Prime Video (1989)
When Harry Met Sally is one of the best movies about New York City and is the perfect romantic comedy film that you need to add to your watch list, the film stars Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby and is set in the Big Apple.
The plot follows the title characters, Harry and Sally, from the time they meet in Chicago and share a drive to New York City through twelve years of chance encounters in the city, to eventually address the question of men and women just being friends.
The two have known each other for years, and while they might be attracted to each other, they don’t want to ruin the friendship by doing something silly. But can they ever just stay friends?
4. Ghostbusters, Prime Video (1984)
A cult classic in the supernatural genre is Ghostbusters, a franchise that is still continuing to this day. The comedy series started in 1984 and is still one of the best in the franchise and one of the best movies about New York City.
The movie stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Famis, and Rick Moranis, and follows the group as they begin a ghost-catching business in New York City. The three main characters go around to different businesses and homes to offer supernatural services to those who are being affected by frightening ghosts and ghouls.
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3. The Wolf of Wall Street, Paramount Plus, (2013
Wall Street is one of the most significant places in New York City. There are several movies that feature the financial markets, but one of the best ones, along with the best movies set in New York City, is The Wolf of Wall Street.
The 2013 biographical black comedy stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie. The movie was one of the best films of the year, even though it received some controversy over its clear lack of sympathy for the victims. The movie follows Belfort, played by DiCaprio, and his business partner and friend, Donnie Azoff (Hill) and second wife (Robbie).
The true story focuses on Belfort during his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life until his life falls apart due to being involved in crime, corruption, and the federal government.
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2. Taxi Driver, Prime Video (1976)
Taxi Driver is one of the best movies about New York City, and is also considered one of the culturally significant and inspirational movies of all time, being one of the greatest ever made. The 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller movie was made by none other than Martin Scorsese, one of the all-time greatest directors.
The movie stars Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, and more. The story is set in a morally decaying New York City following the Vietnam War and follows Travis Bickle, played by De Niro, who is a veteran and taxi driver. The story follows his deteriorating mental state, which starts to take a toll as he continues to work nights, making him prone to violent actions.
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1. Goodfellas, Prime Video (1990)
The best movie about New York City is Goodfellas, the 1990 biographical crime drama film directed by the iconic Martin Scorsese. The film stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino.
The film is an adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who helped Scorsese write the film as well. The story narrates the rise and fall of Henry Hill, a small-time gangster, from 1955 to 1980. It also follows his relationship with his wife, Karen, and his two mob partners, Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
When Conway and DeVito start thinking about climbing their way up the mob hierarchy, Hill starts to realize that he’s getting badly affected by their success, and might have to bring about the downfall of his two buddies.
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