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- The Blues Brothers (1980) From its depiction of the bustling, late ’70s Maxwell Street flea market to a climactic chase sequence that winds through Lower Wacker Drive to Daley Plaza, The Blues Brothers is a loving homage to John Belushi’s hometown.
- High Fidelity (2000) John Cusack transferred the action of Nick Hornby's novel, about a man-child record store owner whose rock-snob music knowledge is no help in saving his failing relationship, from London to Chicago.
- Cooley High (1975) Often described as a "black American Graffiti," Cooley High looked back with nostalgia on the early ’60s at the real-life Old Town high school that was largely fed by the Cabrini-Green housing project.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Ferris Bueller is up to no good in this ’80s John Hughes classic, in which the high school senior plays hooky and gets into all kinds of trouble with friends as they run around downtown Chicago, including stopping for a little tour of the Art Institute of Chicago, catching a Cubs game and riding center stage in a downtown parade.
- The Blues Brothers. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown. 78 votes. A classic comedy-musical, The Blues Brothers masterfully captures the essence of Chicago's vibrant music scene and city atmosphere.
- The Fugitive. Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward. 57 votes. Harrison Ford stars in The Fugitive, a thrilling action film that skillfully transforms the streets of Chicago into a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara. 81 votes. In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Matthew Broderick embodies the rebellious spirit of Chicago as he plays hooky from school and leads his friends on a whirlwind adventure through the city.
- The Untouchables. Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro. 50 votes. Set during the Prohibition Era, The Untouchables chronicles the battle between federal agent Eliot Ness and notorious mobster Al Capone.
- The Blues Brothers (1980) Directed by John Landis. Starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway. Action, Adventure, Comedy (2h 13m) 7.9 on IMDb — 72% on RT.
- The Fugitive (1993) Directed by Andrew Davis. Starring Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward. Action, Crime, Drama (2h 10m) 7.8 on IMDb — 96% on RT. In a thriller about a citywide manhunt, the city itself needs to be one that adds pressure on the lead and leaves a lasting impression.
- High Fidelity (2000) Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso. Comedy, Drama, Music (1h 53m) 7.4 on IMDb — 91% on RT. Speaking of fourth wall-breaking rebels, High Fidelity might seem like a pretentious opinion piece about music on the surface.
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Directed by John Hughes. Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara. Comedy (1h 43m) 7.8 on IMDb — 81% on RT. Without a doubt, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is chief among John Hughes's films set in Chicago.
- High Fidelity (2000) The British writer Nick Hornby’s novel was re-homed here, where the audiophile John Cusack goes on a quest to understand women. Does the music make this man or keep him from growing up?
- Hoop Dreams (1994) Amazing documentary gives an intimate four-year look at two Chicago inner-city high-school athletes, their dreams, and those who exploit them.
- Mickey One (1965) French New Wave meets Nelson Algren when Warren Beatty and the director Arthur Penn, pre-Bonnie and Clyde,team up for a paranoid-man-on-the-run tale.
- Call Northside 777 (1948) The first major Hollywood movie shot in Chicago, this film-noirish classic stars James Stewart as a skeptical reporter who ends up establishing the innocence of a wrongly convicted murderer.
- Rface (1932) - 7.7
- Ngarry Glen Ross (1992) - 7.7
- D to Perdition (2002) - 7.7
- E Alone (1970) - 7.7
- Fugitive (1993) - 7.8
- Breakfast Club (1985) - 7.8
- Ris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - 7.8
- Blues Brothers (1980) - 7.9
- Untouchables (1987) - 7.9
- Sting (1973) - 8.3
1983's Scarfaceis one of the most iconic movies ever, but many people don't know that the Miami-based movie is actually a remake of a much older film from 1932. The original movie is a way more by-the-numbers mob movie, as it isn't about immigrants or the American dream, and it isn't even set in Miami. And as it's pre-Coda, meaning it was made befo...
Glengarry Glen Ross turned 30 this year, but the movie is still as relevant today as it has ever been, as it depicts the inherent stress and constant worry salespeople have about losing their jobs. The movie has an unbelievable all-star cast that includes Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and so many others who play unnerved salesmen. ...
Road to Perdition is influenced by a 1930s Chicago gangland, but it isn't based on any true story or real-life mobster. Instead, it follows an original character and tells a wonderful story while depicting what it was like living in the period. The movie follows a gangster and his son who seek revenge on the ones who murdered their family, and it's...
Home Alone is one of many John Hughes movies that take place in Chicago. The beloved filmmaker always made great use of his hometown, and he always made sure to make it look incredible. Whether it's Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, or Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the director created some of the most entertaining '80s films, but Home Aloneis the...
The Fugitiveis one of the most iconic Chicago-based movies because its location is so imperative to the plot. The film is a cat-and-mouse chase thriller that sees a U.S. Marshal trying to smoke out a doctor, Richard Kimble, who is wanted for the murder of his wife. Chicago is like the playground where the Marshal is trying to find Kimble, and L-tra...
The Breakfast Clubsees John Hughes at the peak of his career, as he was effortlessly throwing out one classic coming-of-age movie after another. The 1985 movie is about a group of very different midwestern kids who all have weekend detention. They all grow closer — the jock and the emo, the popular girl and the townie — and unite to take on the evi...
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is yet another Chicago-based movie written and directed by John Hughes, but while both Home Alone and The Breakfast Clubare fairly isolated and mostly take place in one location, the 1986 movie is exactly the opposite. It could even be considered a 100-minute advertisement to get viewers to visit the city. The film shows th...
While it's a pretty niche subgenre, The Blues Brothers is undoubtedly one of the best musical comedies ever, and with it being based on a Saturday Night Livesketch, a surprising amount of production value went into it too. Not only is the music so much fun, and not only are Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi a hilarious on-screen duo, but it has one of t...
The number of movies about Al Capone, the most notorious Chicago gangster ever, are innumerable, so many have come and gone, but the one that has stood the test of time and is even considered great is 1987's The Untouchables. The movie tells an important part of Chicago's history as it's about Capone and his men supplying liquor to speakeasy bars d...
The Stingis unlike any other movie of its kind, as it's a crime film that's once again set during the 1930s. However, being a crime caper, it has a completely different tone from all the others. The 1973 release follows two grifters who work together to build a complex con to rob a mob boss for all he's worth. The film is so much fun and has a rath...
Apr 3, 2024 · Some of the greatest movie makers of all time have set their films in Chicago, from Oscar Micheaux and Haskell Wexler to Michael Mann and Steve McQueen. Here are twenty-five of the best movies set in Chicago, films that take advantage of Chi-Town’s unique mix of urban sophistication and midwestern charm.
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1. A Raisin in the Sun (1961) Approved | 128 min | Drama. 8. Rate. 87 Metascore. A substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor black family. Director: Daniel Petrie | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands. Votes: 9,557. Watch on Prime Video. rent/buy from $3.59. 2.
