From Los Angeles and New York to Boston and Chicago, some of cinema’s greatest films have taken place in America’s biggest and most famous cities. One film in particular likely materialized in your thoughts upon seeing the title of this article. But really,Philadelphiahas been home to dozens of iconic movie characters throughout the years, not just that famous, fictional fighter played by Sylvester Stallone.
Nearly every film featured herein was among the most successful of their respective years. So, you should recognize most of the titles. But even if a few appear more unfamiliar, they remain essential films from some of America’s greatest directors. All that said, these are the twenty greatest movies set in Philadelphia, ranked.
20Law Abiding Citizen
Like Woody Allen with New York City and John Singleton with Los Angeles, several filmmakers throughout the years have frequently set their projects in Philadelphia. One such example (with several more to follow) is F. Gary Gray, the director of films likeFriday(1995) andStraight Outta Compton(2015). Both of those areset in L.A.But withThe Italian Job(2003), the aforementioned creative set his sights on Philadelphia.
He did the same thing a few years down the line withLaw Abiding Citizen(2009), perhaps the most underrated film in Gray’s entire catalog. With Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, it features indelible performances across the board, and its script is surprisingly witty given the film’s overall numbers of success. It follows Butler’s imprisoned character Clyde Shelton as he seeks revenge against the man who killed his family in tandem with those who condone the corruption of the criminal justice system. It’s an intriguing plot, and every name involved sawLaw Abiding Citizencome into highly undervalued fruition. In the end, it deserves to kick off the list.
19Invincible
For whatever reason, a great number of titles on the list can be most easily categorized as sports films, starting withInvincible(2006). Starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, this film takes itself a bit too seriously at times, or else it could have even come out higher on the list. But athleticism is in the air in Philadelphia, and this entry embodies the sporting spirit of the city like few others films of its kind.
A part-time bartender, Vince attends an open public tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles, the city’sprofessional football team. The tryouts are hosted by Coach Dick Vermiel, who’s in turn played by Greg Kinnear. Nobody performs particularly passionately. But they all show up to noteworthy degrees enough to landInvinciblewithin the twenty greatest films ever set in Philadelphia.
18National Treasure
Easily among the most famous films to ever take place in Philadelphia isNational Treasure(2004), starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates. He joins forces with Abigail (played by Diane Kruger) and Riley (Justin Bartha’s character) as they search for a lost freemason treasure of prodigious proportions. The twist: the map to the treasure is hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
That famous document was adopted at the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) and remains along with the Liberty Bell a seminal piece of American history. For depicting such iconic symbols of Philadelphia in creative fashion,National Treasureshould undoubtedly join the ranks at hand. And on any given day, it might land even higher.
17Clean and Sober
It’s worth noting off the bat thatClean and Sober(1988) is among the most underrated films to ever release in the 1980s. It features Michael Keaton in the lead role, and this is perhaps the most overlooked performance of his career — he plays the protagonist Daryl Poynter to sheer perfection. A real estate agent, Daryl struggleswith a substance abuse problemrelated to cocaine.
And, yes: the properties he sells are all in Philadelphia. And as he experiences emotional turmoil throughout the course of the film, both in personal relationships and with his own demons, perhaps the most poignant plot you’ll read about today plays out from there. Other performers inClean and Soberinclude Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, and M. Emmett Walsh, with everyone providing stellar supporting showings to help Keaton lead the film to greatness.
16World War Z
The first film with Brad Pitt to appear on the list,World War Z(2013) is also the most action-packed of the bunch. Hollywood is replete with high-quality zombie films in today’s landscape, and this is without a doubt among the more well-known in recent years. Sure, its narrative isn’t on the scale of quality that films like28 Days Later(2002) orDawn of the Dead(2004) were able to achieve. ButWorld War Zdoes feature an impressive performance from Pitt, and it’s a total thrill ride from its first frame.
It follows Pitt’s protagonist Gerry Lane, a former United Kingdoms investigator who spends the plot as most main characters of zombie films do, searching for a cure to the outbreak. Again, not the deepest of plots. Perhaps if director Marc Forster hadn’tstrayed from the source material, the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, the movie would have resonated more fondly on an emotional level. Alas, its clever action sequences and convincing lead performance landWorld War Zat number sixteen.
Another sports film, this time of the pugilistic variety,Chuck(2016) should be commonly cited among the most underrated films its genre has ever seen. Liev Schreiber stars as the titular character Chuck Wepner, a real-life heavyweight boxer who in 1975 nearly went the distance with Muhammad Ali. The bout inspired Sylvester Stallone to write the script forRocky(1976), and the film at hand depicts Wepner’s experiences with the film.
It’s a fascinating premise, and it was seen into fantastic fruition by everyone involved. Schreiber paints a poignant portrait of a man whose greatest accomplishment was a loss, and he now must wage war between his true identity and the legendary, fictional character depicted by Stallone. This is perhaps the most underrated effort of Schreiber’s career, and given thatChucktakes place in the city at hand, it deserves a spot on the list.
14The Sixth Sense
The first film on the list from M. Night Shyamalan is his most famous:The Sixth Sense(1999), starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. Spoilers will be avoided despite the widespread knowledge among film fans ofthis project’s famous twist. But rest assured,The Sixth Senseat least deserves the thirteenth spot based on that execution alone.
Considering the film also features well-developed character dynamics and gripping performances from its two leads, there’s plenty worth writing home about aside from the well-known plot twist. And given the iconic nature of all those elements and more,The Sixth Sensecould land even higher on any given fan’s list.
13Unbreakable
Perhaps a hot take for the fans of the prior entry,Unbreakable(2000) just slightly edges out the other film on the list from M. Night Shyamalan. And here, it’s worth noting that nearly every film of actual quality under his directorial belt is set in the city at hand. So, the two sequels toUnbreakable, in other words:Split(2016) andGlass(2019). On top of those andThe Sixth Sense, there’s alsoSigns(2002), which takes place just a few miles north in Doylsetown, Pennsylvania.
But back toUnbreakable: it stands out among Shyamalan’s filmography thanks not just to its well-written script (also by Shyamalan) but also by dint of the impressive performances of its cast.Bruce Willis appearsas protagonist David Dunn, while Robin Wright plays his wife, named Audrey. The former is revealed to harbor superhuman strength, and he thus drives the plot. But Samuel L. Jackson perhaps steals the show as Elijah Price, with everyone fromUnbreakableseeing the film into solid enough fruition to warrant this spot at number twelve.
A basketball film with Adam Sandler, he stars here inHustle(2022) as an NBA scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. And he just nails it across the board. This is the first of two Sandler movies on the list, and the third of several sports films. For whatever reason, several films on the list fall into the genre, and if they don’t, it’s likely that sports are still featured to a prominent degree.
InHustle, a hilarious approach to the recruitment process of professional basketball renders this yet another Sandler hit from recent years, along with others likeThe Meyerwitz Stories(2017) andUncut Gems(2019). He shares a tangible chemistry here with Queen Latifah (who plays his wife), and the film as a whole stands tall enough to go down as one of the greatest films ever set in Philadelphia.
11Trading Places
By far the funniest film on the list isTrading Places(1983), starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd asa con manand a wealthy investor in Philly. The performers share a hilarious chemistry, with this going down as one of the funniest and most famous films from their respective careers. And it holds up wonderfully today.
Its name value is rivaled by the quality of the film itself, the careful structure of its plot and the well-written nature of its many uproarious jokes. Critics agreed with those sentiments nearly across the board, withTrading Placesalso accruing impressive money at the worldwide box office. Some elements have without a doubt aged poorly. But everything for the most part holds up well enough to warrant this spot at number eleven.
