The 14 best movies set in New Orleans

In recent years, countless movies have been filmed in the Greater New Orleans Area. That is  great news, as it creates jobs and is a boon for the local economy. 

While many of those films may have been shot in the Crescent City, you wouldn’t necessarily know it when watching them on the big screen. That is because the setting is kept ambiguous, or—in some cases—New Orleans is a stand-in for some other location. 

In other cases, however, New Orleans is essentially a character in the movie, and elements of our Big Easy help support the plot.  These are the kinds of movies that were considered for this list.

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are what we consider to be 14 of the very best films to ever feature our special city.

Angel Heart

Our list begins with the story of a private detective, Harry Angel, played by Mickey Rourke. He is contracted by Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to track down iconic singer Johnny Favorite. The hunt for Favorite takes Angel to New Orleans, where it seems anyone who gives the detective useful information meets a horrific end.

This 1987 film is part supernatural, part gumshoe detective flick, and part psychological thriller. Roger Ebert gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars and it’s still a bit of a cult favorite today!

The Big Easy

1987 must have been an incredible year for New Orleans-set movies because The Big Easy was also filmed that year!

This colorful drama takes place in the midst of a gang conflict nearing the boiling point. The main plot centers around the developing relationship between a young police lieutenant and an idealistic female district attorney. She is not impressed with the corruption in the cop’s unit. (“This is New Orleans, darlin,’” he tells her. “Folks have a certain way of doin’ things down here!”) Still, that doesn’t stop sparks from flying. Ebert gives it a perfect 4 out of 4 stars!

Cat People

Now for something completely different…

Irena Gallier travels from her home in Canada down to New Orleans to reconnect with her brother, Paul. Straightforward enough, except that Irena and Paul are descendants of ancient cat people who transform into black panthers…when sexually aroused.

This 1982 movie is weird, sexy and has plenty of panther maulings. It’s also a lot of fun.

The Cincinnati Kid

Eric Stoner is an up-and-coming Depression-era poker player from New Orleans, curiously nicknamed “The Cincinnati Kid.”

To be the best, you’ve gotta beat the best, which is why Stoner challenges Lancey “The Man” Howard to a game. “The Man,” who has a nickname that actually makes sense, is widely considered the best poker player around. But, when Stoner learns the game is being fixed in his favor, he rejects the help and tries to beat the champ on his own merits.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born in New Orleans in 1918 (and the city looks especially beautiful in this 2008 movie). Benjamin was no ordinary boy. He was born as an elderly man and he ages in reverse. Our protagonist goes on a series of incredible adventures over the course of his life, but the one constant is his relationship with Daisy Fuller (Cate Blanchett). She was born around the same time as Benjamin, but ages in the more traditional forward manner.

Down by Law

There is no shortage of New Orleanians who will happily discuss their love this black-and-white, independent 1986 film. The story centers around three men arrested in New Orleans and placed in the same cell. While the trio didn’t know one another before their crimes, they eventually plan a prison escape together.

While “Down by Law” is in the drama/crime genre, this movie focuses more on the evolving relationships of the convicts, rather than on the mechanics of the actual escape.

Girls Trip

If you don’t yet know who the Flossy Posse is, you are in for a treat!“

“Girls Trip” is a 2017 comedy about four best friends who have grown apart over the years. But don’t worry—they are reuniting. And they’re doing it at Essence Fest right here in New Orleans! What starts off as a work trip turns into a vacation after one member of the posse receives some devastating news.

Hard Target

If Jean-Claude Van Damme hasn’t filmed a movie in your city, then your city is second-rate. In this 1993 action-thriller, Van Damme plays Chance Boudreaux, an out-of-work Cajun sailor skilled in martial arts. He soon finds employment protecting a young woman, Natasha Binder, as she tries to find her nomadic father—a Vietnam veteran believed to be in New Orleans. Easy enough, until they run into a sinister group of wealthy men who hunt the homeless for sport.

Will Chance Boudreaux save the day? You’ve got to watch this (van) damn good movie to find out.

Interview with the Vampire

This 1994 film was adapted from a 1976 novel by New Orleans author, Anne Rice. It has an all-star cast, and shooting primarily taking place in and around the Crescent City. “Interview with the Vampire” is the story of an 18th-century lord (Brad Pitt) who tells his past to a biographer, played by Christian Slater.

Pitt’s character, Louis, explains how he was convinced to turn to immortality by Tom Cruise (well, technically, the vampire Tom Cruise portrays). Kirsten Dunst plays a young vampire girl who widens the conflict between Pitt and Cruise, and Antonio Banderas is in the movie, as well. It was nominated for a pair of Oscars and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

JFK

Directed by Oliver Stone, “JFK” chronicles the Jim Garrison-led investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Garrison is a New Orleans district attorney played by Kevin Costner. The movie was nominated for eight Oscars in 1991, including for Best Picture and Best Director.
It’s one of the most successful New Orleans-centered movies ever made and its themes call into question how much we’re able to trust our government in times of crisis. It’s certainly worth a watch!

King Creole

The trailer of this 1958 movie describes it best: Elvis Presley plays the “hard-loving, hard-hitting” Danny Fisher, who is singing his way to stardom from the “gutters of lusty, brawling New Orleans!” As Fisher’s star rises, a club owner tries to gain control of him with threats, as well as the charms of his sometimes-girlfriend.

Presley fondly reported that, of all the characters he portrayed, the role of Danny Fisher in “King Creole” was his favorite.

Panic in the Streets

Not only was this movie from 1950 filmed exclusively in New Orleans (with numerous New Orleanians playing a variety of roles), its subject matter garnered the film a second wind of notoriety in 2020.

Dr. Clint Reed supervises the autopsy of an unknown man and discovers he died of the contagious pneumonic plague. Reed and his wife have 48 hours to determine where the mysterious man came from and who he had contact with before New Orleans is consumed by an epidemic.

The Princess and the Frog

This list wouldn’t be complete without New Orleans’ very own Disney movie.

Tiana dreams of opening the finest restaurant in the Crescent City (who hasn’t?!), but her dream takes a detour when she meets a frog claiming to be Prince Naveen of Maldonia. What’s going to happen?

We won’t spoil it for you, but we can say this movie has trumpet-playing alligators, Cajun fireflies, a voodoo witch doctor and all our favorite local foods. Whether you have kids or not, watching your city get the Disney treatment is a lot of fun.

Runaway Jury

After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun’s manufacturer pits a lawyer played by Dustin Hoffman against a jury consultant played by Gene Hackman. Hackman’s shady character uses illegal means to stack the jury on the side of the gun company, so Hoffman tries to beat him at his own game. 

Jurors played by John Cusack and Rachel Weisz convince both sides they can sway the jury, triggering a thrilling game of cat and mouse!

A Streetcar Named Desire

Let’s end this list with a classic. 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4 out of 4 stars by Roger Ebert, the 1951 film adaption of Tennessee Williams’ play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” is almost universally loved.

Troubled former schoolteacher Blanche Dubois (Vivien Leigh) comes to New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella Kowalski, and Stella’s husband, Stanley (famously played by Marlon Brando). The Kowalskis have a passionate, volatile relationship, and Blanche’s presence shifts the balance for the worst. One loud word: “STELLLLAAA!”

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That is our list of 14 of our favorite New Orleans-centric movies. Do you have a favorite, either on this list or otherwise?