Last updated on December 31st, 2023 at 09:05 am.
If you are curious about what movies were made in Missouri, we have done the research so you don’t have to! Below are our favorite 15 movies filmed in Missouri.
If you watch a movie with great scenery, it can draw you in, making the experience better. This is why many Hollywood-produced movies are filmed in states such as Missouri where you’ll find unique architecture, stunning farm land, historic towns and a beautiful skyline.
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Missouri on the Silver Screen: Famous Movies Shot in the State
Missouri has been the location for several notable films over the years including “Gone Girl,” which was filmed in Cape Girardeau to “Up in the Air” with George Clooney that was partially filmed in St. Louis.
Here are 15 movies filmed in full or in part in Missouri. We also have a great list of movies about President Harry Truman.
Escape From New York (1981)
R, Action/Sci-fi
Starring: Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau
Synopsis: New York City has been turned into a maximum security prison by the United States due to soaring crime rates. Forced to flee Air Force One, the United States president lands in the city. Former war hero and condemned criminal Snake Plissken is called upon to rescue the commander-in-chief. However, he has one condition: grant him his freedom.
Missouri Filming Locations: Despite the setting, and the title, there’s very little of New York in this film. The filmed was made almost entirely in St Louis, Missouri, with some filming around Los Angeles. There is also a car chase scene at the old Route 66 Bridge. Also included are scenes at the Fox Theater and Union Station.
Stream Escape From New York on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, and more.
Winter’s Bone (2010)
R, Drama
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan
Synopsis: When her deadbeat, drug-dealing father goes missing, putting the family’s safety in jeopardy, Ree Dolly goes on a mission to find him. A key court date is pending, and getting him back in time to attend will be difficult, but Ree is determined to meet the challenge. Winter’s Bone is based on a novel.
Filming Locations: Winter’s Bone movie features scenic backgrounds from locations in Branson, Forsyth, Taney County, and Christian County. There is also a scene filmed at the cattle auction in Springfield.
Stream Winters Bone on DIRECTV STREAM, Kanopy, Amazon Prime andCinemax.
Jesse James (1939)
NR, Western/Drama
Starring: Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, and Nancy Kelly
Synopsis: “Jesse James” is a Western drama film that follows the story of Jesse James and his brother Frank as they seek revenge on the St. Louis Midland Railroad for the murder of their mother by one of the company’s representatives. The brothers start by robbing railroad passengers and eventually expand their criminal activities to include banks.
However, after some of their gang members are killed due to a tip-off, Jesse starts to question their actions and consider going straight. The film highlights the complex nature of Jesse James’ character, portraying him as both a ruthless criminal and a man torn between his desire for revenge and his sense of justice.”
Filming Locations: The Missouri Ozarks served as the backdrop for the Hollywood movie “Jesse James,” produced by Twentieth Century Fox. The film was primarily shot in the small town of Pineville, which was chosen to represent the notorious outlaw’s hometown of Liberty, Missouri, thanks to its striking resemblance to 19th-century Missouri. Additional filming locations included Lake Ozark, Missouri.
You can purchase the DVD on Amazon.
More About Frank & Jesse James
- Jesse James Missouri Road Trip
- Jesse James Bank Museum In Liberty, Mo
- Visiting The Jesse James Museum In Kearney (where he was born)
- Jesse James House Museum in St Joseph (where he was killed)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
R, Holiday/Comedy
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
Synopsis: Neal Page, a marketing executive, runs into several disasters while trying to fly home to his family in Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. One of these disasters is being stuck with an overbearing salesman, Del Griffith, who inadvertently becomes an unshakable traveling companion.
Filming Locations: The St. Louis Lambert International Airport is depicted in many scenes of this movie.
Stream Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Amazon Prime and AMC+.
Up in the Air (2009)
R, Comedy/Drama
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
Synopsis: Racking up miles flying around the country, Ryan Bingham is hired by companies to fire their employees when they want to avoid the situation in Up in the Air. However, when he’s faced with losing his job to a recent college grad and love interest, Natalie Keener, he comes face-to-face with the reality that he’s never made emotional connections.
Filming Locations: With a movie based around traveling, it’s not surprising that some scenes of the film include the St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Scenes were also shot at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark and the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel as well as several other St. Louis locations.
Stream Up in the Air on Amazon Prime, Showtime, Paramount+, and PlutoTV.
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
R, Comedy/Adventure
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Christie Brinkley
Synopsis: Setting out on a long road trip to visit their favorite theme park, Walley World, the Griswold family runs into several wacky situations. After surviving the quest, they reach their destination. However, when things don’t go as planned, Clark, the head of the Griswold clan, decides to take matters into his own hands.
Filming Locations: In one of the scenes, the Griswold family takes a detour through St. Louis, which was known for being a dangerous place in the 1980s.
Stream National Lampoon’s Vacation on Amazon Prime or HBO Max.
Paper Moon (1973)
PG, Comedy
Starring: Ryan O’Neal, Tatum O’Neal, Madeline Kahn
Synopsis: Set in 1930s Kansas, a con man, Moses Pray and a young girl, Addie Loggins, form a partnership to pose as father and daughter in Paper Moon. Traveling from town to town, they grift unsuspecting individuals they meet until they get caught up by an angry bootlegger and burlesque dancer who place a few obstacles in their way.
Filming Location: St. Joseph was used as a filming location for the duo during their travels, which helps depict the backdrop of the Great Depression era.
Stream Paper Moon on Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, and more.
Ride With the Devil (1999)
R, History/Drama
Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, Jewel
Synopsis: Ride With the Devil takes place during the begining of the Civil War. two friends, Jake Roedel, and Jack Bull Chiles decide to join the Bushwhackers, which is a militant group pledging allegiance to the Confederacy. The two will not only have their political and moral convictions threatened, but their lives as well.
Filming Locations: Filming took place primarily on location inSibley, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Stream Ride With the Devil on Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, and more.
Killshot (2009)
R, Drama/Mystery & Thriller
Starring: Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke, Thomas Jane
Synopsis: Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name, husband and wife Carmen and Wayne Colson must enter the Federal Witness Protection program to stay alive after witnessing an event they weren’t meant to see. However, even with this protection, they get chased by the criminal, forcing them into a dangerous confrontation.
Filming Location: Cape Girardeau was used as one of the locations for the movie.
Stream Killshot on Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee, and more.
Gone Girl (2014)
R, Mystery & Thriller/Crime
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neal Patrick Harris
Synopsis: Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel, a former New York-based writer, Nick Dunne meets his sister Margot at the bar to discuss his unbearable wife Amy and their problematic marriage.
When he returns home, Amy isn’t there, but broken glass and furniture are scattered throughout the house. Nick soon becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance, revealing the actual state of their marriage.
Filming Location: The movie was filmed almost entirely in and around Cape Girardeau. Filming took place in about 30 locations around the town for around six weeks.
Stream Gone Girl on Prime Video, DIRECTV STREAM, HBO, HBO Max, and Freeform.
You’re Next (2013)
R, Horror/Mystery & Thriller
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn
Synopsis: The Davisons are a wealthy, upper-class family who have become estranged from each other in You’re Next. Paul and Aubrey Davison decide to mend family ties and invite their four children and spouses to their weekend estate. After their lives become threatened, the family must pull together or face death.
Filming Location: The majority of filming for this movie was completed in Columbia, Missouri. Filming took place over four weeks, and shooting consisted mostly of night shoots filmed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Stream You’re Next on Prime Video, DIRECTV STREAM and Starz.
Adam at 6 A.M. (1970)
R, Drama
Starring: Michael Douglas, Lee Purcell, Joe Don Baker
Synopsis: College professor Adam Gaines runs into an emotional roadblock in his life in the movie Adam at 6 A.M. Feeling like there’s more out there, his life takes an unexpected turn, and he travels to rural Missouri. While there, he decides to spend the summer doing something different by working on a local power company road crew.
Filming Locations: The film was filmed almost entirely on location in the town of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, as well as Cameron, Missouri and Orrick, Missouri.
Stream Adam at 6 A.M. on Vudu, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
Fever Pitch (2005)
PG, Romance/Comedy
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, James B. Sikking
Synopsis: Ben Wrightman begins dating Lindsay Meeks, a pretty businesswoman, and the two fall in love in Fever Pitch. However, they don’t seem to have many common interests. When baseball season begins, their relationship begins to falter as Lindsay realizes that Ben has an intense obsession with baseball and the Boston Red Sox. Challenges occur when she tries to understand his passion, leading to their relationship’s end.
Filming Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis was used for a portion of the filming. A scene with Fallon and Barrymore’s characters celebrating on the field happened in real-time.
Stream Fever Pitch on Amazon Prime Video, DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV.
White Palace (1990)
R, Romance
Starring: Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander
Synopsis: When Max Baron, a young Jewish advertising executive loses his wife in his 20s, the last thing he expects is to get involved with another woman, let alone diner waitress, Nora Baker, who is in her 40s. However, the attraction between the two pulls them together quickly. Keeping Nora a secret from his Jewish friends and the differences in their class and ages soon make their relationship challenging.
Filming Location: Several locations in St. Louis were used to film this movie.
You can find this movie on Amazon.
American Honey (2016)
R, Comedy/Drama
Starring: Sasha Lane, Riley Keough, Shia LaBeouf
Synopsis: American Honey is about a teenage girl named Star who decides to leave her unhappy life behind by joining a sales crew that’s driving across the American Midwest selling subscriptions. Attracted to the hard-partying lifestyle of the team, she soon gets involved with one of the members, Jake.
Filming Location: Kansas City, Missouri was a location used to film the movie.
Stream American Honey on Amazon Prime, DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Showtime, and more.
Missouri Filming Locations FAQ
Was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri filmed in Missouri?
No. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is a fictional town, and the movie was actually filmed in Sylva, North Carolina.
What famous actors have worked on movies filmed in Missouri?
Many famous actors have worked on movies filmed in Missouri, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Affleck, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and George Clooney, among others.
Are there any film festivals in Missouri that showcase movies filmed in the state?
Yes, there are several film festivals in Missouri that showcase movies filmed in the state, such as the St. Louis International Film Festival and the Kansas City Film Festival.
Whether you watch one or all of these films, keep an eye on the background. It will likely catch your eye, spark curiosity and make you want to visit several Missouri locations. If you want the full list of movies filmed in Missouri, I like this list from MoFilm.org.
More Missouri Movie Fun
7 Greatest Movies About Harry Truman
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