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18 Movies Filmed in Harlem You Can Stream Right Now


10 movies filmed in Harlem you can stream right now
A scene from Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," filmed in Harlem. Photo: Disney

Harlem and its streets—the gritty and the beautiful—have served as the backdrop in a long list of memorable films, from classic blaxploitation flicks like "Shaft" to recent Oscar nominees such as "West Side Story" (Best Picture) and "Summer of Soul" (Best Documentary Feature).


These days most can be streamed on subscription services, including Prime Video and Netflix. Three on this list—"Precious," "Claudine" and "Cotton Comes to Harlem"—can even be watched for free.


Here, then, are 18 notable movies filmed in Harlem—as well as the neighborhood locations to look out for:


In descending chronological order:



Notable Harlem location: Marcus Garvey Park


Passing (2021)


Notable Harlem locations: W 142 St between Convent and Amsterdam Aves, Broadway and 135th Street, Morningside Park


Notable Harlem locations: Alhambra Ballroom, 416 E 115th Street


"Summer of Soul" takes place in Marcus Garvey Park.



Precious (2009)




Malcolm X (1992)


Juice (1992)

Notable Harlem locations: 128th Street and Convent Avenue


Notable Harlem locations: Graham Court, Grant's Tomb, St. Nicholas Park


Notable Harlem location: Imperial Lodge of Elks


A scene from "Claudine," streaming for free on Vimeo.

Claudine (1974)


Serpico (1973)

Notable Harlem locations: Lewisohn Stadium at City College (demolished in 1973)


Shaft (1971)

Notable Harlem locations: The Apollo, 125th Street



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1 comment

1 Comment


laanelson
Jan 08, 2022

Cotton Comes to Harlem 1970

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