In case you missed it, Time Out magazine crowned San Francisco the best city in the world, and we can see why. From colorful murals and quaint seaside towns to stunning Victorian architecture, the Bay Area is quite the looker. (Not to mention its impressive dining options and weekend getaway spots.)
So, it’s no surprise that the popular city has been featured in so many great films. Perhaps you’ll recognize a historical landmark or two, or maybe you’ll spot a hotel you’ve stayed at. Either way, these movies set in San Francisco will take you straight back to the Golden City, including Basic Instinct, Sister Act and more.
RELATED: The 10 Most Beautiful Spots in San Francisco
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Rating: R
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Run time: 121 minutes
Joe Talbot’s 2019 film is a beautiful ode to the Bay Area—or more specifically, how it was before gentrification. It tells the story of Jimmie (Jimmie Fails), a young nurse who fights to keep his childhood home, even though it’s located in a rapidly changing city that seems to have no place for him. This poignant drama will definitely hit home for San Francisco natives.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 100 minutes
Whoopi Goldberg shines as Deloris Van Cartier, a live entertainer who’s forced to relocate to Noe Valley in San Fran after she witnesses a murder. While there, she poses as a nun while staying at a convent, but before long, the lively singer starts to stir up trouble. That is, until she’s tasked with spearheading the convent’s choir.
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Rating: PG-13
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Run time: 125 minutes
Arguably one of Robin Williams’s best films, Mrs. Doubtfire follows a voice actor who, after experiencing an awful divorce, creates an elaborate plan to spend more time with his kids—even if it means dressing up as an old nanny. Expect plenty of laughs and a few familiar SF sightings, including Columbus Tower.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 112 minutes
Based on Karl Alexander’s unfinished novel, Time After Time follows British author H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell), who learns that his friend John (David Warner) is Jack the Ripper. When Jack steals his time machine and travels to 20th-century San Francisco, Wells decides to go after him—and even finds love in the process.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 128 minutes
Former SFPD detective Scottie Ferguson has no intention of coming out of retirement, but that changes when his college buddy, Gavin (Tom Helmore), hires him for a special case that involves his gorgeous wife (who may or may not be possessed).
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Rating: R
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Run time: 136 minutes
Fans may say that it’s the epic action sequences that make this film stand out, but if you ask us, it’s the chemistry between Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. The men star as a former SAS captain and a nerdy FBI chemist (respectively), who work together to stop a group of rogue marines from attacking San Francisco with nerve gas.
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Rating: R
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Run time: 96 minutes
Allow us to introduce one of the first action comedies to pave the way for almost every buddy cop film you’ve seen. In 48 Hrs., Jack Cates (Nick Nolte), a no nonsense SFPD officer, reluctantly teams up with a prisoner (Eddie Murphy) in order to catch his partner, an escaped convict. And the fact that they only have two days to get the job done doesn’t make things any easier.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 105 minutes
This nail-biting thriller (which, FYI, was the first movie to be shot on Alcatraz Island) follows a gangster named Walker (Lee Marvin), who goes to great lengths to carry out revenge two years after his former partner shoots him and leaves him for dead.
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Rating: R
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Run time: 102 minutes
When a cruel and unstable criminal, AKA the Scorpio Killer (Andrew Robinson), starts killing innocent civilians, Inspector Harry Callahan (better known as Dirty Harry) is hired to catch the murderer and stop him. City Hall, Hilton San Francisco Financial District and the Hall of Justice are just a few noteworthy locations you’ll recognize in this one.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 165 minutes
Made as a tribute to the nation’s brave firefighters, Towering Inferno tells a classic tale of a big celebration gone horribly wrong. When a huge fire breaks out during a party in the world’s tallest building, a firefighter and an architect work together to tame the flames. Not only did this disaster film earn a whopping eight Oscar nominations, but it was also the highest-grossing film of 1974.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 105 minutes
It’s hard to resist a heartwarming success story—especially when it stars Will Smith and his equally talented son. Based on the life of Christopher Gardner, the biopic chronicles his inspiring journey from a single dad experiencing homelessness to a successful businessman.
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Rating: R
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Run time: 157 minutes
A political cartoonist obsessively tracks down the elusive Zodiac Killer, a mysterious criminal who’s terrorizing San Francisco. Challenging themes, great writing and a talented ensemble cast (including Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.), are just a few things that make this mystery thriller a must-watch.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 91 minutes
Harold, a man in his 20s who struggles with depression, meets a delightfully carefree 79-year-old named Maude at a funeral. The pair bond and become fast friends, but as they grow closer, Harold starts to develop romantic feelings toward her. In the film, you’ll notice familiar spots like the Rose Court Mansion and the Holy Cross Cemetery, both located in the Bay Area.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 105 minutes
A private eye based in San Francisco gets hired by an attractive woman to take on a new case, but when it eventually leads to the death of his partner, he embarks on a quest to find the one thing that could help him solve the mystery: a valuable falcon statuette.
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Rating: PG-13
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Run time: 99 minutes
Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall and James Hong star in this martial arts flick, which tells the story of a man who tries to rescue his fiancée from kidnappers in San Francisco’s Chinatown. In the process, he discovers Chinatown’s underworld and learns that an immortal creature took his partner to escape an ancient curse. Pretty intense.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 113 minutes
A surveillance expert finds himself in a sticky situation when he records a suspicious conversation at a park in San Francisco. And upon further investigation, he learns that a couple might be targeted by a murderer. Can he save them?
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Rating: R
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Run time: 102 minutes
After renovating their new home in a polished San Francisco neighborhood, a couple decides to rent it out to tenants to cover the cost. All seems well at first—until one of the tenants turns into their worst nightmare.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 114 minutes
Steve McQueen is Frank Bullitt, an SFPD detective whose mission is to protect an important witness…but he fails. So, Frank is determined to track down the mob boss who’s responsible. Often considered one of McQueen’s best films, Bullitt will reel you in with its clever plot, standout performances and, of course, gorgeous SF backdrop.
19. Milk (2008)
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Rating: R
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Run time: 128 minutes
Milk tells the incredible true story of activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), who made history as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The chronicles shows how he grew in popularity in the city’s Castro district, then went on to spearhead the gay political movement.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 105 minutes
When Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) splits with her wealthy husband, she moves from New York to San Fran to live with her sister. And though she tries to start a new life, she struggles to deal with her messy emotions and dark memories. The poignant Woody Allen drama was a huge critical success, and it earned Blanchett her second Academy Award for Best Actress.
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Rating: R
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Run time: 127 minutes
When a San Francisco nightclub owner is found murdered in his home, Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is tasked with cracking the case. All signs seem to point to his romantic partner, Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a talented crime novelist whose books may have inspired the incident. But the deeper Nick goes with his investigation, the more people he starts to suspect.
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Rating: R
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Run time: 128 minutes
If you’re craving an intense thriller that has more twists than a pretzel stand, then The Game ought to do the trick. Based in the Golden City, the film follows a successful banker (Douglas), who marks his 48th birthday by participating in a game that promises to change his life—but he soon realizes that there’s more to this “game” than meets the eye.
James Bond Sean Connery stars as Alan Caldwell, a San Francisco detective who reluctantly teams up with his old boss and enemy, Inspector Jay Austin (Mark Harmon), to solve a string of mysterious murders. If that isn’t awkward enough, Alan is also dating Jay’s daughter. Can they get past their bitter rivalry to crack the case?
24. Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 112 minutes
This gripping thriller tells the infamous true story of how three inmates managed to break out of a maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay. Although it’s technically a dramatized version of events, the movie paints a fascinating portrait of prison life, and the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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Rating: PG
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Run time: 101 minutes
Loosely based on Hugh Lofting’s children’s book series, this family-friendly gem follows Dr. John Dolittle (Eddie Murphy), a San Francisco-based surgeon whose fruitless attempts to hide his gift of talking to animals often lead to chaos. Anyone who grew up in San Fran will recognize the Coit Tower from the tiger scene—a 210-foot structure that currently stands in Telegraph Hill.
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Rating: PG-13
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Run time: 138 minutes
Years before Mark Ruffalo became the face of the Incredible Hulk, Eric Bana graced the big screen as Bruce Banner in this 2003 adaptation. Although the movie had multiple filming locations, including Arizona and Utah, San Francisco also made a few appearances—including the infamous scene where Hulk wreaks havoc in the Telegraph Hill district after emerging from underground.