Movies set in Austin Texas bring a country vibe to any film. The patriotic nature of the city, plus the eclectic people and diverse culture really makes a movie pop. But what are the best examples? Of course, Texas is known for its country living, giving fans amazing westerns from well-known stars like John Wayne, but Austin Texas brings a whole new side to the Lone Star state. The vibrancy, festivals, and history are the perfect setting for amazing movies, whether it’s horror, comedy, or drama. Without further ado, here are the best movies set in Austin Texas.
5. Dallas Buyers Club, Prime Video (2013)
Dallas Buyers Club is a 2013 biographical drama film and is one of the best movies set in Austin Texas. The film tells the story of Ron Woodroof played by Matthew McConaughey, a cowboy diagnosed with HIV in the mid-1980s, a time when both the etiology and the treatment were poorly understood.
Because of this, Woodroof smuggles unapproved pharmacy drugs into Texas to try and treat his symptoms, and starts to distribute them to fellow people with AIDS, establishing the “Dallas Buyers Club”.
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4. Dazed and Confused, Prime Video (1993)
One of the best movies set in Austin Texas is Dazed and Confused. The 1993 comedy, coming-of-age film follows the story of a variety of teenagers on the last day of school in Austin, Texas in 1976. While there’s no single protagonist or central conflict, the story follows an interconnected plot thread that goes through different social groups and characters, such as rising ninth graders undergoing hazing rituals, and football stars refusing to sign a clean living pledge.
The various characters give insight into multiple cliques, starring amazing names like Ben Affleck, Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, and more.
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3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Peacock and Prime Video (1974)
Seeing as the concept of the film was created when Tobe Hooper was studying at the University of Texas at Austin, it’s only appropriate that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best movies set in Austin Texas.
Hence the name, the 1974 independent film is part of the horror genre and directed by Hooper starring Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Pertain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen. The story, like many slasher films, follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of killers while on their way to visit an old homestead.
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2. Kill Bill: Vol 1, Prime Video (2003)
Westerns and horrors are a common genre that is filmed in the South. But even martial arts lovers can see a beloved show in the country. The first entry of the famed Kill Bill series is one of the best movies set in Austin Texas.
Famed director Quentin Tarantino tells fans an amazing story of Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins and their leader, Bill after they try to kill her and her unborn child. While it’s filmed in Texas, it also sees her travel all the way to Tokyo where she battles the yakuza.
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1. True Grit, Paramount and Prime Video(2010)
Shot in the Santa Fe area as well as in Bartlett, Granger, and Austin Texas, True Grit is one of the best movies set in Austin Texas. The 2010 movie is an adaptation of the 1968 novel sharing the same name, as well as the previous 1969 film that starred John Wayne.
This adaptation stars Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld, as well as Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. The movie follows a 14-year-old farm girl who sets out to capture the killer of her father by the hired hand Tom Chaney. To help her, she hires one of the toughest U.S. marshals.