The city that never sleeps, New York is probably one of the most used sets in movies, television shows and novels. From romantic comedies to thrillers and indie films, New York has become a staple of film and television, a place where anything can magically happen. However, it is important to remember that even if some movies are based on real life events, they still embellish parts of the story. A recurring thing that happens is to show New York City as a far cry from what it is in real life.
New York City was considered the second dirtiest city in the world, losing first place to Rome in Italy. Cleaning up a city for a movie isn’t something that only happens in New York; it is common practice. These movies try to sell an atmosphere for their stories, and sometimes overflowing trash cans and other common elements of these places just don’t fit. Even though things have been cleaner after Giuliani, there’s a high level of violence going on in the Big Apple that’s usually ignored in rom-coms and sugary indie movies where the bland cliché of “New York is a character” runs rampant.
Here are some of the movies that show a different New York: a dirty and unforgivable one.
8 After hours
While most movies are set in Manhattan, it’s fundamental to remember that the city is much bigger than that. Martin Scorsese’s wild movie After hours follows Paul (Griffin Dunn) as he tries to find his way home from the Upper East Side to Soho on a long night. The film depicts Soho in the 1980s and shows the nightlife of that time very well. From scenes of empty streets at night to a real subway station in Soho, New York is part of this journey that turns violent and surreal. The scenario of the city that never sleeps almost becomes a threat in Scorsese’s work.
7 American psychopath
Wall Street, the stock market, investments and the intense world in which it all happens is probably one of the most uniquely “New York” things, aside from maybe Broadway. There are several movies about this epicenter of greed, but American psychopath stands out as a brutally satirical take on Wall Street and capitalism as a whole. While in this particular case the city itself isn’t the focus, it’s its influence and what it does to some people internally (along with the drugs and sex work that populate the streets). These characters’ greed and need have been amplified by where they live, creating a different kind of hellscape.
6 Leon: The professional
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Leon: The professional is one of the most heartwarming and heartbreaking movies starring an assassin. Natalie Portman’s first feature film has become a fan favorite over the years. And while most of this story was filmed in a studio in Paris, there are scenes that were shot in the real New York – without cleaning the streets beforehand. The emotional story of Leon: The professional in New York City is a great call, and it adds a lot to the violence and sense of loneliness embedded in the characters.
5 Good day
Another Scorsese movie, Good day is a somewhat historical piece: it starts in 1955 until the 1980s, after Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and the rise and fall of gangsters that characterized New York from the beginning. The film shows a dark side of the city’s history, showing how much violence took place in the streets and who created this dangerous place for many. It doesn’t obscure what happened (especially since it’s based on real life events and people) and the accompanying scenario. Most of the film was shot in Queens – in a different setting than the city.
4 Across the street from 110th Street
Going back to the 70’s there were several movies set in New York, and Across the street from 110th Street is one of them. An action-packed drama that isn’t afraid to get violent, the movie does a fantastic job of using Harlem locations as the backdrop for this story. The film’s name was inspired by the city’s geography: the line that ends Central Park and begins Harlem. The thriller begins when money is stolen from the mafia and two cops go after amateur crooks who are about to start a gang war.
3 Do the right thing
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Spike Lee’s movie Do the right thing also takes a step away from Manhattan and delves into the black community in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The film tackles racism within the neighborhood, as Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) notices that there are only Italian artists on the Wall of Fame of a pizzeria in a black neighborhood. When the film was released in 1989, it was extremely divisive. Unfortunately, the central themes remain topical: representation, racism, climate change and police brutality.
2 The killer’s kiss
The killer’s kiss is a crime noir directed by Stanley Kubrick. It was the director’s second feature film and was made with the money his relatives were able to raise. The movie was shot in New York and Kubrick actually did most of the outside scenes without any on-location filming permits.
Therefore, there is little embellishment to the streets and alleyways in the film, and while there are a few known locations, most are unknown alleys that add character to the production. This kind of guerrilla film really captured the gritty New York of the time, something that can also be seen in the masterpieces Explosion of silence And The naked city.
1 Cab driver
“Are you talking to me?” Yet another Scorsese movie, the beloved Robert De Niro thriller Cab driver uses a dirty and cruel New York, specifically Hell’s Kitchen, as the setting for the protagonist, Travis Bickle. From the protagonist’s apartment, his cab, and the city in general, the sordid present is almost part of Bickle himself. It’s impossible to imagine this film being set in another major city, much less to reconcile the realities of the people who actually live there – something that has been quite romanticized in several films. There’s a lack of grace and grace in the story that blends into how the city is portrayed, and it’s darkly captivating.