Search results
From the gangster flicks to coming-of-age stories, here are the most memorable movies ever made about Chicago
- Hoop Dreams
Steve James' essential inner-city epic chronicles the lives...
- The 32 Best London Movies
Our definitive list of the 32 best London movies of all...
- Hoop Dreams
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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...
Nov 27, 2016 · In the egalitarian spirit of a town that both elected Harold Washington to become one of the first African-American mayors of major American city and hit Martin Luther King Jr in the head with a brick during a peaceful protest, here are 25 insanely Chicago movies, in no particular Chicago order.
People also ask
What are the best Chicago movies ever made?
How many insanely Chicago movies are there?
What is a Chicago movie?
Which Christmas movies take place in Chicago?
What is Chicago's best baseball movie?
Is Chicago a movie City?
Jan 4, 2023 · Movies of all genres have picked Chicago as the perfect place to film, and for good reason. From A League of Their Own to When Harry Met Sally, we take a look at some of the best classic...
