Until a few decades ago, Hollywood studios and surrounding areas were the filming locations for many classic movies. If the movies aren’t filmed on the West Coast, studios tend to go to New York City to take advantage of some of America’s enduring images, such as Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.
Still, each state has unique characteristics that make it attractive to filmmakers. The best movie filmed in Minnesota is “A Simple Plan” (1998).
Director Sam Raimi directed this 1998 crime drama after his cult classic “Army of Darkness” and before he tackled “Spider-Man.” The film is set in Minnesota, and that is also where much of it was shot. Shooting locations include Delano, St. Paul, and Golden Valley.
The second best movie filmed in Minnesota is “Beautiful Girls” (1996).
The film industry’s need for genuine locations also means more states can benefit financially. A movie shoot can create jobs and create other economic advantages for the state. For this reason, states welcome and promote film shoots, setting up film commissions or offices with robust websites touting the advantages of filming in their state.
24/7 Wall St. has tapped critic and audience ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb to find the best movie filmed in every state. These are the best movies filmed in every state and D.C.
| State | Best movie | Year | IMDb rating | Tomatometer score | Second best movie | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Get Out | 2017 | 7.7 | 98 | Just Mercy | 2019 |
| Alaska | Insomnia | 2002 | 7.2 | 92 | Runaway Train | 1985 |
| Arizona | Psycho | 1960 | 8.5 | 96 | Once Upon a Time in the West | 1968 |
| Arkansas | Sling Blade | 1996 | 8 | 96 | Mud | 2012 |
| California | Modern Times | 1936 | 8.5 | 100 | City Lights | 1931 |
| Colorado | Badlands | 1973 | 7.8 | 98 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 |
| Connecticut | The Ice Storm | 1997 | 7.4 | 85 | We Need to Talk About Kevin | 2011 |
| Delaware | Dead Poets Society | 1989 | 8.1 | 84 | Blue Ruin | 2013 |
| District of Columbia | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 1939 | 8.1 | 96 | All the President’s Men | 1976 |
| Florida | The Truman Show | 1998 | 8.1 | 95 | Edward Scissorhands | 1990 |
| Georgia | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | 8.4 | 94 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | 2019 |
| Hawaii | From Here to Eternity | 1953 | 7.6 | 92 | Papillon | 1973 |
| Idaho | Napoleon Dynamite | 2004 | 6.9 | 72 | N/A | |
| Illinois | The Dark Knight | 2008 | 9 | 94 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | 2018 |
| Indiana | Hoosiers | 1986 | 7.5 | 89 | Rudy | 1993 |
| Iowa | The Straight Story | 1999 | 8 | 95 | The Bridges of Madison County | 1995 |
| Kansas | Paper Moon | 1973 | 8.1 | 93 | Mars Attacks! | 1996 |
| Kentucky | Goldfinger | 1964 | 7.7 | 99 | Stripes | 1981 |
| Louisiana | 12 Years a Slave | 2013 | 8.1 | 95 | Logan | 2017 |
| Maine | In the Bedroom | 2001 | 7.4 | 93 | It | 2017 |
| Maryland | Philomena | 2013 | 7.6 | 91 | The Barbarian Invasions | 2003 |
| Massachusetts | Good Will Hunting | 1997 | 8.3 | 98 | Spotlight | 2015 |
| Michigan | Anatomy of a Murder | 1959 | 8 | 100 | Vishwaroopam | 2013 |
| Minnesota | A Simple Plan | 1998 | 7.5 | 91 | Beautiful Girls | 1996 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Burning | 1988 | 7.8 | 84 | The Help | 2011 |
| Missouri | Up in the Air | 2009 | 7.4 | 90 | Winter’s Bone | 2010 |
| Montana | Little Big Man | 1970 | 7.6 | 96 | A River Runs Through It | 1992 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 2013 | 7.7 | 91 | Election | 1999 |
| Nevada | Casino | 1995 | 8.2 | 80 | Leaving Las Vegas | 1995 |
| New Hampshire | On Golden Pond | 1981 | 7.6 | 93 | In Your Eyes | 2014 |
| New Jersey | On the Waterfront | 1954 | 8.1 | 99 | The Wrestler | 2008 |
| New Mexico | Ace in the Hole | 1951 | 8.1 | 92 | No Country for Old Men | 2007 |
| New York | The Godfather | 1972 | 9.2 | 98 | The Godfather: Part II | 1974 |
| North Carolina | Evil Dead II | 1987 | 7.8 | 95 | Blue Velvet | 1986 |
| North Dakota | Fargo | 1996 | 8.1 | 94 | N/A | |
| Ohio | The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 9.3 | 91 | The Deer Hunter | 1978 |
| Oklahoma | Rumble Fish | 1983 | 7.2 | 74 | The Outsiders | 1983 |
| Oregon | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | 1975 | 8.7 | 94 | Stand by Me | 1986 |
| Pennsylvania | The Silence of the Lambs | 1991 | 8.6 | 96 | Night of the Living Dead | 1968 |
| Puerto Rico | Assassins | 1995 | 6.4 | 98 | GoldenEye | 1995 |
| Rhode Island | Moonrise Kingdom | 2012 | 7.8 | 93 | Hachi: A Dog’s Tale | 2009 |
| South Carolina | Cold Mountain | 2003 | 7.2 | 70 | The Big Chill | 1983 |
| South Dakota | Dances with Wolves | 1990 | 8 | 83 | Nomadland | 2020 |
| Tennessee | The Green Mile | 1999 | 8.6 | 78 | October Sky | 1999 |
| Texas | Paris, Texas | 1984 | 8.1 | 97 | The Last Picture Show | 1971 |
| Utah | Jeremiah Johnson | 1972 | 7.6 | 95 | Wind River | 2017 |
| Vermont | Beetlejuice | 1988 | 7.5 | 85 | The Trouble with Harry | 1955 |
| Virginia | Lincoln | 2012 | 7.3 | 89 | Loving | 2016 |
| Washington | Captain Fantastic | 2016 | 7.9 | 82 | Dancer in the Dark | 2000 |
| West Virginia | Super 8 | 2011 | 7 | 81 | We Are Marshall | 2006 |
| Wisconsin | Major League | 1989 | 7.2 | 83 | The Last Kiss | 2006 |
| Wyoming | Django Unchained | 2012 | 8.4 | 87 | N/A |
