Mostly known for their love of sports thanks to iconic New England Patriots and the well-known ballpark, Fenway Park, Boston is still a hotspot for movies. Some of the best movies filmed in Boston have a rural feel, focused on crime, city life, and darker themes.
So what are the best movies filmed in Boston? From MCU staples like Black Panther to true crime retellings like Boston Stranger, these are some of the best movies filmed in Boston.
6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Black Panther is one of the best MCU films. The second film was just as great as the first for many fans, and it’s also one of the best movies filmed in Boston. The second film begins with Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje who fight to protect their kingdom of Wakanda from intervening world powers in the wake of T’Challa’s death.
It’s a great movie that follows the second’s beauty and action. Several scenes in the movie were shot in Boston, and Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, actually had a minor accident while filming in Boston that led her to be hospitalized for a stunt during the shooting.
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5. Boston Strangler (2023)
Of course, if we’re talking about several killings that happened in Boston, the movie should be filmed in Boston. The Boston Strangler is a 2023 true crime film starring Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin, the reporter who broke the news.
The movie name refers to the name of the murderer who killed 12 women in Greater Boston during the early 1960s. The crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo based on his confession as well as DNA evidence. It’s a brutal film, and while dramatized, is an important and enjoyable documentary of sorts for true crime fans.
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4. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Starring Robin Williams and Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting is one of the best movies filmed in Boston and is one of the best drama movies ever. The 1997 film directed by Gus Van Sant tells the story of a janitor Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, whose mathematical genius is discovered by a professor at MIT.
The two form a heart-warming bond, and soon Will is being aided in finding the right direction for his life. The movie is set in South Boston, with many shots set there as well as the Greater Boston area. However, most shots for the university were actually shot at the University of Toronto.
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3. Boondock Saints (1999)
If you want an amazing action thriller film, then you have to check out the Boondock Saints films. Starring Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, The Boondock Saints is one of the best movies filmed in Boston.
The story follows Irish fraternal twin brothers, Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian mafia in self-defense. They both set out on a mission to rid Boston of the criminal underworld in the name of God, all the while being pursued by the FBI. Filming of the movie began in Toronto and ended in Boston.
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2. Spotlight (2015)
Another one of the best movies filmed in Boston is Spotlight, the 2015 biographical drama film starring an ensemble cast featuring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and many more.
The film follows the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States, and its investigation into a decades-long coverup of widespread and systemic child abuse by numerous priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Filming was predominantly in Boston, from the Boston Globe offices to the Boston Police Station, and is a powerful piece that everyone should watch.
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1. The Departed (2006)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and many more, The Departed is a 2006 epic crime thriller film. It’s also a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and is loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill Hang.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film follows an undercover cop and a mole in the police who attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston. It’s a thrilling piece that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time.