Entertainment
The Best Movies Set in New York City
New York City has played a starring role in many movies. The cityscape, familiar to viewers worldwide, is characterized by iconic architecture and a certain cosmopolitan yet gritty majesty. Imagining these films set anywhere else would be incomprehensible. From Fifth Avenue to Central Park to the brownstones of Brooklyn, the Big Apple should win an Oscar for being a supporting actor in the following films.
Vote on your favorites or add some that may have been overlooked.
Ranked by
- 1Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia NealBased on Truman Capote's novel, this is the story of a young woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her apartment building. He is with an older woman who is very wealthy, but ...more
- 2John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry MillerTony Manero (John Travolta) doesn't have much going for him during the weekdays. He still lives at home and works as a paint store clerk in his Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. But he lives for the ...more
- 3Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Adrian Grenier
The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 American comedy film directed by David Frankel and produced by Wendy Finerman. The screenplay, written by Aline Brosh McKenna, is based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name.
- 4Jane Alexander, Sebastian Cabot, David HartmanA department store Santa (Sebastian Cabot) hired by divorced mother Karen (Jane Alexander) tells Karen's daughter, Susan (Suzanne Davidson), that he is the real Kris Kringle. He also sends children ...more
- 5Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob NewhartBuddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn't fit in, the adult Buddy ...more
- 6James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell CoreyA newspaper photographer with a broken leg passes time recuperating by observing his neighbors through his window. He sees what he believes to be a murder, and decides to solve the crime himself. ...more
- 7Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo MortensenWall Street baron Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) discovers that his pretty young wife, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), is cheating on him. But what concerns him more than her infidelity is the hope of ...more
- 8Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker PoseyStruggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, ...more
- 9Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney WeaverSavvy New York City receptionist Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) gives her conniving boss, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), an excellent business tip, but Katharine simply steals the idea without ...more
- 10Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin SheenOn the Wall Street of the 1980s, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a stockbroker full of ambition, doing whatever he can to make his way to the top. Admiring the power of the unsparing corporate raider ...more
- 11Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent GardeniaNo sooner does Italian-American widow Loretta (Cher) accept a marriage proposal from her doltish boyfriend, Johnny (Danny Aiello), than she finds herself falling for his younger brother, Ronny ...more
- 12Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, Daryl HannahCousins Paulie (Eric Roberts) and Charlie (Mickey Rourke) plan to rob a merchant in the New York City neighborhood that's home to the restaurant where they work. When their scheme results in the ...more
- 13Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan QuinnNew Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan ...more
- 14Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie FisherIn 1977, college graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ...more
- 15Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy GreerA girl who's sick of the social strictures of junior high is transformed into a grownup overnight. In this feel-good fairy tale, teenager Jenna (Christa B. Allen) wants a boyfriend, and when she's ...more
- 16Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steven WeberHaving recently split from fiancé Sam Rawson (Steven Weber), Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) welcomes new roommate Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The young women quickly form a bond, but as ...more
- 17Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill ShepherdSuffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of ...more
- 18André Christian, Freddie Pendavis, Willi NinjaThis documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. ...more
- 19Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van DykeA night watchman (Ben Stiller) at a museum of natural history makes a startling discovery: Thanks to the unleashing of an ancient Egyptian curse, the museum's animals, birds, bugs and other exhibits ...more
- 20Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent CasselNina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening ...more
- 21Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Chris NothFour years after the earlier adventures of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her best gal pals, she and her intermittent lover, Big (Chris Noth), are in a committed relationship. Samantha ...more
- 22John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira SorvinoDuring the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders. The philandering Vinny (John Alberto Leguizamo) unwittingly almost ...more
- 23John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly ShannonOn a magical night when they are in in their 20s, Jonathan (John Cusack) meets Sara (Kate Beckinsale). He finds it love at first sight, but Sara believes in destiny. After 10 years the two -- with ...more
- 24Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia MilesConvinced of his irresistible appeal to women, Texas dishwasher Joe Buck (Jon Voight) quits his job and heads for New York City, thinking he'll latch on to some rich dowager. New York, however, is ...more
- 25Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Christine Baranski9 1/2 Weeks is an 1986 romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. It is based on the memoir of the same name by Elizabeth McNeill, about a New York City ...more
