12 Movies Filmed on Cape Cod & the Islands

Discover inspiring movies filmed on Cape Cod to plan your next trip or watch on a rainy day there!

From romantic comedies on sandy beaches to thrilling dramas in quaint seaside towns, this destination has captivated filmmakers for decades. You’ll love picking out your favorite spots in these tv shows and films shot on Cape Cod and the Islands.

Last updated: May 10, 2026.

Can You Visit Cape Cod Filming Locations?

Before we dive into the specific films, you might have landed here because you’re planning a trip to Cape Cod and want to visit some filming locations while you’re here. No problem!

While some places are indeed private, there’s more than a handful of locations that are public and easily accessible.

• Nantucket beaches
• Main Street Hyannis
• Chatham Fish Pier area
• Provincetown streets
• Wellfleet Drive-In

Movies Filmed on Cape Cod

Many of these movies and TV shows are available to watch on streaming services. As availability changes so rapidly lately, I use JustWatch or Letterboxd to find the service they are currently streaming on or find out how to rent them.

1. The Golden Boys, 2008

A romantic comedy set on Cape Cod in 1905, The Golden Boys follows 3 retired sea captains as they all pursue a younger woman in hopes of marrying her. Adapted from the 1904 book Cap’n Eri: A Story of the Coast by Joseph C. Lincoln.

2. The Lightkeepers, 2009

Another romantic comedy set on Cape Cod in the early 20th century. In 1912, two lighthouse keepers – one young and one old – have sworn off women. That is until they meet two women in the area on vacation. This movie is also based on a book by Joseph C. Lincoln called The Woman Haters: A Yarn of Eastboro Twin-Lights, which was published in 1911.

3. That’s My Boy, 2012

As a middle schooler, Donny has an illicit relationship with his teacher who is later sentenced to prison after giving birth to his son, Todd. Years later, during Todd’s wedding weekend on Cape Cod, Donny unexpectedly shows up hoping to reconnect with his estranged son and make money filming the reunion.

Reviews of the movie are mixed, with many criticizing its crude humor and uncomfortable jokes – as most Adam Sandler movies have. I mostly watched it for the Cape Cod filming locations, which were honestly the best part for me.

4. Year By the Sea, 2016

Based on the memoir Year By the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson, this movie follows a woman on a search for herself.

After becoming empty nesters, she and her husband decide to sell their home and move, but not to the same place. Instead of following her husband as he begins a new job, Joan moves alone to Cape Cod to focus on herself and her abandoned goals.

5. The Finest Hours, 2016

Based on the true story of a daring rescue made by Bernard Webber, a crewman with the US Coast Guard in Chatham during a nor’easter in 1952. Bernard manages to rescue 32 crewmen of the SS Pendleton, an oil tanker that was split in two while at sea during the winter storm, using a lifesaving boat with a capacity for just 12 people.

He lost his compass while navigating the dangerous shoals off the coast of Chatham, so Webber used the headlights from the townspeople’s cars as they lined up at the pier after the power went out because of the storm to find his way back to shore.

I didn’t know about this inspiring real-life story until I heard about filming closures in Chatham on a snowy winter day in 2014 or 2015. I almost played hooky from work for the day to spend it in Chatham, trying to catch a glimpse of the cast.

Read about the riveting tale in The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael J. Tougias.

6. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, 2022

This heartwarming movie is based on the book of the same name. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry follows A.J. Fikry, a reclusive and grumpy bookstore owner on Alice Island, a fictional Cape Cod island. A.J. recently experienced a significant loss and became disenchanted with life when an unexpected event suddenly changed his entire life for the better.

Even though Alice Island is a fictional place, many other businesses seen in the film are real, such as the British Beer Company (now closed), Cape Cod Jewelers, and several businesses on Main Street in Hyannis.

Parnassus Books in Yarmouth, one of my favorite bookstores on Cape Cod, stood in for the exterior of A.J.’s bookstore.

7. Tony, 2026

I’m so excited about this film that I didn’t want to wait for it to release before officially adding it to the list. First of all, it’s an A24 film, so you know it’s going to be good, but Anthony Bourdain was an inspiring and incredible person and seeing a snippet of his life in Provincetown play out on the big screen is exciting.

I think most travelers can agree with me on that!

I have never read his book, Kitchen Confidential, but I’ve been hearing the stories for years. Throw it on the TBR with the rest of these Cape Cod inspired books!

As I haven’t seen the movie yet, exact filming locations are a mystery, but I can say that I recognized a few places from the trailer, the most obvious one being the Wellfleet Drive-in sign. Although, who knows if it was a recreation of the sign filmed in a different spot. Some of the backgrounds definitely have potential to be on site in Provincetown and along Rt 6, though. I’ll know more and update when the film is released on August 7, 2026.

Movies Filmed on Martha’s Vineyard

8. Jaws, 1975

Probably the most recognizable of all movies filmed on Cape Cod is Jaws, which was filmed almost exclusively on Martha’s Vineyard. I still watch this one at least once every summer, usually at one of the drive-in theaters.

Just in case you don’t know the plot of this movie, a small New England tourist town called Amity Island is catapulted into a frenzy upon the arrival of a giant blood-lusting Great White shark. The town police chief, a scientist, and a salty sea captain set out to capture it in a thrilling chase.

Want to see the exact filming locations yourself? Then & Now Movie Locations will be a great help in finding them.

Jaws II (1978) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987) were also filmed on Martha’s Vineyard.

9. Sabrina, 1995

A romantic comedy-drama about a girl named Sabrina who is in love with a playboy named David, but he’s never paid her any attention. He sure notices her after she returns home from Paris, now a posh young woman, even though he’s engaged.

To save David’s future marriage, his brother seduces Sabrina, and she falls for him instead. He’s in denial of his true feelings for her when he sends her away back to Paris but quickly realizes his mistake and follows her to France to win her back.

10. Stuck On You, 2003

This one is a bit of a stretch as most of it was filmed in Florida and California, but there are some scenes and aerials of the Vineyard, which help it land on this list.

It’s about conjoined twins and Martha’s Vineyard business owners, Bob and Walt couldn’t be more different. One is shy and introverted, while the other is outgoing and friendly. One’s desire to be an actor brings both brothers to Hollywood, obviously, and over time, and after many hijinks and arguments, they decide to get separation surgery.

Movies Filmed on Nantucket

11. One Crazy Summer, 1986

This is an often-overlooked movie brimming with all the classic markings that make 80s films so damn good.

An aspiring teenage cartoonist (obviously why there’s a cartoon rhino) who decides to loaf around Nantucket for the summer at a friend’s family summer home. He, of course, falls in love with the first girl he meets while on his way there and spends the summer helping her save her grandfather’s house from “evil” developers.

It has a strong, stereotypical “nerds vs jocks” storyline and all the awkwardness that makes you just a little uncomfortable. Plus, weird interjections of cartoons, several useless scenes that don’t actually move the plot along, and awful character interactions that just make you want to run away.

I’m really making you want to see this movie, huh? Well, you should if you’re really jonesing for a glimpse of the Cape and Islands. The entire movie was filmed on Nantucket and in Hyannis. The elementary school I went to and the building where I spent 6th grade were both featured in the opening scene of the movie, which is always my favorite part to watch.

12. To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, 1996

Gillian died in a tragic sailing accident, and years later, her husband is still profoundly grief-stricken. After permanently moving his and his daughter’s life to their summer home on Nantucket, he continues his relationship with an imaginary Gillian while walking along the beach.

On the second anniversary of her death, a gathering of friends and family at the house becomes a moment of reflection for everyone there.

Upcoming Films or TV Shows

I’ll update this section as I learn of movies or TV shows being filmed in the area.

Same Same But Different

An upcoming indie drama titled Same Same But Different was filmed in Mattapoisett and on Cape Cod in early 2025. The original working title was The Weekend on Cape Cod When Everything Changed.

Described as “the story of a wide-eyed Iranian immigrant who accepts a wedding proposal from her billionaire boss’s son in order to remain in the United States. What starts out as a simple green card wedding becomes much more when her two closest friends arrive with their own boyfriends and cross-cultural baggage in tow.”

The Five-Star Weekend

Following the success of the Netflix series The Perfect Couple, another Elin Hilderbrand book is being adapted for Peacock and filmed locally. Five-Star Weekend, starring Jennifer Garner, was filmed on Nantucket in the early fall of 2025. The series premiers July 9th on Peacock.

Other Movies Filmed on Cape Cod & the Islands

Here are some more movies and TV shows that were filmed on Cape Cod.

• Rip Van Winkle (series of films), 1896-1903
• Mystery Street, 1950
• The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, 1966
• Where Are The Children, 1986
• Tough Guys Don’t Dance, 1987
• Dad, 1989
• Joe & Joe, 1996
• Massholes, 2000
• Summer Song, 2011
• The Joneses, 2011
• The Grey Lady, 2014
• Betrayed, 2014
• Give or Take, 2020
• American Horror Story: Double Feature, 2021
• The Perfect Couple, 2024

Bonus: Movies and TV Shows Set on Cape Cod but Not Filmed Here

Notable stand-in filming locations for Cape Cod in these movies and shows include Wilmington, North Carolina, Long Island, Rhode Island, and Nova Scotia, Canada.

• Sleeping with the Enemy, 1991
• Dawson’s Creek, 1998
• Summer Catch, 2001
• Jumping the Broom, 2010
• Hot Summer Nights, 2017
• Hightown, 2020
• The Summer I Turned Pretty, 2022
• Sirens, 2025
• Remain, 2027

Turn These Movies Filmed on Cape Cod Into a Travel Itinerary

From shark thrillers and romantic comedies to quiet character-driven dramas, these movies filmed on Cape Cod have a way of capturing the nostalgia and atmosphere that keep people returning year after year.

Even when the stories themselves are hit or miss, it’s still fun to recognize familiar beaches, harbor towns, and backroads along the way.

If you’re visiting Cape Cod soon, add a few filming locations to your itinerary. Watching these movies before your trip can make exploring Chatham or Martha’s Vineyard even more memorable once you see them in real life.

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