Sofia De Vera combines a heartfelt passion for cinema with over 15 years of critiquing for esteemed film publications, wielding academic credentials from the University of Southern California and New York University, to serve as your personal guide through the enchanting worlds of film and television. Her full guest bio can be found here.
Venice has a lot to offer for both national and international filmmakers. The country has modern cityscapes as well as being well known for its wonderful canals and beautiful architecture. It is also known for its broadly artistic culture, so it will come as no surprise that there are so many wonderful movies set in Venis.
Many have said it before and many shall say it again: Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Serenissima, the Queen of the Adriatic, the City of Water, of Bridges and Canals, are just a few names Venice has been known by throughout history.
Everyone saw something different in this charming place, but all were in agreement on one thing: its beauty is timeless.
It isn’t only a majestic kind of beauty, the one you’d feel if you saw the city floating over the water, but also one that has to do with culture. This city has witnessed many painters, writers, musicians, and architects. Lots have wanted to leave their mark there for the whole world to see.
The city is home to over 300 churches and many gorgeous palaces. There are over 50 museums and galleries and they attract millions of tourists each year. You’ll find countless paintings, sculptures, tapestries, glassworks, and mosaics everywhere.
And there’s also beauty in the way that people inhabit the city. Venice has a charming community that welcomes tourists (perhaps a little too much), sharing the history of the city in all kinds of ways. But when the sun goes down is when the city truly shines: its vibrant nightlife has no match anywhere else in the world.
With all that being said, it’s no surprise that the streets and canals of Venice have been the setting for some of the most memorable movies ever made. One of the most iconic locations in the world, there have been many movies that take place in this city over the years.
These Venetian films have narratives that rely on their settings as much as their main protagonists, and as a result, spectators get a glimpse of this iconic city through different director’s eyes. To honor the concept of cinematic travel, we have previously also assembled lists of our favorite films shot in some of our all-time favorite travel destinations: Vermont, Rome, Greece, Italy, Ireland, San Francisco and Scotland. And now we add Venice to this list.
In order for these films to really portray Venice as accurately as possible—with all its beautiful architecture and historical significance—it takes more than just knowing where everything is located on Google Maps; they require an understanding of what makes the city special. Each film in this list will give you a reason to appreciate the unique site that is the Floating City.
Wondering where to watch? It depends on where you live in the world and which streaming services you have. We link to the streaming service we watch on in each case - be it Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, or elsewhere.
You can get one month free of Amazon Prime (or a 6-month trial for students) of Amazon Prime and also get immediate access to FREE Two Day shipping, Amazon Video, and Music. While you won't be charged for your free trial, you'll be upgraded to a paid membership plan automatically at the end of the trial period - though if you have already binged all these, you could just cancel before the trial ends.
Apple TV+ also has a one-week trial, and Hulu has a one-month trial (which can be bundled with Disney!). Another option might be using a VPN to access Netflix titles locked to other regions. Netflix is now available in more than 190 countries worldwide and each country has a different library and availability. US Netflix is (understandably) one of the best.
While we wish everything could just be in one place - for now, it seems these are the best streaming platforms to watch on.
