Binge-watch the 11 best movies set in Michigan

From thrillers to romantic dramas to action flicks, here are some of the best movies set in Michigan to enjoy on your next movie night!

Michigan is known for a lot of things, but historically, movie-making hasn’t been one of them. A brief period of time in the early 2000s saw a flurry of Hollywood movie filming in Michigan, but much of the movie-making is relegated to the western side of the country. 

However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of movies set in Michigan out there. From classics like “8 Mile” to “Somewhere in Time,” look for these movies set in Michigan, as well as some famous movies you might recognize that were filmed in the mitten. 

1. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Detroit, Mich.

Remember the Transformers movies? The fifth one in the series, “Transformers: The Last Knight,” starring Mark Wahlberg, was also one of the last major movies set in Michigan. Michigan was chosen for a film incentive program that was shuttered in 2015. The program resulted in over 200 movies being shot in our mitten state, but the excitement was short-lived as it soon shut down.

You can catch scenes of Transformers at Scenes shot at what was once the Pontiac Silverdome, the Packard Plant in Detroit, Stockbridge as well as Michigan Motion Picture Studios in Pontiac. The fourth Transformer movie, 2014’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” was also shot in Southeast Michigan in 2013.

2. 8 Mile (2002)

Detroit, Mich. 

It’s only fitting that “8 Mile,” the movie about Michigan-born-and-bred rapper Eminem (starring himself!), would be shot in his hometown. The movie references very real Detroit areas and places, but many of the scenes were shot on a set that was built in the Rivertown Warehouse District.

Fans of the movie can take a self-guided tour of the real-life locations and some of the filming spots featured in the film. For instance, you can visit the actual trailer park where Eminem lived on 8 Mile with his mother following a breakup. According to Giggster, 240 Chene Street and 1120 Griswold Street were also real filming locations in Detroit of the movie. The factory scenes were also in a real Michigan factory called New Center Stamping. 

3. Somewhere in Time (1980)

Mackinaw Island, Mich.

This classic film starring Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, and Christopher Reeve is dreamy and will make you want to book a summer trip to Mackinaw ASAP. The majority of the film was shot at the Grand Hotel, and you can visit some of the movie’s famous scenes, like the gazebo. 

My family and I watched this movie for the first time ever this year, and I have to say, despite being a classic, it’s a little strange in some parts. That being said, it’s a fun watch, especially if you have visited the great Mackinac.

4. American Pie (1999)

Grand Rapids, Mich.

“American Pie” wasn’t directly set in Michigan, but the fictional town the characters live in—East Great Falls—is none other than Grand Rapids, where screenplay writer Adam Herz grew up. He attended and graduated from East Grand Rapids High in 1991. The film also references a “diner six blocks from downtown” called “Dog Years,” which is based on Grand Rapids’ hot dog eatery, Yesterdog. 

5. Robocop (1987)

Detroit, Mich. 

The special effects of this 1987 film are a sight to behold, but knowing the movie is set in Detroit is interesting. In the movie, Detroit is a dystopian city riddled with crime, and a robotically enhanced injured cop comes back to save the day. 

There is some controversy over the film, however. Some say it reinforced negative stereotypes about Detroit, while others heralded it a boon to tourism, going as far as to build a Robocop statue. The statue, while completed, was never displayed, highlighting the argument that the movie’s portrayal of Detroit has had among city-dwellers.  

6. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Big Bay, Mich.

Starring none other than James “Jimmy” Stewart of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” this movie was not only set and filmed in Michigan, but it’s also based on a real-life murder story that happened in Michigan. The movie follows the drama of the murder trial of an army lieutenant in rural Michigan who pled insanity after killing an innkeeper who raped his wife.

The movie is adapted from the book that the defense attorney of the actual criminal trial wrote. The entire film was shot in Marquette County, which is also where the murder took place. It was the first time a Hollywood film was shot in the same location as the events that inspired it. At the time, the film was highly praised and a huge source of excitement for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The film wound up with seven Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. 

7. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Grosse Point, Mich.

The name of this movie starring Minnie Driver and John Cusack might give away the fact that it’s set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The movie follows a hitman who returns to his hometown for his 10-year high school reunion in search of more meaning in his life—only to discover that there’s a hit out for him instead. 

According to the Disney 23 fan club, although the movie is set in Michigan, filming actually all took place in LA, with the communities of Monrovia, Duarte, and Pasadena substituting for Grosse Pointe.

8. The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Starring “How I Met Your Mother’s” Jason Segel (who was also one of the film’s writers) and Emma Stone, the film sees Segell playing Tom, a love-bespotted man who follows his girlfriend from San Franciso to Ann Arbor, Mich., where she is hoping to land a job as a psychology professor at the University of Michigan.

The film even features Ann Arbor-famous sites like Zingerman’s Deli, where Tom works and is mocked for leaving the Sunshine State for the Mitten State. The film was actually shot in Ann Arbor, and many of the extras were cast from a local Michigan company as well. 

9. Prancer (1989)

Three Oaks, Mich.

A family-friendly pick, “Prancer” centers around none other than third in line on the sleigh pecking line, Prancer the Reindeer. While the movie was not actually set in Michigan, it was filmed in Three Oaks, Mich., which was such a source of pride to the town that it instituted the annual PrancerPalooza to celebrate the occasion. 

PrancerPalooza features a parade, movie screenings, locally made holiday treats, and, of course, photo ops with a life-sized stuffed reindeer. 

10. Semi-Pro (2008)

Flint, Mich. 

Who knew Will Ferrell was so close to my hometown? He starred in this comedy about an aspiring basketball player and his fictional semi-professional basketball team from Flint. Woody Harrelson also starred in the movie, and many of its scenes were shot right in Flint. 

According to Explore Flint, some of the scenes were filmed on Saginaw Street, in front of the Capitol Theatre, and down Brush Alley. The site adds that the movie was the biggest Hollywood flick to be filmed in Flint. 

11. Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001)

Escanaba, Mich.

If ever there was a realistic film to be made about rural Michigan, it would have to involve hunting, which is actually what this film—written by and starring Jeff Daniels—features. The movie centers around a fictional “Yooper” in a family of hunters. The only problem? He has never shot his own deer, and he’s on a mission to change that as the family travels to deer camp for opening day. 

The film was set in Escanaba and features several real-life town locations in the film, including Ruby’s Diner, which was a favorite of Daniels and the producers during shooting. The film is called a “cult classic” and pays homage to Michigan, where Daniels lived and attended college before becoming an actor.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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