Week 42

Location, Location, Location

This week's challenge: watch a film where the location plays a starring role.

Whether it’s right in the title, integral to the plot, or the setting becomes its own character, there’s something for every kind of movie lover here. Let’s break it down by sub-genres!

Location in the Title
Sometimes, the location is so central to the film, they put it right there in the title. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) which revolves around a group of retirees moving to a hotel in India. Everest (2015) focuses on climbers battling the harsh reality of scaling the world's highest peak, where the mountain itself is the ultimate antagonist. In Salem's Lot (2024), the small town of Salem’s Lot is not just a backdrop but becomes a playground for supernatural horror. Finally Brazil (1985), where the futuristic dystopian city is both dreamlike and oppressive, shaping the entire narrative.

Location in the Title, but not Directly Named
In some films, the location is hinted at rather than explicitly named. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) takes us into the mysterious woods of Schenectady, New York, where fateful decisions are made. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) uses a desolate desert to trap a family in a nightmare, while the titular “hills” are far from safe. Homeward Bound (1993) is a heartwarming journey of three pets crossing rugged wilderness to reunite with their family. And The Beach (2000) features a secret island paradise, but its beauty hides danger beneath the surface, making it a perfect setting for adventure and mystery.

Movies Set in One Location
If you love tight, single-location thrillers, these films are for you. Locke (2013) is a tense drama where the entire movie takes place inside a car as Tom Hardy's character deals with life-altering decisions. In The Shallows (2016), Blake Lively is stuck on a rock, just a few hundred feet from shore, but a hungry shark turns the isolated beach into a survival battle. Dogville (2003) strips away any physical set, relying on an empty stage where a small town’s secrets unfold. And Dog Day Afternoon (1975) keeps viewers on edge as a bank robbery goes south, with nearly the whole film confined to the building.

Location Important for the Plot
In these movies, the setting is crucial to the storyline. Thirteen Lives (2022) chronicles the true harrowing rescue of a Thai soccer team trapped in a flooded cave. Jaws 3D (1983) switches things up by setting the shark attack mayhem in an underwater marine park, adding new layers of danger. And The Blair Witch Project (1999) has a group of filmmakers lost in a forest, where the woods seem to hold the key to their disappearance—and their fear.

The Location is Almost a Character Itself
Some films make their setting feel like it's alive. In Ghostbusters (1984), New York City is more than just a backdrop, it’s a bustling character in its own right, with its famous landmarks playing host to supernatural chaos. In In The Tall Grass (2019), the grass itself feels menacing, trapping characters in a surreal nightmare. Finally, The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) uses the stark, remote Irish island to reflect the deep isolation and emotional turmoil between its characters.

Filming Locations You’d Love to Visit
Another fun spin on this challenge is to watch a movie filmed in a place you’d love to visit—or maybe even one you’ve been to! Whether it's the scenic streets of Paris in Midnight in Paris (2011) or the dramatic cliffs of New Zealand in The Lord of the Rings (2001), seeing these stunning locations on screen can inspire a little travel fever.

Below we’ve added some suggestions/recommendations for movies that would count for the challenge. Let us know what you’ve watched, what you’re thinking of watching, or whether you’ve got any recommendations to pass to your fellow CineChums.

Suggestions

These movies are mentioned in the video as potential suggestions for the challenge.

Challenge Stats

Completed the Challenge
54
Total Movies Watched
134
Different Movies Watched
115
Hours Watched
245
Alien: Romulus
5
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Salem's Lot
4
Salem's Lot (2024)
Dogville
3
Dogville (2003)
Congo
2
Congo (1995)
A Haunting in Venice
2
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
2
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)
Hell Comes to Frogtown
2
Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)
Saltburn
2
Saltburn (2023)
Tunnel
2
Tunnel (2016)
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
2
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Fall
2
Fall (2022)
The Terminal
2
The Terminal (2004)
The Core
2
The Core (2003)
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
1
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)
Color Out of Space
1
Color Out of Space (2019)
The Blackwell Ghost
1
The Blackwell Ghost (2017)
Ghostwatch
1
Ghostwatch (1992)
My Night at Maud's
1
My Night at Maud's (1969)
Sunset Boulevard
1
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
A Haunting In Connecticut
1
A Haunting In Connecticut (2002)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The Snack Shack
1
The Snack Shack (2024)
Washington Square
1
Washington Square (1997)
An American Werewolf in London
1
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
A Man Called Otto
1
A Man Called Otto (2022)
V/H/S/85
1
V/H/S/85 (2023)
Mallrats
1
Mallrats (1995)
The 4:30 Movie
1
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
The Lodge
1
The Lodge (2020)
Retribution
1
Retribution (2023)
The Wall
1
The Wall (2017)
The Strangers: Chapter 1
1
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
Halloween
1
Halloween (2018)
Passage to Marseille
1
Passage to Marseille (1944)
The Blood on Satan's Claw
1
The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
Knock at the Cabin
1
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Clerks
1
Clerks (1994)
Cool Hand Luke
1
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
The Company of Wolves
1
The Company of Wolves (1984)
The Girl from Chicago
1
The Girl from Chicago (1932)
Untitled V/H/S Sequel
1
Untitled V/H/S Sequel (2024)
The Apprentice
1
The Apprentice (2024)
Tokyo Story
1
Tokyo Story (1953)
V/H/S/99
1
V/H/S/99 (2022)
Bullet Train
1
Bullet Train (2022)
Ghostbusters II
1
Ghostbusters II (1989)
The Guilty
1
The Guilty (2021)
Coherence
1
Coherence (2013)
Amigo
1
Amigo (2022)
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
1
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1976)
The Church
1
The Church (1989)
Manchester by the Sea
1
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Humane
1
Humane (2024)
In Bruges
1
In Bruges (2008)
The Philadelphia Story
1
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Don't Worry Darling
1
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
MaXXXine
1
MaXXXine (2024)
X
1
X (2022)
The Florida Project
1
The Florida Project (2017)
Seven Keys to Baldpate
1
Seven Keys to Baldpate (1947)
Halloween Kills
1
Halloween Kills (2021)
The Dark Half
1
The Dark Half (1993)
The Mist
1
The Mist (2007)
Inside a Girls' Dormitory
1
Inside a Girls' Dormitory (1953)
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
1
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)
House on Haunted Hill
1
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Misery
1
Misery (1990)
Dunkirk
1
Dunkirk (2017)
Escape from New York
1
Escape from New York (1981)
V/H/S/94
1
V/H/S/94 (2021)
32 Malasana Street
1
32 Malasana Street (2020)
Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
1
Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
In Bruges
1
In Bruges (2008)
Grand Piano
1
Grand Piano (2013)
The Wild Robot
1
The Wild Robot (2024)
George Washington Slept Here
1
George Washington Slept Here (1942)
Clerks II
1
Clerks II (2006)
Chinatown
1
Chinatown (1974)
Buried
1
Buried (2010)
South Pacific
1
South Pacific (1958)
The Curse of Bridge Hollow
1
The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)
La La Land
1
La La Land (2016)
Gone with the Wind
1
Gone with the Wind (1939)
The Shining
1
The Shining (1980)
30 Days of Night
1
30 Days of Night (2007)
Brigadoon
1
Brigadoon (1954)
Meet Me in St. Louis
1
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Bridge on the River Kwai
1
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Crawlspace
1
Crawlspace (1986)
La Cocina
1
La Cocina (2024)
Affair in Trinidad
1
Affair in Trinidad (1952)
Cyclone
1
Cyclone (1978)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
1
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
1
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Field of Dreams
1
Field of Dreams (1989)
Armand
1
Armand (2024)
Ghostbusters
1
Ghostbusters (1984)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
1
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Boiling Point
1
Boiling Point (2021)
Death on the Nile
1
Death on the Nile (2022)
The Place
1
The Place (2017)
Hush
1
Hush (2016)
Pearl
1
Pearl (2022)
Election
1
Election (1999)
Rye Lane
1
Rye Lane (2023)
Halloween Ends
1
Halloween Ends (2022)
The Tender Bar
1
The Tender Bar (2021)
The Evil Dead
1
The Evil Dead (1981)
Terror Train
1
Terror Train (1980)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
1
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Lonely Planet
1
Lonely Planet (2024)
Caddo Lake
1
Caddo Lake (2024)
The Canyons
1
The Canyons (2013)
The Curse
1
The Curse (1987)
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island
1
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019)

Most watched actors

Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis (5)
Halloween (2018)
Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween Ends (2022)
Terror Train (1980)
Escape from New York (1981)
Nick Castle
Nick Castle (4)
Halloween (2018)
Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween Ends (2022)
Escape from New York (1981)
Jason Mewes
Jason Mewes (4)
Clerks (1994)
Mallrats (1995)
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
Clerks II (2006)
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck (4)
Mallrats (1995)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Clerks II (2006)
The Tender Bar (2021)
Brian O'Halloran
Brian O'Halloran (4)
Clerks (1994)
Mallrats (1995)
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
Clerks II (2006)
Jibrail Nantambu
Jibrail Nantambu (3)
Halloween (2018)
Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween Ends (2022)
Zeljko Ivanek
Zeljko Ivanek (3)
Dogville (2003)
In Bruges (2008)
In Bruges (2008)
Scott Mosier
Scott Mosier (3)
Clerks (1994)
Mallrats (1995)
Clerks II (2006)
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh (3)
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
Dunkirk (2017)
Death on the Nile (2022)
Omar J. Dorsey
Omar J. Dorsey (3)
Halloween (2018)
Halloween Kills (2021)
Halloween Ends (2022)