Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta are all top U.S. filming locations, but Massachusetts also has no shortage of movies either shot or set locally in the Bay State.
As winter drags on and people spend more time indoors, movies often provide a welcome escape.
Here are 26 films with ties to Massachusetts you can watch or stream heading into 2026.
1. Sorry, Baby (2025)
Where to Watch: Streaming on HBO Max
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
Director: Eva Victor
Starring: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, Louis Cancelmi
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Massachusetts Tie: Shot on location in Bedford, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lowell, Rockport and Salem, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.1/10 on IMDb, 4.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Agnes (Victor), a former graduate student and now a working professional at a small New England liberal arts college, tries to readjust to life in the years following a sexual assault by her professor (Cancelmi).
Agnes is supported by her friend Lydie (Ackie) who is expecting a baby and forms a budding relationship with her neighbor Gavin (Hedges) as she tries to get her life back on track.
2. The History of Sound (2025)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Mubi
Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Starring: Paul Mescal, Josh O’Connor
Genre: Romance, Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The movie depicts scenes set in Boston and Cambridge. Much of the movie is also takes place in Maine.
Average Rating: 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.8/10 on IMDb, 3.3/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor) fall in love with each other at a music conservatory in Boston in the 1910s. Split apart by World War I and personal matters, they later reunite for an expedition to record rural folk songs in Maine.
3. The Holdovers (2023)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Genre: Holiday, Comedy-Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film takes place at a New England boys’ boarding school and was filmed at numerous locations across Massachusetts. Dominic Sessa attended Deerfield Academy before starring in his breakout role.
Average Rating: 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.9/10 on IMDb, 4.2/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Angus (Sessa) is among a group of boys left behind at his New England boarding school with nowhere to go for the 1970 holiday season and is watched over by his teacher, the curmudgeonly Paul Hunham (Giamatti).
The two originally don’t see eye to eye, but bond over the course of their arrangement, joined by the school chef Mary (Randolph), who recently lost her son in the Vietnam War.
4. CODA (2021)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Apple TV
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Director: Siân Heder
Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin
Genre: Coming-of-Age Comedy-Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film takes place in Gloucester. Scenes were shot in Beverly, Boston, Cambridge, Essex, Gloucester and Rockport, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8/10 on IMDb, 3.9/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Ruby (Jones) is a high school student and the only one in her family of fishermen who has the ability to hear. Ruby develops a passion for music, but is torn between needing to help her deaf parents (Kotsur, Matlin) with the family business and pursuing her dreams beyond Gloucester.
Bonus: CODA won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2022.
5. Knives Out (2019)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette
Genre: Murder Mystery
Massachusetts Tie: The movie filmed extensively in Massachusetts with shooting in Berlin, Boston, Canton, Easton, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Natick, Stoughton, Waltham and Wellesley, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.9/10 on IMDb, 4/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: A wealthy mystery novelist (Plummer) suddenly dies after his birthday party, leading to private investigator Benoit Blanc (Craig) to take on the case while dealing with the author’s dysfunctional family. Anyone may be a suspect in the patriarch’s death.
Bonus: The new third installment in the “Knives Out” franchise called “Wake Up Dead Man” is available to stream on Netflix starting Dec. 12.
6. The Proposal (2009)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Hulu and Disney+
Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
Director: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White
Genre: Rom-Com
Massachusetts Tie: Despite being set mostly in Alaska, the film shot at locations in Massachusetts such as in Boston, Gloucester, Hamilton and Manchester-by-the-Sea, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.8/10 on IMDb, 3.4/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: As a Canadian, Margaret (Bullock) is set to loose her U.S. visa. The editor concocts a plan to marry her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) so she can remain in the country, but to keep up the façade, she must meet his eccentric family in Alaska.
7. Little Women (2019)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
Director: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, Meryl Streep
Genre: Coming-Of-Age Period Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The story is set in Concord in the 1860s. The film shot on location in Boston, Canton, Concord, Franklin, Groton, Harvard, Ipswich, Lancaster, Lawrence, Stoughton, Waltham, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.8/10 on IMDb, 4.2/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: The story follows the relationship between the four March sisters (Ronan, Watson, Pugh and Scanlen), their neighbor Laurie (Chalamet) and their parents (Dern and Odenkirk) based on the classic novel by author Louisa May Alcott.
8. Legally Blonde (2001)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Davis
Genre: Comedy
Massachusetts Tie: The film is set at the Harvard Law School in Cambridge and features real aerial shots of the city, per the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.5/10 on IMDb, 3.8/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is underestimated by her soon-to-be law student boyfriend Warner (Davis), who promptly dumps her in favor of a more intellectual girl.
Spurned by this, Elle attempts to win him back by also getting admitted into the incoming class at Harvard Law and learns some valuable lessons along the way.
9. Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler
Genre: Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film takes place in the eponymous Cape Ann town of Manchester-by-the-Sea
Average Rating: 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.8/10 on IMDb, 4.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: A troubled handyman (Affleck) must revisit his hometown following the death of his brother (Chandler), where he becomes the legal guardian for his nephew (Hedges), re-opening old family wounds.
10. Janet Planet (2023)
Where to Watch: Streaming on HBO Max
Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
Director: Annie Baker
Starring: Julianne Nicholson, Zoey Ziegler
Genre: Coming-of-Age Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film takes place and was shot in Western Massachusetts, including the towns and cities of Amherst, Ashfield, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Hadley, Leverett, Northampton, Springfield and Williamsburg, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.1/10 on IMDb, 3.6/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: The story follows Janet (Nicholson) an acupuncturist and single mother living and her young daughter Lacy (Ziegler) in three stages over the course of summer 1991 at their home Western Massachusetts.
11. Joy (2015)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Édgar Ramírez, Diane Ladd
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The movie filmed in various location across Massachusetts including Canton, Framingham, Haverhill, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Newbury, North Reading, Reading, Rochester, Salem, Wilmington and Winchester, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6/10 on IMDb, 3.2/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Joy (Lawrence), a mother living with relatives on Long Island in the 1990s, rises to become a powerful business leader and the matriarch of a family dynasty.
12. The Mastermind (2025)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Mubi starting Dec. 12
Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffmann, Bill Camp
Genre: Heist
Massachusetts Tie: The movie takes place in Framingham.
Average Rating: 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.5/10 on IMDb, 3.2/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: J.B. (O’Connor), an unemployed father living in Framingham in the 1970s, plans to steal art from the local museum. His foolproof plan is not as good as it seems, and life begins to spiral as he tries to outrun the law.
13. The Social Network (2010)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 2 hours
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Max Minghella, Armie Hammer
Genre: Biographical Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The movie shot scenes in Andover, Boston, Medford, Milton, Somerville and at the former Wheelock College, according to the Massachusetts Film Office. A large part of the movie takes place at Harvard University in Cambridge.
Average Rating: 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.8/10 on IMDb, 3.9/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: A young Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) attends Harvard University in 2003 where he first creates the prototype for social media giant Facebook. Years later as a billionaire, he faces lawsuits and a reckoning from his former friend (Garfield) and twin peers from Harvard (Hammer).
Bonus: The movie was inducted into the National Film Registry preservation in 2024 for its “cultural, historic, or aesthetic” significance in U.S. filmmaking — among the most modern films to receive such a notable distinction.
14. Don’t Look Up (2021)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet
Genre: Dark Comedy, Satire
Massachusetts Tie: The movie filmed extensively in Massachusetts in areas like Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Canton, Chicopee, Fall River, Framingham, North Attleboro, Norton, Salisbury, Weymouth and Worcester, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.2/10 on IMDb, 3/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: As an life-ending comet approaches Earth, two scientists (DiCaprio, Lawrence) try to warn the world of the impending danger, but receive muted and out-of-touch responses from the media and politicians to the potential apocalypse.
15. Black Panther (2018)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Angela Bassett, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright
Genre: Superhero, Action
Massachusetts Tie: Designer Ruth E. Carter, a Springfield native, won the Academy Award twice in Best Costume Design for both “Black Panther” and its sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” She is the first Black woman to win two Oscars.
Average Rating: 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.3/10 on IMDb, 3.7/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: T’Challa (Boseman), the heir to the highly advanced African kingdom of Wakanda, is set to take over the nation following his father’s death, but challengers seek to upend his ascension to the throne.
16. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Runtime: 2 hours, 41 minutes
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Lupita Nyong’o
Genre: Superhero, Action
Massachusetts Tie: The movie shot scenes in Boston, Cambridge and a car chase scene in Worcester.
Average Rating: 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6/10 on IMDb, 3.3/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: The citizens of Wakanda come to together to defend their homeland in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.
17. Ted (2012)
Where to Watch: Streaming for free on PlutoTV
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlburg, Seth MacFarlane, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Jessica Barth
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Massachusetts Tie: The movie takes place in Massachusetts and filmed in Boston, Canton, Chelsea, Everett, Norwood, Somerville and Swampscott, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.9/10 on IMDb, 3.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: John Bennett (Wahlburg) has his childhood dream of his teddy bear (MacFarlane) come to life, but he must choose between this childhood friend and his girlfriend, Lori (Kunis).
18. Ted 2 (2015)
Where to Watch: Streaming for free on PlutoTV
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlburg, Seth MacFarlane, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Jessica Barth
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Massachusetts Tie: The movie takes place in Massachusetts and filmed in Boston, Chelsea, Danvers, Dartmouth, Framingham, Hamilton, Ipswich, Malden, Medford, Milton, Norfolk, Topsfield, Wareham and Woburn, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.3/10 on IMDb, 2.8/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: John (Wahlburg) and Ted (MacFarlane) are back as the grown man and childhood teddy bear come to life in this sequel. Newlyweds Ted and Tami-Lynn (Barth) want to have a baby, but Ted must prove he’s a “person” in court.
19. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Where to Watch: Streaming on Peacock
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
Director: Steve Carr
Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O’Donnell
Genre: Comedy
Massachusetts Tie: The movie filmed extensively in Massachusetts, primarily at shopping centers like South Shore Plaza in Braintree and the Burlington Mall, as well as in Bedford and West Roxbury, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, 5.3/10 on IMDb, 2.5/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Paul Blart (James), a mall security guard in New Jersey, is here to save the day atop his Segway when a band of criminals infiltrate his mall during a holiday season heist.
20. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Where to Watch: Streaming for free on Pluto TV. Streaming with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video.
Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Minnie Driver
Genre: Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The movie is set in and filmed extensively in Boston at locations such as Woody’s L Street Tavern in South Boston, Cambridge’s Harvard Square, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along the Charles River, the Wonderland Dog Track in Revere and on the MBTA Red Line, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.3/10 on IMDb, 4.4/5 on Letterboxd.
Synopsis: Mathematical genius Will Hunting (Damon) works as a janitor at MIT, but without a purpose. His talents go unnoticed until Professor Gerald Lambeau (Williams) discovers them and intervenes on Will’s behalf following an altercation. Will must then confront his inner turmoil inhibiting his success.
21. The Heat (2013)
Where to Watch: Streaming for free on Tubi. Streaming with a subscription on Hulu and Disney+.
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Sandra Bullock
Genre: Action, Comedy
Massachusetts Tie: The movie follows two female buddy cops in Boston and filmed in Cambridge, Danvers, Revere, Roxbury and Salem according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6/10 on IMDb, 3.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Uptight FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) is assigned to a case in Boston and is partnered with unruly local Officer Shannon Mullins (McCarthy). Their personalities and professional styles clash until they begin to understand each other better.
22. The Bostonians (1984)
Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Fandango at Home.
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Director: James Ivory
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, Jessica Tandy, Madeleine Potter
Genre: Historical, Romance, Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The movie takes place and filmed in Greater Boston. It is based on the 1886 novel of the same name by author Henry James.
Average Rating: 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.2/10 on IMDb, 3.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Olive (Redgrave), a women’s suffrage leader in 19th century Boston, is enthralled by an inspirational young orator named Verena (Potter) whom she takes under her wing as her protégée for her cause.
Olive’s wishes and affections for Verena are countered by chauvinistic Southerner Basil Ransom (Reeve) who wishes to marry Verena and relegate her to a life of domesticity.
23. Madame Web (2024)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
Director: S.J. Clarkson
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott
Genre: Superhero, Action
Massachusetts Tie: The movie filmed across Massachusetts in Andover, Arlington, Ayer-Devens, Boston, Boylston, Chelsea, Medford, North Andover, Revere, Weymouth and Worcester, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.1/10 on IMDb, 1.5/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Cassie (Johnson), a paramedic in New York City, tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother who died during a research expedition in the Amazon rainforest shortly after giving birth to her.
After a near-death experience, Cassie develops visions in which she can see into the future and tries to protect three teenage girls in harm’s way. Her web connects them all.
24. Sound of Metal (2019)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 2 hours
Director: Darius Marder
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Genre: Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film shot in Boston, Cambridge, Danvers, Framingham, Ipswich, Lawrence, Malden, Rowley and Topsfield, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7.7/10 on IMDb, 4.2/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Metal drummer Ruben (Ahmed) experiences hearing loss due to his his music career and is forced to reckon with losing the life he once knew, accepting a new life with adaptations and limits or risk deterioration of his health and senses further.
25. I Care A Lot (2020)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
Director: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Dianne Wiest
Genre: Dark Comedy, Crime
Massachusetts Tie: Scenes from the movie filmed in Boston, Braintree, Dedham, Medfield, Millis, Natick, Rockport, Watertown, Wayland and Wellesley according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.4/10 on IMDb, 3.1/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: A conwoman (Pike) takes advantage of vulnerable senior citizens through court-appointed legal guardianship schemes under the guise of benevolence, until she tries to con the mother of a mafia leader.
26. Challengers (2024)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and MGM+
Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Genre: Sports, Romance, Drama
Massachusetts Tie: The film shot extensively in Massachusetts including in Bedford, Beverly, Boston, Braintree, Canton, Framingham, Lynn and Norton, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.
Average Rating: 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 7/10 on IMDb, 3.8/5 on Letterboxd
Synopsis: Tennis prodigies Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O’Connor) share a complicated love triangle as they age through their sports careers marked by ebbs and flows in their three-way relationship, culminating in a rivalrous tennis tournament reunion.