7 movies filmed in Texas

Have you ever scrolled aimlessly through your favorite streaming services not knowing what to choose? Try a Texas flick. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most memorable movies that were filmed in Texas. These films used Texas as a backdrop, thanks to its diverse landscape and culture. Exploring Texas-based films can offer a fascinating glimpse into the state’s unique history, stories, and scenery, often showcasing narratives and regional styles that might draw you in, comfort you, and even surprise you.

Boyhood (2014)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Drama/Coming-of-age-story

Filmed throughout Texas: Houston, San Marcos, Bastrop, and Austin 

Filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast, this coming-of-age movie follows a child named Mason from ages six-18 as he grows up in Texas with his divorced parents and sister and visits various parts of Texas that are crucial to his development. From visiting the University of Texas at Austin where he shares his hopes and dreams of the future to visiting the Big Bend Ranch State Park at the end of the movie, where he comes to terms with who he is and the reality of growing up, Mason’s setting contributes to being vulnerable and expressing his true feelings regarding his identity. 

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Crime/Comedy

Filmed in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Hillsboro 

In Wes Anderson’s first feature film, Luke Wilson’s Anthony has just been released from a psychiatric hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan, played by Owen Wilson, wants to loop him into an outrageous crime spree. After recruiting their neighbor, the team embarks on a road trip in search of Dignan’s previous boss, a part-time criminal, to pull off several heists with his help but the more they learn, the more they realize that they do not know the first thing about getting away with robbery. 

Anderson does a great job of showing Dallas in a uniquely personal and artful way even from the beginning. The film portrays everyday life, conversations, and coincidences in a Texas town.

Office Space (1999)

Directed by Mike Judge 

Comedy/Dark Comedy

Filmed in Dallas and Austin 

This satirical movie about the life of several disgruntled workers at a 1990s software company follows the main character, Peter, who is left in a blissful state after a failed hypnotherapy appointment causes him to refuse to continue working. After Peter and his friends hear that the company is doing layoffs, they hatch a revenge plot against the company. 

Office Space’s depiction of everyday work life is nicely conveyed in this movie through the drab office buildings, traffic, and chain restaurants that many Texas city-dwellers will find familiar.  

Paris, Texas (1984)

Directed by Wim Wenders

Drama/Indie film

Filmed in Fort Stockton and Marathon in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas

The main character, aimless drifter Travis Henderson, has been missing for four years. He wanders out of the desert in South Texas where his brother fetches him, and they embark on a journey to reunite with his family and reconnect with society, himself, and life after his disappearance. 

This movie of loss, grief, and family atop a Texas landscape and rural dialogue truly embodies the magic that is filmmaking. Through this movie’s rural landscape, we are able to immerse ourselves into the authentic setting of Paris, TX that reflects the internal states of the characters through visuals such as lonesome parking lots or wide shots of the desert. 

Red Rocket (2021)

Directed by Sean Baker 

Comedy/Drama 

Filmed in Galveston and Texas City

After a 17-year-absence, Mikey Saber returns to his small hometown of Texas City from New York City. This charismatic con man and washed-up adult film star is trying to get back on his feet and find a job in his small town, but with the twenty-year gap on his resume, he can’t find anyone that wants to hire him. The director was able to highlight the rich history of the Texas cities he filmed in, using visuals of real local spots such as the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier and the Donut Hole in Port Arthur. 

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Western/Thriller

Filmed in Marfa and Shafter 

Ruthless silver miner turned oil prospector Daniel Plainview moves to oil-rich California. Using his adopted son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives. This bone-chilling story of the “American dream” filmed in Texas truly captures how greed, corruption, and arrogance can destroy a man’s soul. 

True Stories (1986)

Directed by David Byrne 

Comedy/Musical

Filmed in Dallas, and its suburbs of Allen, McKinney, Mesquite, Midlothian, and Red Oak

David Byrne, the lead singer from Talking Heads, hosts this satirical musical of the small fictional town of Virgil, TX in which he meets an array of quirky citizens who share their stories through songs on the 150th anniversary of the independence of Texas. 

Byrne’s journey through different cultures within Texas is what makes this movie unlike any other. While on tour, Byrne collected newspaper clippings that inspired him to write the script for this movie to celebrate ordinary people living in ordinary towns throughout Texas.