The 25 best films set in Detroit

When you think about Detroit movies, 8 Mile might be first on the list. At the height of his fame, Eminem was given a chance to star in a movie that was basically his biopic. Marshall Mathers is forever affiliated with Detroit; if nothing else, 8 Mile gave us “Lose Yourself.”

If you know the history of Jimmy Hoffa, you know that Detroit is involved. While the entirety of Martin Scorsese’s crime epic is not set in the Motor City, Hoffa’s disappearance occurred in the Detroit area. That means Al Pacino’s Hoffa, not to mention some other characters, spend some important time in Detroit.

Robocop is a sci-fi film set in the “near future,” so it’s not any reflection of the real Detroit. Those who crack wise about the city might say they don’t see much difference between the actual city and the crime-ridden dystopia of Robocop, but that’s not fair. This isn’t a true reflection of Detroit, but it is a movie entirely set in Detroit.

OK, Axel Foley spends most of this blockbuster action comedy in the titular Beverly Hills. Ah, but where is Axel from? That’s right. Detroit. His ties to Detroit are important. Plus, the movie begins with Axel in Detroit, so a good chunk of the film is in the Motor City.

Most movies set in the car industry are at least partially set in Detroit. That includes Blue Collar, Paul Schrader’s polemic directorial debut. It’s about race, unions, and corruption. Also, Richard Pryor plays an unexpectedly dramatic role.

Before Pulp Fiction turned him into a superstar filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino was a screenwriter as well. One of his produced scripts is True Romance, which feels a lot like Tarantino but also a lot like director Tony Scott. This violent crime drama (from Tarantino? Shocking!) splits the difference between Detroit and Los Angeles in terms of location.

Cars play a big part in the cultural impact of Detroit, but so does Motown. Dreamgirls was a splashy drama that gave Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson breakout roles. Borrowing heavily from the history of the Supremes, the story focuses on a Detroit singing group signed to Motown.

Mel Gibson is sort of persona non grata these days, and rightfully so, but back in the day, he was quite the star. So much so that he could play the suave, charming male lead in an action-comedy opposite Goldie Hawn. Bird on the Wire was a big hit, though critics didn’t necessarily love it. Also, while it is set in Detroit, it’s worth noting that it was actually shot in Canada. And not even Windsor, Canada. We’re talking British Columbia.

Any true Detroiter knows that Flint stretches the idea of the Metro Detroit Area, but for non-Michiganders, it's close enough. Plus, it lets us include this Will Ferrell sports comedy. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, player and owner of the Flint Tropics of the ABA. The Tropics weren’t a real team, but they make for fodder for a fairly funny comedy.

Sophia Coppola made her feature directing debut with The Virgin Suıcides, an adaptation of a hit novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. It helped pave the way for Coppola’s successful career and her ongoing collaborations with Kirsten Dunst. While it could have taken place anywhere, the action is set in Grosse Pointe, a suburb adjacent to Detroit.

Beloved author Elmore Leonard lived in the Detroit area for most of his life, which meant the area got plenty of love in his novels. It feels like Michigan and Florida were his favorite states to write about, and both are featured in Out of Sight. For many, this is a favorite Steven Soderbergh film. It helped break George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez as true movie stars.

We mentioned Grosse Pointe earlier. For those not in the know, it’s a suburb known for its affluence. You know, not the kind of place that a future hitman would grow up. Then again, maybe it’s exactly where a gun for hire would grow up. Either way, Grosse Pointe Blank is an excellent dramedy about a hitman having an existential crisis returning to Grosse Pointe for his high school reunion.

Clint Eastwood movies aren’t for everybody, and people often view them skeptically. A movie where race plays a key part in the plot will also invite further skepticism about a conservative-leaning filmmaker. Nevertheless, Gran Torino has plenty of admirers, and it’s shot all over the Detroit area. Any movie that features a cruise down Lakeshore Drive has to make the cut.

It Follows was one of those cheap indie horror movies that broke big. The film is spooky and eerie and is set in the Detroit area. They also shot the movie there, using the environment to give a real George Romero and John Carpenter vibe.

In 1966, George Plimpton released a non-fiction book about embedding himself with the Detroit Lions under the auspices that he was a player trying to make the team. That book Paper Lion was turned into a movie a couple of years later. Alan Alda stars as Plimpton. Meanwhile, Alex Karras played himself, and he would go on to have an acting career.

John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 was set in Los Angeles. It’s basically a zombie movie, but the people are still alive. It was then remade as a more traditional action movie starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne. This time, the action takes place in Detroit.

The crux of the action in Oscar nominee Ford v Ferrari takes place at Le Mans. In fact, in some European companies, the movie was called Le Mans ’66. However, in America, it’s Ford v Ferrari, and the Ford Motor Company is based in Detroit.

Leave it to Jim Jarmusch to make a vampire movie where the vampires are depressed and moody and mostly sit around listening to music. Only Lovers Left Alive focuses on Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as the two vampires. Hiddleston’s Adam has set up shop in Detroit, and Jack White’s childhood home pops up.

Soderbergh returns to Detroit once again with another crime film. The movie takes place in 1954 Detroit and features a seemingly simple criminal operation that turned convoluted and violent. It has quite the cast and taps into the city's history and the automobile industry.

The night before Halloween in the Detroit area is called “Devil’s Night,” and that’s when The Crow begins. The movie is beloved by its cultish fans. To the rest of us, it’s maybe not that good, but we have to nod our cap to an adored film set in Detroit.

We mentioned Jimmy Hoffa meeting his demise in Detroit, and that’s not the only piece of history that took place in the Motor City. That infamous event where Nancy Kerrigan was hit in the knee by an assailant for the benefit of Tonya Harding? This happened in Detroit.

Hey, “Detroit” is right in the title. The movie is intended to be one of those coming-of-age movies with a ‘70s vibe like Dazed and Confused and Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Does this film about teens from Cleveland trying to get to Detroit to see KISS live up to those movies? Not necessarily, but it’s about a trip to Detroit, the city is featured, and KISS is actually in it.

Aretha Franklin is a legend — one of the most beloved singers of all time. A biopic of the Detroit native only makes sense. Even better, they got Jennifer Hudson to play Franklin. Hey, we know she can handle the singing, right?

Warren Beatty and director Arthur Penn made an odd, atmospheric crime movie with Mickey One. It’s about a standup comic who runs afoul of the Mafia, which leads to him having to flee Detroit for Chicago.

It’s literally a movie simply called Detroit. The movie covers a period of real Detroit history. On top of that, it’s directed by Kathryn Bigelow, an Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker. While Detroit is not her best or most beloved movie, it was a significant film and is as much about Detroit as any movie ever made.