Boston is among the most popular city in the United States of America. That covers around 232.1 km square of area. And the population of the city is 675,647. There has been a massive film shooting culture in Boston. Most movies set in Boston are of sports, crime, and education genres because of its famous universities, churches, and sports stadiums.
The top locations for film shooting in Boston are the L Street Tavern, Robin Williams Memorial Bench, Boston public garden, Central Congregational Church, South End Buttery, Bacon Hill, Bull, and Finch Bar, and many more. In these locations, many globally popular films have been shot.
The colleges and universities in Boston are mainly used as film sets because of their big structure and good location. In this article, we are going to discover the 20 best movies set in Boston.
20. TED (2012)
- Director: Seth MacFarlane
- Writer: Seth MacFarlane
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Barth, Mila Kunis, Amanda Seyfried, Seth MacFarlane, Tom Brady
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 69%
- Platforms Available: Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Vudu with subscription
The plot of the film revolves around a fearless man and his indecent teddy bear. And that teddy bear has been with him since his childhood. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Ted’s owner and Seth MacFarlane voicing the teddy bear.
Seth MacFarlane has also developed the animated tv cartoon “Family Guy,” and Ted became his first live-action movie. The movie Ted is around 106 minutes long and was shot in Fenway Park, the New England Aquarium, and many more popular places in Boston.
19. Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)
- Director: Maya Forbes
- Writer: Maya Forbes
- Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Wallace Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide
- IMDb Ratings: 7
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 82%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
This movie was set in a 1970s theme, and the plot shows a father, played by Mark Ruffalo, who has bipolar disorder and takes care of his twin daughters. While his wife studies MBA in New York and struggles for a part-time job. The film is based on the true story of the film’s director Maya Forbes.
18. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
- Director: Norman Jewison
- Writer: Alan Trustman
- Cast: Faye Dunaway, Steve McQueen, Paul Burke, Jack Weston, Addison Powell, Peg Shirley, Biff McGuire, Yaphet Kotto, Gordon Pinsent, Sam Melville, Sidney Armus
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 72%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
The runtime of the movie Thomas Crown Affair is 102 minutes. This movie stars Steve McQueen, a bank executive, and Faye Dunaway. This movie is all about heists and a romantic relationship between Steve and Faye.
The residence of Thomas Crown was in the Beacon Hill section of Boston. The same film was again made with Pierce and Rene playing lead roles. The film was released in theaters on 19 June 1968.
17. The Out of Towners (1970)
- Director: Arthur Hiller
- Writer: Neil Simon
- Cast: Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis, Phil Bruns, Anne Meara, Sandy Baron
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 63%
- Platforms Available: Vudu and Amazon Prime
This film is about a sales executive who travels to New York with his wife for an interview. But during this whole journey, some awful and comic incidents occur. The film shows South Station and Logan Airport in Boston. This movie was again made in 1999, starring Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin.
16. The Boston Strangler (1968)
- Director: Richard Fleischar
- Writer: Gerold Frank and Edward Anhalt
- Cast: Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman, Hurd Hatfield, Carolyn Conwell
- IMDb Ratings: 7.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 86%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
This movie is about 116 minutes long and is loosely based on a true story. This film is about a serial killer who scared and killed around thirteen women in Boston in the year 1960. This movie took inspiration from a book written by Gerold Frank.
The main actor in the movie is Tony Curtis playing the role of Albert DeSalvo, a man who confessed that he had killed thirteen women. Most of the scenes were shot in Boston’s local areas. Other scenes were shot at 20th-century Fox Studios.
15. Patriots Day (2016)
- Director: Peter Berg
- Writer: Peter Berg, Matt Cook, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan
- IMDb Ratings: 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 80%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Netflix with subscription
This movie shows the story of the Boston Marathon bombing in the year 2013 and the investigation of the men responsible for all this. This film became Mark Wahlberg’s third film with the director Peter Berg. Mark Wahlberg originally belonged to Dorchester, one of Boston’s largest neighborhoods.
14. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
- Director: Peter Yates
- Writer: George V. Higgins
- Cast: Robert Mitchum, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Peter Boyle, Margaret Ladd, Alex Rocco, Jane House, Joe Santos, Carolyn Pickman
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 98%
- Platforms Available: Apple TV and Amazon Prime with subscription
The movie “Friends of Eddie Coyle” shows the life of a gangster, played by Robert Mitchum, who always betrays his friends to avoid his punishments. This movie is fully based on the novel of the same name written by George V. Higgins.
Moreover, it was shot in the same location as written in the novel. Before the movie shooting started, Robert was trained by a Boston policeman to clear his accent and provide it with a touch of perfection.
13. The Town (2010)
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Writer: Chuck Hogan, Ben Affleck
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 92%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Netflix with subscription
The movie is a clear adaptation of the novel “Prince of Thieves” written by Chuck Hogan. The story is about a group of thieves or bank robbers going to rob a bank and how during the robbery, everything gets complicated when one of the group members falls in love with the hostage.
The location used in this movie includes the security prison, MCI Cedar Junction, situated in South Walpole, Massachusetts. The film is about 125 minutes long.
12. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Writer: Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard
- Cast: Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck, Amy Ryan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Michelle Monaghan, John Ashton, Madeline O’Brien, Amy Madigan
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 94%
- Platforms Available: Netflix and Amazon Prime with subscription
The film is 114 minutes long and was the first film directed by Ben Affleck. This movie is based on the novel “Gone Baby Gone” written by Dennis Lehane, who was born in Boston. The story follows two detectives finding the little young girl who got kidnapped. The film also stars Ben Affleck’s brother Casey Affleck. The production company associated with this movie is Warner Bros. This movie became a hit and got listed among the best movies of all time.
11. The Verdict (1982)
- Director: Sidney Lumet
- Writer: David Mamet
- Cast: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason, Jack Warden, Lindsay Crouse, Milo O’Shea, Burtt Harris
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89%
- Platforms Available: YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Vudu with subscription
This is a great Boston film, which shows the story of a lawyer, played by Paul Newman, an alcoholic, who tries to save a case related to medical malpractice. And decides to take the case to court for trial. But the case parties wanted to resolve the case outside the court. Most of the scenes were shot in South Boston.
10. The Social Network (2010)
- Director: David Fincher
- Writer: Aaron Sorkin and Ben Mezrich
- Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%
- Platforms Available: Netflix with subscription
This movie revolves around the story of Mark Zuckerberg’s student life when he was studying at Harvard University. And the beginning of his career as a social media bull. This film won three Oscars and got nominated eight times. Moreover, the photography of the film was done in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Some of the scenes were shot around Phillips Academy, Boston University, and Milton Academy. And most of the scenes were shot in Wheelock College, which was transformed into the Harvard campus. Because the shooting was not allowed inside Harvard University. The movie was loosely based on the book The Accidental Billionaires.
9. The Boondock Saints (1999)
- Director: Troy Duffy
- Writer: Troy Duffy
- Cast: Sean Patric Flannery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe, David Della Rocco, Billy Connolly, Brian Mahoney, Don Carmody, Bob Marley
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 28%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Netflix with subscription
Troy Duffy directs this movie, and it is around 108 minutes long. The story revolves around two brothers who believe that God has given them a duty to clean the city. Therefore, they started killing off mafia gang members one by one. And meanwhile, an FBI agent is trying to track them. This movie is of the crime thriller genre. And after a decade, the sequel of this movie was released, starring Boston native Mark Wahlberg.
8. Manchester By The Sea (2016)
- Director: Kenneth Lonergan
- Writer: Kenneth Lonergan
- Cast: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, Kara Hayward, Kyle Chandler, Matthew Broderick, Anna Baryshnikov
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Netflix with subscription
This is the story of a Boston handyman Lee Chandler, who takes care of his nephew after his brother dies. The Boston handyman is none other than Casey Affleck. Moreover, the film premiered at the Sundance Festival and won two Oscars. The best actor award was given to Casey Affleck because his accent was excellent, as he originally belonged to Boston.
7. The Fighter (2010)
- Director: David O. Russell
- Writer: Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, and Scott Silver
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Micky Ward, Melissa Leo, Dicky Eklund, Caitlin Dwyer
- IMDb Ratings: 7.8
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
This Boston movie is based on a true story. The movie is about 116 minutes long. In this movie, Micky Ward gets the opportunity to become like his brother, who is a famous boxer. The role of the famous boxer is given to Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg plays the role of his brother.
The elder brother Dicky Eklund was also considered “The pride of Lowell,” which is a city situated near Boston. The movie won two Oscars. And the awards were for both Best performances and Supporting roles.
6. Now, Voyager (1942)
- Director: Irving Rapper
- Writer: Casey Robinson
- Cast: Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Janis Wilson, Gladys Cooper, Bonita Granville, John Loder
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
This 90s movie will give you a thrill as well as it will let you know that doing bad things will never give you joy. The runtime of this movie is 117 minutes, and it has won an Oscar for best music. The story of the movie shows a Boston spinster involved in an affair with a married man.
And further, the story becomes miserable. Moreover, the movie has depicted every situation very clearly and truly, that you can’t even blame anyone for doing wrong.
5. Mystic River (2003)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Writer: Dennis Lehane
- Cast: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, Emmy Rossum, Kevin Chapman
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 88%
- Platforms Available: Netflix and Amazon Prime with subscription
This is a pure crime drama movie took reference from the best-selling novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. This movie shows the story of three childhood friends who investigate the murder of one of their daughters. And all these investigations will lead him to a crime that occurred 25 years ago.
This movie was awarded as one of the best crime stories. The shooting of the movie took place in Doyle’s Club, Boston, and Border Street, East Boston. The entire movie’s filming took place mainly in East and South Boston. This movie stars Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Robbins.
4. Spotlight (2015)
- Director: Tom McCarthy
- Writer: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
- Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian D’Arcy James
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 97%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Netflix with subscription
This movie is based on the true story of Boston Globe reporters who investigate the case of child molestation that happened at a local Catholic Church. The film won two Oscars and some other best picture awards also.
The movie includes the main characters Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams. Moreover, the story covers the whole real incident and its consequences. The runtime of the movie is around 129 minutes.
3. Shutter Island (2010)
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Writer: Dennis Lehane
- Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Max Von Sydow
- IMDb Ratings: 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 68%
- Platforms Available: Netflix and Amazon Prime with subscription
This movie is based on one of the best-selling novels by Dennis Lehane. This movie is a complete psychological thriller and is the third collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese. The theme of the movie is based on the 1954 era. “Shutter Island” is a story of a U.S. Marshal investigating a case of some people’s disappearance at a local hospital for criminally insane people. Still, nothing is as true as it seems.
The hospital used for shooting the film is Medfield State Hospital, located twenty miles outside of Boston City. And in the movie, the hospital was named Ashecliffe Hospital. Moreover, this movie is on the list of finest in the category of best Boston movies.
2. Fever Pitch (2005)
- Director: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly
- Writer: Nick Hornby
- Cast: Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Ione Skye, Colin Firth, KaDee Strickland, Jack Kehler, Jason Spevack, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Jessamy, Lenny Clarke
- IMDb Ratings: 6.2
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 65%
- Platforms Available: Amazon Prime and Vudu with a subscription
This movie is a romantic comedy film starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. The story shows the troubled relationship between both the main leads. Jimmy is a great fan of the Boston Red Sox and spends half of the time watching their matches.
And due to this, his girlfriend, played by Drew Barrymore, feels lonely. This movie was originally a book by Nick Hornby. Moreover, the shooting of the movie took place in many places, including Fenway Park.
1. The Departed (2006)
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Writer: William Monahan and Alan Mak
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Vera Farmiga, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Kristen Dalton, Alec Baldwin
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 90%
- Platforms Available: Netflix and Amazon Prime with subscription
The Departed Martin Scorsese movie is a crime thriller adapted from Infernal Affairs. The movie is about 151 minutes long and has been awarded Academy Award For Best Picture, Best Writing, Best Directing, and Film Editing.
This movie shows the story of the Police department fighting with each other as they try to get into an Irish mob gang. However, this movie is fully a tale of corruption. Critically the film was successful, but many people did not like it as they thought that the film was glorifying the Irish mob. The filming in Boston took around six weeks to complete the whole film.
