Hollywood’s love stories are often set in the Big Apple and the City of Angels (hell, even the Windy City), so it’s always a little extra special when the Big Easy gets its moment on the silver screen. With its anthemic music, world-famous cuisine, vibrant architecture, and Mardi Gras revelry, New Orleans delivers a visual and thematic backdrop as hearty and flavorful as its famous gumbo.
In honor of Hollywood South, here are 12 essential movies set in New Orleans.
The Big Easy (1987)
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Jim McBride’s comedic neo-noir stars Dennis Quaid as a Cajun police officer and Ellen Barkin as a state DA whose paths cross when they investigate a murder. The comedy-thriller is so steeped in the culture of its setting, featuring a NOLA-centric soundtrack and various iconic locations, that you can practically feel the Louisiana humidity — unless that’s just steam coming off the sizzling central romance. —Mary Sollosi
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
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The stakes are high in Norman Jewison’s drama, which stars Steve McQueen as “the Kid” of the film’s title, a talented poker player in Depression-era New Orleans who seeks to take on “the Man,” a reigning champion of the game played by Edward G. Robinson. —M.S.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
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The old, magical city sets the stage for David Fincher’s fantastical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s very curious short story, about a man (Brad Pitt) who is born with the appearance of an older man and ages backward. As New Orleans — and the love of Benjamin’s life, Daisy (Cate Blanchett) — ages and evolves, our hero becomes younger and younger. —M.S.
Girls Trip (2017)
Michele K. Short/Universal
Your best friend’s bachelorette has nothing on this girls’ trip. Malcolm D. Lee’s raunchy summer smash follows four former BFFs who reunite for a wild weekend at NOLA’s Essence Fest, where they sample the down-and-dirty delights of the city.
The film presented a major breakout for Tiffany Haddish, as the wildest quarter of the “Flossy Posse,” and ensured that nobody who ever saw it will ever look at a grapefruit the same way again. —M.S.
Hit Man (2023)
Brian Roedel/Netflix
Richard Linklater‘s thriller comedy paints New Orleans as a murder-for-hire hotbed, where Glen Powell stars as an NOPD tech rookie–turned–undercover agent who lures in would-be criminals by posing as various hitmen.
The Crescent City’s rich atmosphere elevates the film, with a soundtrack filled with Louisiana legends like Jelly Roll Morton and Buckwheat Zydeco — plus iconic local haunts such as the Please-U restaurant and Ted’s Frostop diner. —James Mercadante
Interview With the Vampire (1994)
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Neil Jordan’s irresistible adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic classic stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and an 11-year-old Kirsten Dunst as vampires who have spent centuries of their immortality in New Orleans, doomed to an eternity of being gorgeous, bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Pitt’s Louis de Pointe du Lac broods about it a whole lot, but there are definitely worse fates, right? —M.S.
Jezebel (1938)
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Bette Davis won Best Actress at the Oscars for starring in William Wyler’s romantic drama, about a headstrong Southern belle in post-Civil War New Orleans who destroys her own life by wearing a daring red dress instead of a demure white one. It’s true! The dress code is no joke around there! —M.S.
King Creole (1958)
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Early in his film career, Elvis Presley took on the Crescent City as the star of Michael Curtiz’s musical drama (for which the iconic performer had his military service deferred for 60 days) about a teenage singer in New Orleans who falls in with the wrong crowd. —M.S.
The Lovebirds (2020)
Skip Bolen/Netflix
Nothing says couples therapy quite like being framed for murder! Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Lelani (Issa Rae) put their breakup on hold when they land in the crosshairs of a blackmail scheme tied to Louisiana’s political elite.
As they race through New Orleans to unravel this conspiracy and clear their names, viewers get a madcap tour of the city, from the Mississippi Riverfront to lively music bars and its iconic heritage streetcars. —J.M.
New Orleans (1947)
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Though not considered a great classic, Arthur Lubin’s musical romance, blossoming against the backdrop of the New Orleans blues scene, features Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong (as characters who get together) in its cast, which also includes a whole roster of jazz greats. With that kind of pedigree, who cares that the film itself isn’t a masterpiece? —M.S.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Disney
Disney presented its long overdue first Black princess with this interpretation of The Frog Prince, set in New Orleans in the 1920s. Randy Newman composed the jazz, zydeco, gospel, and R&B-infused soundtrack (which includes the legendary Dr. John on the introductory track “Down in New Orleans”) for the fairy tale, about a gumbo- and beignet-making waitress who becomes a frog (and then a princess!) via voodoo magic. —M.S.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
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Of the many adaptations of Tennessee Williams’ many moody Southern dramas, the greatest has to be Elia Kazan’s legendary film based on William’s Pulitzer-winning play. Vivien Leigh stars as Blanche DuBois, a fading Southern belle who reaches a breaking point when she comes into contact with her violent brother-in-law Stanley, played by a breathtaking Marlon Brando (reprising his role from the 1947 original Broadway production), in New Orleans. —M.S.
