New England movies have a way of making the region feel like a destination in itself. From the windswept shores of Martha’s Vineyard and Massachusetts’ historic coastal towns to the leafy streets of Connecticut and picture-perfect corners of Vermont, New England has provided the setting – and often the filming locations – for some of Hollywood’s most memorable stories.
Whether it’s the seaside terror of Jaws, the cosy nostalgia of Little Women, the Boston backdrop of Good Will Hunting or the quirky Rhode Island landscapes of Moonrise Kingdom, these New England movies capture very different sides of the region.
And not everything is quite as it appears on screen. While some New England movies were filmed exactly where their stories are set, others used destinations hundreds of miles away to recreate the region.
So, if you’re dreaming of a trip through America’s Northeast, these are 15 New England movies guaranteed to provide plenty of travel inspiration.
1. Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s classic follows a police chief, marine biologist and shark hunter attempting to stop a great white terrorising the fictional seaside community of Amity Island.
Amity was brought to life on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, whose beaches, harbour towns and quintessential New England coastline became inseparable from the movie.
2. Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation follows the four March sisters as they navigate family, ambition, love and growing up during and after the American Civil War.
Set in Concord, Massachusetts, Little Women also filmed extensively across the state, embracing the historic homes and landscapes associated with Louisa May Alcott’s New England.
3. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Matt Damon stars as a troubled young Bostonian whose extraordinary talent for mathematics is discovered while working as a janitor at MIT.
Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts are central to the story, from Harvard Square and MIT to the neighbourhoods that shape Will’s fiercely local identity.
4. Mystic Pizza (1988)
A young Julia Roberts stars alongside Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor as three friends navigating relationships and their futures while working at a small-town pizza restaurant.
The story unfolds in Mystic, Connecticut, with filming around the real-life coastal town and nearby communities capturing southeastern Connecticut’s maritime charm.
5. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Casey Affleck won the Best Actor Oscar for playing a withdrawn handyman forced to return home and care for his teenage nephew following the sudden death of his brother.
The movie was filmed along Massachusetts’ North Shore, including Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester and surrounding coastal communities.
6. Knives Out (2019)
Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc investigates the mysterious death of a wealthy novelist, placing every member of his dysfunctional family under suspicion.
The murder mystery was filmed across Massachusetts, using historic mansions and small-town settings to create its unmistakably New England world.
7. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Three witches are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night, leaving a group of kids racing to stop them from becoming immortal.
The fictional events unfold in Salem, Massachusetts, with several of the real city’s historic streets and buildings appearing on screen.
8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Wes Anderson’s whimsical coming-of-age story follows two 12-year-olds who fall in love and run away together, prompting a search across their tiny island community.
The fictional island of New Penzance was largely modeled on Rhode Island, whose beaches, coves, lighthouses, and rugged coastline provide the movie’s dreamy New England scenery.
9. CODA (2021)
Emilia Jones plays Ruby, the only hearing member of a deaf fishing family who finds herself torn between helping her family and pursuing her passion for singing.
The Oscar-winning movie takes us to Gloucester, Massachusetts, using the working fishing port and the surrounding North Shore coastline as integral parts of Ruby’s world.
10. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer play three women whose wishes seemingly conjure the mysterious and dangerously charming Daryl Van Horne into their lives.
Although set in fictional Eastwick, Rhode Island, much of the movie was shot in Massachusetts, using historic New England towns and coastal scenery to create Eastwick.
11. The Holdovers (2023)
Paul Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher forced to remain at a boarding school over Christmas with a student who has nowhere else to go.
The fictional Barton Academy was assembled from several historic Massachusetts schools and institutions, giving the film its wonderfully nostalgic New England boarding-school atmosphere.
12. The Social Network (2010)
David Fincher’s drama charts the creation of Facebook and the personal and legal battles surrounding Mark Zuckerberg’s rise.
The story begins at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, although much of the Harvard-set material was recreated at other universities outside the state.
13. Jumanji (1995)
Robin Williams stars as a man released from a supernatural board game decades after becoming trapped inside it as a child.
The fictional town of Brantford was partly created in Keene, New Hampshire, with the city’s historic downtown transformed for the production.
14. Beetlejuice (1988)
A recently deceased couple enlist the chaotic Beetlejuice to help frighten the new inhabitants out of their beloved country home.
Although the story is set in Connecticut, Tim Burton found its memorable small-town look in East Corinth, Vermont.
15. Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams plays an unconventional English teacher whose lessons encourage students at an elite boarding school to think independently and seize the day.
The fictional Welton Academy is located in Vermont, although its picture-perfect New England boarding-school world was actually created primarily in Delaware.
So what makes it on your list of favourite New England movies? Let us know!