Until A Few Decades Ago, Hollywood Studios And Surrounding Areas Were The Filming Locations For Many Classic Movies. However, Filmmakers Have Found Each State Has Unique Characteristics That Make Them Attractive. This Is The Best Movie Filmed In Tennessee And The Other States.
Photo Credit: Till Crech / CC
Published April 5, 2021
By Hristina Byrnes [24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square] –
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 Tennessee is “The Green Mile” (1999).
Despite its more than three-hour runtime, audiences love “The Green Mile,” which is based on a novel by horror maestro Stephen King. It received positive reviews from 94% of users. The movie tells the story of a death row inmate convicted of murder who appears to have miraculous gifts. Most of the movie scenes, including those at the prison, were shot in Tennessee.
The second best movie filmed in Tennessee is “October Sky” (1999).
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 |
