10 Great Movies Filmed in San Francisco

San Francisco is known as The Golden City. And from its Golden Gate Bridge to its golden Pacific sunsets to the golden hills above the city, it’s a name that fits splendidly. Many movies filmed in San Francisco take advantage of the city’s stunning skyline, the Pacific coastline, and the beautiful golden light of the city. 

Are you looking to shoot a film of your own in San Francisco? Peerspace is the largest marketplace online for venue and event space rentals and is a fabulous way to search for photo and film shoot locations in San Francisco. Check out our platform to see what hourly venue rentals are available to you and your production.

Not only can you book a completely unique space from a local host, but you have the full support of the Concierge service. These logistical pros can source any extras you need, like equipment and catering, and deliver them to you at your venue. Now, grab your popcorn, and let’s get back to the movie!

1. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Written and directed by John Huston, this classic noir thriller stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his femme fatale client. Why is everyone looking for the Maltese Falcon, a jewel-encrusted statuette? Why is it so valuable to so many unscrupulous characters? And how many copies exist?

Before we can get to the bottom of these mysteries, many characters meet an untimely end! Based on the book by Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon shows glimpses of classic San Francisco throughout the film.

2.  Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood plays Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan of the San Francisco Police Department as he tracks down a psychopathic serial killer who calls himself “Scorpio”. Inspired by the story of the real-life Zodiac killer, this is one of those movies filmed in San Francisco that embraces the gritty underbelly of this great city.

3. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Another fantastic movie starring Clint Eastwood, this prison thriller dramatizes the 1962 real-life Alcatraz Prison escape. Eastwood plays Frank Morris, a brilliant but troubled criminal who has already escaped from several high-security prisons. He is transferred to Alcatraz because it is “escape-proof”.

When Morris encounters prisoner friends from other institutions, he hatches an escape plan. The question remains, however … was the escape successful? We’ll never know since Alcatraz shut its doors a year later and the escapees were never seen again.

4.  Cannery Row (1982)

Adapted from the 1945 John Steinbeck novel of the same name, Cannery Row stars Nick Nolte and Debra Winger as denizens of the down-and-out skid row in Monterey, California. While the area was at one time home to prosperous fish cannery facilities, depleting fish stocks have since left it barren.

Doc is a self-employed marine biologist (Nolte), and Suzy DeSoto (Winger) is a sex worker who befriends him. While Doc and Suzy don’t really fit in with the motley crew of losers on the Row, Suzy eventually finds out why Doc insists on staying there, and she falls in love with him because of it.

5. The Joy Luck Club (1993)

The Joy Luck Club is adapted from a novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who writes about the relationships between Chinese immigrant mothers and their Chinese-American daughters.

We meet four Chinese mothers who assemble each week to play mahjong in San Francisco and talk about how they barely understand their American-born daughters. The mothers and daughters do their best to bond over shared successes and failures as the group grows to support each other.

6. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Robin Williams stars as Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work and recently divorced actor who takes a job as a cross-dressing nanny named Mrs. Doubtfire to spend time with his own children.

Daniel’s ex-wife Miranda (Sally Field) has no idea she’s hired her ex-husband in drag to care for her children. Hilarity ensues because it’s Robin Williams! Filmed in one of the most beautiful row houses in San Francisco, this is one of those unforgettable movies filmed in San Francisco.

7. Milk (2008)

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician to be elected to public office in California on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. This is a biographical film about his life, directed by Gus Van Sant.

Sean Penn gives an amazingly accurate and honest portrayal of Harvey Milk in the last days of his life. Milk was tragically assassinated on November 27, 1978. The final scene of the film is a candlelight vigil through the streets of San Francisco.

8.  The Social Network (2010)

This film shares the story of Facebook’s beginnings when Mark Zuckerberg and friends founded the company while they were students at Harvard. This film is a biographical depiction of events surrounding the early days of the company, highlighting serious in-fighting and multiple lawsuits.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg, along with Armie Hammer as the Winklevoss twins. Rounding out the cast is Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker and Max Minghella as Divya Narendra. When there is so much money in that corporate pie, everyone is going to claw and scrape for a piece of it.

9.  Moneyball (2011)

This is a biographical depiction of the Oakland A’s baseball team’s 2002 season. The main crux of the film is their manager’s attempt to assemble a viable team.

Brad Pitt plays Manager Billy Beane, who begs for money from the owners to attract better players. When this initial plan fails, he resorts to other more scientific means to assemble a winning team.

10. Jobs (2013)

Steve Jobs was the founder and CEO of Apple Computers. While he was extraordinarily successful after some initial false steps, he wasn’t always known as a very nice guy. Jobs follows Steve Jobs’ life from 1974, when he was a student at Reed College and founded Apple, through 2001, when Apple introduced the iPod.

Ashton Kutcher gives a fine portrayal of Steve Jobs, while Josh Gad plays the inimitable genius, Steve Wozniak. When Wozniak shows Jobs the prototype for a personal computer he is developing, Jobs is completely blown away. Jobs and Wozniak build the Apple I and then the Apple II (1977) followed by the Macintosh (1984). The film culminates in the 1997 Think Different advertising campaign.

Bonus: The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth film in The Matrix franchise, sees stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity. Only this time, the film takes us to San Francisco for its main shooting location. They primarily shot the first three films in Australia, so its San Francisco setting is a welcomed update for the series.

For instance, the rooftop scene at the start of the movie was filmed at the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco. They film later scenes at the City Club of San Francisco, One Front Street, and a home in Russian Hill.

Movies filmed in San Francisco: conclusion

Whether you’re filming your next production in San Francisco or beyond, we hope this list of the best movies filmed in San Francisco is inspirational for your work. And remember, if you’re looking for a distinct filming location to help bring your vision to life, consider Peerspace. With thousands of incredible rental venues in hundreds of cities across the globe, you’ll have no shortage of options!

Simply enter your filming location, adjust the filters to suit any specifications, and see what populates. You can examine high-def photos, detailed descriptions of each venue, and even reviews from past renters like yourself. Combine that with the services of our Concierge team, and nothing can stop you from creating the film you want.

Find unique filming locations in San Francisco on Peerspace