Stars: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook
Director: Brandon Trost
Release date: Aug. 6, 2020
Local filming locations include: Allegheny Cemetery, Lawrenceville
Synopsis: An early 20th-century immigrant (Rogen) falls into a vat of pickles, wakes up 100 years later and tries to assimilate into modern New York City with the help of his great grandson (also Rogen).
Critics’ 2 cents: A slight but fun fish-out-of-water comedy with not one, but two solid Seth Rogen performances.
Notes: Pittsburghers who have already seen “An American Pickle” probably remember it as the film that amusingly tried to pass Lawrenceville off as the Brooklyn borough of New York City. It has the unfortunate distinction of being among an early group of films and shows that Warner Bros. Discovery opted to remove from Max. At least it’s available to rent or purchase via video on demand.
How to watch: Rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video or Apple.

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen
Director: Clea DuVall
Release date: Nov. 25, 2020
Local filming locations include: The Vandal, Lawrenceville
Synopsis: Abby (Stewart) does her best to keep her cool around her girlfriend’s (Davis) parents, who don’t know that she’s a lesbian.
Critics’ 2 cents: A surprisingly sour rom-com buoyed by a transcendentally charming Aubrey Plaza performance.
Notes: “Happiest Season” holds the distinction of being one of (if not the first) mainstream LGBTQ+ holiday movies ever produced by Hollywood. Unfortunately, it commits the cardinal rom-com sin of letting its protagonist pick the wrong person. Like much of the internet, I also left that movie believing that Abby was much better-suited for Plaza’s Riley than Harper.
How to watch: Hulu.

Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige
Director: George C. Wolfe
Release date: Nov. 25, 2020, in theaters; Dec. 18, 2020, on Netflix
Local filming locations include: West North Avenue between Brighton Road and Galveston Avenue, North Side
Synopsis: This film adaptation of August Wilson’s 1982 play finds tempers flaring during a 1927 recording session at a Chicago studio.
Critics’ 2 cents: Pitch-perfect performances and a light directorial touch helped this “Ma Rainey” do Wilson proud. See the PG review.
Notes: “Ma Rainey” is the only Pittsburgh-shot movie to receive any love from the Academy Awards this decade. It won Oscars for best makeup and hairstyling and best costume design, though Boseman didn’t end up earning a posthumous statue for his work as volatile horn player Levee.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinzé Kene
Director: Julia Hart
Release date: Dec. 4, 2020, in theaters; Dec. 11, 2020, on Amazon Prime Video
Local filming locations include: Dee’s Café, South Side Flats
Synopsis: This 1970s-set crime drama finds Jean (Brosnahan) going on the run with her baby after her husband runs afoul of the wrong crowd.
Critics’ 2 cents: Though not particularly well-paced, “I’m Your Woman” offers decent bursts of action and a strong turn from the ever-reliable Brosnahan.
Notes: This neat little thriller kind of came and went without much fanfare, but it’s worth the two-hour investment. Yinzers will likely get a kick out of a front-and-center shot of Dee’s Cafe on the South Side.
How to watch: Amazon Prime Video.

Stars: Sandra Oh, Jay Duplass, Nana Mensah, David Morse, Holland Taylor, Bob Balaban
Creators: Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman
Release date: Aug. 20, 2021
Local filming locations include: Chatham University, Squirrel Hill; Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania
Synopsis: Ji-Yoon Kim (Oh) becomes the English Department head at Pembroke University and immediately has to put out a ton of fires in this six-episode miniseries.
Critics’ 2 cents: A wacky, insightful examination of higher education impeccably anchored by Oh and featuring an extremely fun turn from Taylor as a frazzled professor. See the PG review.
Notes: Netflix decided to give Western Pennsylvanians double the locally filmed love in August 2021 by releasing “The Chair” and “Sweet Girl” on the same day. Chatham University in Squirrel Hill and Washington & Jefferson College in Washington stood in for the fictional Pembroke University, which was presented as a New England liberal arts school. “The Chair” is also why Sandra Oh was in Pittsburgh during a March 2021 “Stop Asian Hate” rally in Oakland and ended up giving an impassioned speech that quickly went viral.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Justin Bartha, Amy Brenneman
Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza
Release date: Aug. 20, 2021
Local filming locations include: PNC Park, North Shore
Synopsis: A grieving father (Momoa) has to protect his daughter (Merced) while also trying to exact revenge on the pharmaceutical company and politician responsible for his wife’s death.
Critics’ 2 cents: A high-octane action-thriller with a (ahem) sweet emotional core and a breathtaking third-act twist. See the PG review.
Notes: While many critics didn’t seem to care for “Sweet Girl,” I was blown away by that aforementioned twist and enjoyed watching meticulously crafted action sequences taking place all around Pittsburgh. Where else will you find a chase scene that leads to the very top of PNC Park, a violent fight on a “T” train and a climactic duel taking place in an exact replica of the fountain in the Allegheny County Courthouse’s courtyard?
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, Bill Camp, David Alvarez, Julia Mayorga, Alex Neustaedter
Director: Dan Futterman
Release date: Sept. 12, 2021, on Showtime
Local filming locations include: Hidy’s Café, Rankin; Carrie Blast Furnaces, Rankin
Synopsis: Del Harris (Daniels), a police chief in a small Western Pennsylvania town, is put in a tough position when the son (Neustaedter) of the woman he loves (Tierney) is accused of murder.
Critics’ 2 cents: This slow-burning mystery takes its time but eventually goes to some fascinating places as it explores Rust Belt degradation through the eyes of folks like Daniels’ world-weary Del Harris and Tierney’s desperate Grace Poe. See the PG review.
Notes: Season 1 of “American Rust” was about to begin filming before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed cameras from rolling for almost a full year. Its first season was shot everywhere from the Strip District to surrounding areas like Braddock, Ambridge and Rankin. Daniels’ presence in Pittsburgh helped provide the first concrete evidence that he and doppelgänger Rich Fitzgerald aren’t the same person. Showtime ultimately canceled “American Rust,” but it was resurrected for a second season by Amazon Freevee.
How to watch: Rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video or Apple.

Stars: Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Matt McGorry, Martin Donovan
Director: Rebecca Sonnenshine
Release date: Jan. 14, 2022
Local filming locations include: The Mansions on Fifth Luxury Hotel, Shadyside
Synopsis: Things quickly get weird after an archivist (Athie) is hired to restore footage of a graduate student’s (Shihabi) investigation into eerie happenings at a New York City apartment building.
Critics’ 2 cents: Its plodding first installments eventually give way to a gripping (and creepy) final few episodes as the show’s central characters are drawn closer and closer together. See the PG review.
Notes: “Archive 81” is based on the found-footage podcast of the same name. It was one of the first few projects to begin filming in this region once Hollywood began allowing productions to commence again in late 2020. Netflix canceled “Archive 81” a few months after its release, which was a real shame given that it ended on a compelling cliffhanger that will likely never get a proper exploration or resolution.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Sujata Day, Ritesh Rajan, Anna Khaja, Lalaine, Sonal Shah
Director: Sujata Day
Release date: Jan. 21, 2022
Local filming locations include: Stage Right!, Greensburg
Synopsis: A former Scripps National Spelling Bee champion (Day) finds herself in a state of arrested development while caring for her sick mother (Khaja) and navigating a delicate situation involving her brother (Rajan).
Critics’ 2 cents: Day proves herself to be a capable storyteller, leading lady and ambassador for her hometown of Greensburg in this grounded dramedy. See the PG review.
Notes: Day is a Greensburg native who made a point to set and shoot her directorial debut in Western Pennsylvania. Some “Definition Please” scenes were even shot in her childhood home. This independently made feature began playing at festivals and received support from the likes of associate producer Yvette Nicole Brown (of “Community” fame) and executive producer Mindy Kaling before Netflix acquired it for distribution.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Odeya Rush, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett
Director: Cooper Raiff
Release date: June 17, 2022
Local filming locations include: Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer
Synopsis: A bar mitzvah party host (Raiff) forms a strong connection with a young mother (Johnson) and her autistic daughter (Burghardt).
Critics’ 2 cents: A sweet, honest snapshot of post-college malaise featuring Johnson’s criminally under-celebrated work as a mother caught between desire and responsibility. See the PG review.
Notes: Apple dropped about $15 million to secure worldwide distribution rights for “Cha Cha Real Smooth” after it won an audience award at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. A lot of Raiff’s followup to his acclaimed 2020 debut feature “S***house” was shot in the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer. It premiered locally at Film Pittsburgh’s 2022 JFilm Festival before hitting AppleTV+ a few months later.
How to watch: AppleTV+.

Stars: Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, Courtnee Carter, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Renée Elise Goldsberry
Director: Billy Porter
Release date: July 22, 2022
Local filming locations include: Pittsburgh CAPA, Downtown
Synopsis: Chaos ensues when Kelsa (Reign), a high school senior who identifies as transgender, begins dating shy but suave classmate Khal (Ali).
Critics’ 2 cents: Two effortlessly charming lead performances and Porter’s steady directorial hand make for a charming and thoughtful teen rom-com. See the PG review.
Notes: “Anything’s Possible” is the rare mainstream film to boast a transgender protagonist. It also may be the most distinctly Pittsburgh movie of the 2020s so far. Porter’s “love letter to Pittsburgh” was filmed at recognizable locales like Downtown’s CAPA, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the National Aviary and the Andy Warhol Museum. “Anything’s Possible” even includes a “Perks of Being a Wallflower”-esque shot of the Downtown skyline while exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
How to watch: Amazon Prime Video.

Stars: Abbi Jacobson, D’Arcy Carden, Chanté Adams, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, Melanie Field, Kate Berlant
Director: Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham
Release date: Aug. 12, 2022
Local filming locations include: CCAC Boyce, Monroeville
Synopsis: This small-screen reimagining of the 1992 Penny Marshall movie of the same name finds 1940s housewife Carson Shaw (Jacobson) trying to make a name for herself in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Critics’ 2 cents: It takes an episode or two to get going, but this “A League of Their Own” is exactly the kind of 21st-century update a story like this needed and deserved. See the PG review.
Notes: This might have been one of the most buzzed about productions the Pittsburgh region has seen this decade as filming took place throughout summer and fall 2021 everywhere from East Carson Street on the South Side to Aliquippa's Morrell Field. Amazon and Sony Pictures Television even built their own baseball fields in Ambridge and on the campus of CCAC Boyce in Monroeville. The show found a passionate fan base, but Amazon still opted to cancel “A League of their Own” even after initially renewing it for a shortened second season.
How to watch: Amazon Prime Video.

Stars: Garret Dillahunt, Martha Plimpton, Shakira Barrera, Phillip Garcia, James Earl, Clare Gillies
Director: Greg Garcia
Release date: Aug. 19, 2022
Local filming locations include: Valley Royal Court, New Kensington; Della’s Frozen Custard, Arnold; Roy A. Hunt Elementary School, Arnold
Synopsis: Jack (Dillahunt) is released from prison after almost three decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tries (poorly) to keep his nose clean.
Critics’ 2 cents: Some uneven storytelling and dated early pandemic humor are only mild obstacles to enjoying this breezy and delightful sitcom. See the PG review.
Notes: “Sprung” is a classic Greg Garcia show full of hapless but well-meaning characters on the bottom rung of society who form a makeshift family as they try to improve their situations. It was filmed all around town in areas like Downtown, Mars, Coraopolis, New Kensington and Arnold. There has yet to be any news regarding a theoretical second season, though pretty much all the main players told the Post-Gazette last year that they’d be down to make more “Sprung” if presented with the opportunity.
How to watch: Amazon Freevee.

Stars: Sadie Sink, Kweku Collins, Theo Rossi, Jessica Capshaw, Justin Bartha, Vivien Lyra Blair
Director: Gren Wells
Release date: Nov. 4, 2022
Local filming locations include: Kennywood Park, West Mifflin
Synopsis: Pittsburgh teenager Tess (Sink) tries to heal following her younger sister’s death with the help of her biological father (Rossi) and the cute guy next door (Collins).
Critics’ 2 cents: “Dear Zoe” is a melodramatic tale of loss and rebirth that’s propped up almost entirely by Sink’s impressive performance.
Notes: It took 14 years from the time Marc and Brenda Lhormer first acquired the rights to adapt Philip Beard’s 2005 novel for audiences to get a finished feature film. It’s another locally shot and set story that features plenty of scenes in Braddock, at Kennywood Park and with Rossi making a valiant attempt at a Pittsburgh accent. “Dear Zoe” held its Steel City premiere last year at Downtown’s August Wilson African American Cultural Center, which rolled out a red carpet for Sink, Collins, Beard and many more.
How to watch: Rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video or Apple.

Stars: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Robert Duvall, Gillian Anderson, Harry Lawtey, Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall
Director: Scott Cooper
Release date: Dec. 23, 2022, in theaters; Jan. 6, 2023, on Netflix
Local filming locations include: Westminster College, New Wilmington; Compass Inn Museum, Laughlintown
Synopsis: Detective Augustus Landor (Bale) is tasked with solving a series of murders at the U.S. Military Academy circa 1830 with the help of a young Edgar Allen Poe (Melling).
Critics’ 2 cents: An atmospheric and genuinely twisty mystery led by a brooding Bale and Melling’s amusingly charismatic take on Poe.
Notes: “The Pale Blue Eye” marked Cooper’s return to Western Pennsylvania following 2013’s “Out of the Furnace” and Bale’s third time shooting something here after “Out of the Furnace” and 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Westminster College in New Wilmington stood in for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and filming also took place at the Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown. Look closely and you’ll spot a cameo by both U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and his wife, Giselle Fetterman.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Cameron Britton
Director: Marc Foster
Release date: Jan. 13, 2023
Local filming locations include: Stangl’s Bakery, Ambridge
Synopsis: Otto Anderson (Hanks) is an old grump who slowly regains long-lost senses of joy and community with the help of a new neighbor (Treviño) and her family.
Critics’ 2 cents: Though extremely emotionally manipulative, “A Man Called Otto” is a solid dramedy centered around a layered Hanks performance and some terrifically fun work from Treviño.
Notes: Foster’s film is the second big-screen adaptation of the 2012 Fredrik Backman novel “A Man Called Ove” following a 2016 Swedish film directed by Hannes Holm. A lot of “A Man Called Otto” takes place in a Bellevue cul-de-sac. Other pivotal scenes were shot at Stangl’s Bakery in Ambridge and Busy Beaver of Lawrenceville. Hanks was familiar with Pittsburgh after making 2019’s “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” here and seemed to have a great time interacting with yinzers — including a local bride on her wedding day.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird
Director: Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon
Release date: Jan. 15, 2023
Local filming locations include: Cavo Night Club, Strip District
Synopsis: Mike McLusky (Renner) does his best to maintain something resembling peace in the highly volatile fictional town of Kingstown, Mich.
Critics’ 2 cents: The levels of depravity depicted on this show know no bounds, but no one can ever accuse it of being boring.
Notes: “Mayor of Kingstown” Season 2 premiered shortly after star Jeremy Renner broke more than 30 bones in a New Year’s Day snowplow accident. It shot everywhere from Lake Erie to the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin to Cavo Night Club in the Strip District. Paramount+ recently renewed “Mayor of Kingstown” for a third season that will also be filmed in the Steel City, though reportedly minus Wiest.
How to watch: Paramount+.

Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, Aunjanue Ellis, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Marin Ireland
Director: Dave Andron and Michael Dinner
Release date: July 18, 2023
Local filming locations include: SCI Greensburg
Synopsis: Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant) pops up in Detroit and is enlisted by local law enforcement to help end dangerously unstable Clement Mansell’s (Holbrook) crime spree.
Critics’ 2 cents: As revivals go, “City Primeval” is about as good as it gets in terms of providing audiences with a thrilling cat-and-mouse saga and a potential template for more stories set in the “Justified” universe. See the PG review.
Notes: FX returned to the Pittsburgh region for “City Primeval” after shooting the original “Justified” pilot here in 2009. It would ruin the reveal to break down the specifics of what “City Primeval” scenes were filmed at SCI Greensburg and on a few Western Pennsylvania roads and bridges. Co-showrunner Dinner told the Post-Gazette in August that part of the last-minute decision to film here “came out of my love of shooting in Pittsburgh.”
How to watch: FX on Hulu.

Stars: Liliana Tandon, Joey Ariemma, Steve Hofstetter, Kristina Horan, David Santiago
Director: Cody Hartman
Release date: Oct. 19, 2023
Local filming locations include: Steel City Arts Foundation, Stanton Heights
Synopsis: Two siblings (Hofstetter and Tandon) find themselves in a desperate situation after a contractor (Ariemma) they hired turns out to be a psychopath.
Notes: “Handyman from Hell” is the first feature-length movie to be shot almost entirely at Steel City Arts Foundation, a former church in Stanton Heights that comedian Steve Hofstetter has been converting into a live-work-play space for creatives. It was written by fellow comedian Jay Black and features cameos from Jodie Sweetin (“Full House”), Michael Ian Black (“Wet Hot American Summer”) and impressionist Frank Caliendo. See the PG story.
How to watch: Lifetime Movie Network.

Stars: Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Chris Rock, Aml Ameen, Audra McDonald, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Potts
Director: George C. Wolfe
Release date: Nov. 3, 2023, in theaters; Nov. 17, 2023, on Netflix
Local filming locations include: University Square Apartments, Oakland
Synopsis: This biopic of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin (Domingo) chronicles his role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington.
Critics’ 2 cents: Though a largely surface-level examination of the civil-rights era, “Rustin” is worth checking out for a slew of remarkable performances — particularly Colman Domingo’s Oscar-worthy work as the titular March on Washington architect.
Notes: Wolfe returned to Pittsburgh for “Rustin” and reunited with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” cast members Domingo, Turman and Potts. “Rustin” was filmed everywhere from the University Square Apartments in Oakland to American Eagle’s Warrendale headquarters. Awards predictions site GoldDerby is currently giving Domingo high odds of being nominated for a best actor Oscar.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Bill Camp, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, Colman Domingo
Director: Ethan Coen
Release date: Feb. 23, 2024
Local filming locations include: Real Luck Cafe, Strip District; Original Oyster House, Downtown
Synopsis: Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan) embark on a roadtrip from Pennsylvania to Florida that quickly goes awry.
Notes: “Drive-Away Dolls” is the first feature Ethan Coen directed sans his brother, Joel. Parts of it were filmed at Real Luck Café in the Strip District and Downtown at the Original Oyster House. It was supposed to hit theaters on Sept. 22 before Focus Features pushed its release to 2024 in July amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
How to watch: Theaters.

Stars: Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis, Glenn Close, Caleb McLaughlin, Rob Morgan, Mo'Nique
Director: Lee Daniels
Release date: TBD.
Local filming locations include: McKees Rocks Bridge; George Westinghouse Bridge
Synopsis: A series of strange occurrences convinces a family that their house might be a portal to hell.
Notes: Originally known as “Demon House,” “The Deliverance” is based on a real-life case of alleged demonic possession that occurred in Gary, Indiana. It was shot all around the region, including Murrysville, East Pittsburgh, Braddock, Monroeville, Beaver, and both the McKees Rocks Bridge and George Westinghouse Memorial Bridge. The production returned to Western Pennsylvania last spring for reshoots.
How to watch: Netflix.

Stars: Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, David Alvarez, Julia Mayorga, Alex Neustaedter, Mark Pellegrino
Creator: Adam Rapp
Release date: TBD.
Local filming locations include: Aspinwall Riverfront Park
Synopsis: TBD.
Notes: The second season of “American Rust” wrapped production in April, making it the last Hollywood project to shoot around here before the WGA strike commenced in early May. Rapp took over full-time showrunning duties for a production that included filming locations like Downtown, Mount Washington, the Strip District, Aspinwall, Duquesne, Charleroi, Monessen and Brownsville. Season two’s story will feature Daniels’ Del Harris re-teaming with the Pittsburgh Police Department as a detective and a fracking storyline involving Tierney’s Grace Poe.
How to watch: Amazon Freevee.

Stars: Karen Allen, Cotter Smith, Fiona Dourif, Jayne Wisener, Daina Griffith, Brendan Griffin
Director: Cody Hartman
Release date: TBD.
Local filming locations include: Ligonier Beach; Heinz Hall, Downtown
Synopsis: The United States Senate holds inquiries to determine who was at fault for all the lives lost in the 1912 Titanic disaster.
Critic’s 2 cents: While a tad slow, this methodical examination of what happened after the Titanic sank features multiple memorable performances and impressive production flourishes courtesy of Pittsburgh’s filmmaking community.
Notes: This independent film was about 70% finished when the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its full completion by more than two years. Production wrapped in April 2022 after a shoot that extended from Ligonier Beach to Downtown’s Heinz Hall. “Unsinkable” doesn’t have a firm release date or distribution plan yet, but it did recently open Film Pittsburgh’s 2023 Three Rivers Film Festival.
How to watch: TBD.

Stars: David Conrad, Michael Cerveris, Cotter Smith, Siena Goines
Director: Melissa Martin
Release date: TBD.
Local filming locations include: barebones productions, Braddock
Synopsis: A psychiatrist (Cerveris) is put in danger after he starts seeing a particularly troubled patient (Conrad).
Notes: “Basic Psych” wrapped its production in August 2021 and was nearly done as of August 2023, according to Martin. This indie thriller was written by Fox Chapel pediatrician Jim Tucker and shot around town at the likes of barebones productions in Braddock, Frick Park in Squirrel Hill, RIDC Park in O’Hara, Towne Drugs Pharmacy in Aspinwall and Vessel Studio on the South Side.
How to watch: TBD.