Arizona has been the setting of some pretty amazing movies. You’ve got a stunning visual landscape, big cities, mountains, and a rich and complex history.
I’m working through the top movies set in every state in the US, and Arizona is next!
Here are some of the best reviewed, most interesting, and most successful films set in Arizona, starting with the highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes and working down to the worst-rated.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976): 91% Fresh
In this Western, Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) is a Missouri farmer and ex-guerilla for the failed Confederacy, who becomes a wanted outlaw after his family is murdered by Union soldiers during the Civil War. He seeks revenge and ends up in Texas and other lands out west, where he confronts a group of bounty hunters.
The Outlaw Josey Wales was filmed at numerous Arizona locations, including Lake Powell, Mescal, Old Tucson, and Marble Canyon.
Raising Arizona (1987): 90% Fresh
This Coen Brothers comedy stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. McDunnough and Holly Hunter as Edwina “Ed” McDunnough. Their plans to steal a baby from a wealthy family are thrown into chaos when a pair of escaped convicts (John Goodman and William Forsythe) try to get the baby, too.
This was Joel and Ethan Coen’s second film, but their first comedy.
Tombstone (1993): 72% Fresh
In this Western, Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) moves to the town of Tombstone, Arizona with his brothers and his friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). When they encounter a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys, tensions rise and a deadly confrontation is inevitable.
You can visit the real town of Tombstone to learn more about its fascinating history.
Waiting to Exhale (1995): 61% Fresh
In this drama, four African-American women in Phoenix, Arizona navigate love and relationships. Savannah (Whitney Houston) is a successful TV producer struggling with a cheating husband, while Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is dealing with a divorce from her wealthy husband. Robin (Lela Rochon), a powerful executive, has grown tired of being a married man’s mistress, and Gloria (Loretta Divine) is a single mother with a gay ex-husband.
The movie was Forest Whitaker’s debut as a feature film director. He had previously directed one TV movie for HBO.
The Quick and the Dead (1995): 58% Rotten
In this Western, a female gunslinger named Ellen (Sharon Stone) enters a shooting competition in the town of Redemption, Arizona. The competition is run by the town’s ruthless mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), and Ellen has a personal vendetta against him.
The film was originally supposed to be filmed in Mexico, but the production changed to Tucson, Arizona. The cast also includes Russell Crowe, Gary Sinese, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It was the 10th film of director Sam Raimi.
More Movies Set in Arizona
This list isn’t quite done! Here are a few more movies set in Arizona:
- Billy Jack (1971)
- Near Dark (1987)
- 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
- Tarantula (1995)
- Smoke Signlas(1998)
- The Forsaken (2001)
- Evolution (2001)
- Only the Brave (2007)
- Arizona Sky (2008)
- Arizona (2018)
- The Marksman (2021)
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