Movies and TV shows set in san francisco

The list contains the best, new and most relevant movies set in san francisco ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, suspense, interesting, intense, exciting and entertaining films and TV shows about / with mentor, dialogue, catastrophe, chase, runaway, vengeance, destiny, life philosophy, storytelling and culture clash plots mostly in Thriller, Drama and Action genres shot in USA, UK, France and other countries.
san francisco movies
1145
TOP 10 movies tagged as san francisco: Magnum Force (1973), Monk (2002), 48 Hrs. (1982), The Rock (1996), Inside Out (2015), A View to a Kill (1985), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Pacific Heights (1990), Basic Instinct (1992), The Presidio (1988).

List of movies set in san francisco

 7.2
 71K
Magnum Force (1973)
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story: "Dirty" Harry Callahan is a San Francisco Police Inspector on the trail of a group of rogue cops who have taken justice into their own hands. When shady characters are murdered one after another in grisly fashion, only Dirty Harry can stop ...
Style: perverse, suspenseful, tense, harsh, intense ...
Audience: boys' night, manly
Plot: vigilantism, vigilante, police corruption, police, police detective, serial killer, female nudity, murder of a nude woman, visceral, violent, brutality, police investigation ...
Time: 70s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, usa
Is relevant?
 8.1
 101K
Monk (2002)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min.
TV show
Story: Adrian Monk was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife Trudy, he ...
Style: detective, witty, humorous, offbeat, realistic ...
Plot: investigation, murder, private detective, mental illness, prodigy, talented, police investigation, riddles and clues, unconventional method, mastermind, obsessive compulsive disorder, mental disorder ...
Time: 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: san francisco, california, usa
Is relevant?
 6.9
 92K
48 Hrs. (1982)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
Style: exciting, funny, neo noir, humorous, intense ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, manly, adult
Plot: buddy cop, prison, tough cop, revenge, reluctant partners, cop, partner, villain, tough guy, police investigation, police officer killed, buddy ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, year 1982
Place: san francisco, usa, bay area, north america, los angeles
Is relevant?
 7.4
 378K
The Rock (1996)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min.
Story: FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason, to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 ...
Style: suspense, exciting, action packed, entertaining, intense ...
Audience: manly, boys' night, girls' night
Plot: terrorism, hostage, alcatraz, twists and turns, prison, traitor, jail, military, mercenary, terrorist, car chase, prison escape ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, california, bay area, usa
Is relevant?
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 8.1
 903K
Inside Out (2015)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. ...
Style: touching, inspirational, emotional, motivational, 3d animation ...
Audience: kids, family outing, family friendly, teens, pre-teens ...
Plot: joy, imaginary friend, memory, creativity, parents and children, dream, childhood, life philosophy, coming of age, friendship, anger, happy ending ...
Time: year 2015, 2010s, 2000s, year 2016, 21st century
Place: san francisco, minnesota, california, tibet, usa
Is relevant?
A View to a Kill (1985)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Iceland, France
Duration: 131 min.
Story: A newly developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions ...
Style: sexy, exciting, saga, serious, realistic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: 007, james bond, espionage, secret agent, british secret service, terrorist, cold war, chase, malice, secret service, female assassin, villain ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, year 1985
Place: san francisco, paris france, california, france, bay area ...
Is relevant?
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Matt and Christina Drayton are a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black.
Style: sentimental, touching, intense, compassionate, semi serious ...
Audience: family outing, adult
Plot: interracial relations, racism, culture clash, miscegenation, african american, social commentary, interracial marriage, widower, doctor, prejudice, liberal, father daughter relationship ...
Time: 20th century, 60s
Place: san francisco, california, america, usa, hawaii
Is relevant?
Pacific Heights (1990)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.
Style: neo noir, scary, suspenseful, suspense, tense ...
Plot: psychopath, home invasion, sociopath, manipulation, stalking, anger, deception, landlord, yuppie, identity theft, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, home renovation ...
Time: 20th century, 80s
Place: san francisco, california, bay area, usa, los angeles ...
Is relevant?
 7.1
 241K
Basic Instinct (1992)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story: A police detective is in charge of the investigation of a brutal murder, in which a beautiful and seductive woman could be involved.
Style: sexy, erotic, sexual, detective, neo noir ...
Audience: kids, boys' night, girls' night, adult
Plot: femme fatale, obsession, sex, nudity, manipulation, seduction, sexual tension, dangerous attraction, police investigation, murder, fatal attraction, strong sexual content ...
Time: 90s, year 1992, 20th century
Place: san francisco, bay area, persia, oakland california, california ...
Is relevant?
 6.0
 21K
The Presidio (1988)
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Jay Austin is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell was his commanding officer years before when he left the military police over a disagreement over the handling of a drunk driver. Now a series of murders that cross jurisdictions force ...
Style: neo noir, tense, exciting, suspense, detective ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: conspiracy, investigation, military, father daughter relationship, tough cop, father daughter conflict, police chase, funeral, murder investigation, tough guy, factory, fistfight ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, bay area, usa, california, new jersey
Is relevant?
 8.4
 53K
Warrior (2019)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: A gritty, action-packed crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious ...
Style: brutal, exciting, atmospheric, captivating, intense ...
Audience: boys' night, chick flick
Plot: martial arts, gang war, hand to hand combat, rivalry, gang member, criminal, business, fistfight, kung fu, fight, showdown, master warrior ...
Time: 19th century, 1870s, 1800s, victorian era
Place: san francisco, usa
Is relevant?
The Towering Inferno (1974)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 165 min.
Story: At the opening party of a colossal - but poorly constructed - office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.
Style: suspense, sexy, tense, suspenseful, epic ...
Audience: boys' night, kids
Plot: disaster, catastrophe, skyscraper, rescue, natural disaster, race against time, survival, firefighter, evacuation, trapped in a building, trapped, fire ...
Time: 70s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, california
Is relevant?
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 7.4
 81K
Bullitt (1968)
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story: Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a ...
Style: suspenseful, detective, suspense, intense, tense ...
Audience: boys' night, manly
Plot: car chase, police, ford mustang, organized crime, murder, chase, police detective, hitman, police procedural, street racing, tough cop, hospital ...
Time: year 1968, 20th century, 60s, 70s
Place: san francisco, bay area, usa, chicago, illinois ...
Is relevant?
 6.8
 19K
Foul Play (1978)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story: A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.
Style: suspenseful, detective, humorous, tense, suspense ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: conspiracy, murder, fall in love, amateur detective, librarian, irreverence, music conductor, karate, police investigation, assassination plot, car chase, danger ...
Time: 20th century, year 1978, 70s
Place: san francisco, phoenix arizona, usa, california
Is relevant?
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Duration: 105 min.
Story: Scientist Will Rodman is determined to find a cure for Alzheimer's, the disease which has slowly consumed his father. Will feels certain he is close to a breakthrough and tests his latest serum on apes, noticing dramatic increases in ...
Style: thought provoking, visually stunning, emotional, exciting, suspense ...
Audience: teens, girls' night, family friendly, adult
Plot: gorilla, ape, planet of the apes, rebelliousness, chimpanzee, animal testing, virus, rebellion, experiment gone awry, animal experimentation, dystopia, animal ...
Time: future, year 2011, jurassic, 2010s, near future ...
Place: san francisco, bay area, california, usa, north america
Is relevant?
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Escape from Alcatraz tells the story of the only three men ever to escape from the infamous maximum security prison at Alcatraz. In 29 years, the seemingly impenetrable federal penitentiary, which housed Al Capone and "Birdman" Robert ...
Style: atmospheric, suspense, suspenseful, exciting, realistic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: prison, prison escape, alcatraz, escape, prison life, freedom, jail, island, prison warden, harassment, prison guard, convict ...
Time: year 1960, 20th century, year 1979, year 1961, year 1962 ...
Place: san francisco, bay area, usa, canada
Is relevant?
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story: Fugitives of the Federation for their daring rescue of Spock from the doomed Genesis Planet, Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew begin their journey home to face justice for their actions. But as they near Earth, they find it at the mercy of ...
Style: futuristic, action adventure, clever, humorous, exciting ...
Audience: kids, teens
Plot: time travel, star trek, space travel, space opera, spacecraft, teleportation, space, marine biologist, space adventure, planet earth, falling from height, beer ...
Time: future, year 1986, 80s, 23rd century, 20th century
Place: san francisco, bay area, usa, california
Is relevant?
 7.7
 665K
Zodiac (2007)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story: The true story of the investigation of the "Zodiac Killer", a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area, taunting police with his ciphers and letters. The case becomes an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are ...
Style: atmospheric, tense, suspense, neo noir, stylized ...
Audience: chick flick, adult
Plot: serial killer, investigation, murder, journalism, maniac, murder mystery, mind game, journalist, true crime, paranoia, killer, uncover truth ...
Time: 70s, year 2007, year 1971, year 1969, year 1979 ...
Place: san francisco, california, bay area, usa, oakland california ...
Is relevant?
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 6.4
 462K
Godzilla (2014)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 123 min.
Story: Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when Godzilla, King of the Monsters, arises ...
Style: exciting, suspense, intense, saga, suspenseful ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, kids, boys' night
Plot: monster, giant monster, godzilla, dinosaur, disaster, creature, kaiju, catastrophe, military, mutant, deadly creature, chaos ...
Time: jurassic, 90s, year 2014, 2010s, year 1999 ...
Place: japan, hawaii, san francisco, tokyo, honolulu hawaii ...
Is relevant?
 6.7
 53K
The Enforcer (1976)
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Dirty Harry Callahan returns again, this time saddled with a rookie female partner. Together, they must stop a terrorist group consisting of angry Vietnam veterans.
Style: perverse, sexy, neo noir, suspenseful, detective ...
Audience: manly, boys' night
Plot: dirty harry, terrorist, tough girl, female nudity, police, murder, buddy cop, violence, alcatraz, cop, gangster, serial killer ...
Time: 20th century, 70s
Place: san francisco, usa, california, los angeles
Is relevant?
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: When trucker, Jack Burton agreed to take his friend, Wang Chi to pick up his fiancee at the airport, he never expected to get involved in a supernatural battle between good and evil. Wang's fiancee has emerald green eyes, which make her a ...
Style: humorous, cult classic, exciting, stylized, entertaining ...
Audience: teens, kids, boys' night, date night, manly
Plot: martial arts, monster, truck driver, black magic, kung fu, good versus evil, magic, truck, prophecy, mythology, kidnapping, friendship ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, california, usa, north america, hong kong ...
Is relevant?
 7.5
 185K
Milk (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, who became an outspoken agent for change, seeking equal rights and opportunities for all. His great love for the city and its people brought him backing from young and ...
Style: thought provoking, sincere, sad, inspirational, political ...
Plot: gay, politics, homosexuality, murder, homosexual, protest, gays and lesbians, male homosexuality, glbt, discrimination, gender, lgbtqi ...
Time: 70s, 2000s, year 2008, 20th century, year 1973 ...
Place: california, san francisco, new york, north america, idaho ...
Is relevant?
What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: Two researchers have come to San Francisco to compete for a research grant in Music. One seems a bit distracted, and that was before he meets her. A strange woman seems to have devoted her life to confusing and embarrassing him. At the same time a ...
Style: hilarious, funny, romantic, humorous, feel good ...
Audience: date night
Plot: hotel, car chase, screwball, love story, chase, judge, destiny, manic pixie dream girl, farce, mistaken identity, love triangle, eternal love ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1972, prehistoric times, 1930s
Place: san francisco, usa, california
Is relevant?
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story: The first remake of the paranoid infiltration classic moves the setting for the invasion, from a small town to the city of San Francisco and starts as Matthew Bennell notices that several of his friends are complaining that their close relatives are ...
Style: cult classic, disturbing, frightening, scary, suspenseful ...
Plot: alien invasion, alien, dystopia, doppelganger, extraterrestrial, alien parasite, supernatural, parasite, evil wins, monster, alien possession, body horror ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1978, 1950s, 50s
Place: san francisco, usa, california
Is relevant?
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA, France, Canada, Ireland, Thailand, Denmark, Australia, Taiwan, UK
Duration: 82 min.
Story: Charlie and Itchy return to Earth to find Gabriel's Horn, but along the way meet up with a young boy named David, who ran away from home.
Style: serious, exciting, feel good, touching, buddy comedy ...
Audience: kids, family outing, preschool
Plot: dog, love, animal, runaway, ghost, happy ending, afterlife, animal protagonist, cartoon dog, boy, good versus evil, heaven ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place: san francisco, bay area, usa, california
Is relevant?
 3.6
 99K
The Room (2003)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world fall apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.
Style: independent film, realistic, semi serious, cult classic, funny ...
Plot: infidelity, best friend, breast cancer, dark humor, suicide, flower shop, american football, seduction, strange behavior, psychologist, room, unrequited love ...
Time: year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place: san francisco, bay area, california
Is relevant?
The Woman in Red (1984)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story: When a happily married family man, who would never consider an affair, meets a beautiful woman in red, he is totally infatuated and desperate to make her acquaintance. However, as he tries out various schemes to sneak out to meet her, he realizes ...
Style: sentimental, humorous, sexy, intense, light ...
Audience: date night, adult
Plot: obsession, infidelity, adultery, love triangle, sexy woman, love and romance, goofy hero, female nudity, bare breasts, midlife crisis, cheating, voyeurism ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: san francisco, los angeles, california, san diego california
Is relevant?
The Darwin Awards (2006)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: After botching the capture of a notorious serial killer, idiosyncratic detective Michael Burrows loses his job with the San Francisco Police. He becomes an investigator for an insurance company and joins forces with a cynical field agent to probe ...
Style: intellectual, funny, dark comedy, suspense, humorous ...
Plot: partner, murder mystery, stupidity, insurance, law enforcement, skyscraper, on the road, police investigation, teamwork, investigation, humanity, team ...
Place: san francisco, usa, chicago
Is relevant?
 6.4
 51K
High Crimes (2002)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story: A female attorney learns that her husband is really a marine officer awol for fifteen years and accused of murdering fifteen civilians in El Salvador. Believing her husband when he tells her that he's being framed as part of a U.S. Military ...
Style: clever, serious, twist ending, suspenseful, tense ...
Audience: girls' night, chick flick, adult
Plot: twists and turns, lawyer, murder, murder mystery, false accusation, legal, conspiracy, army investigation, justice, husband wife relationship, fbi, courtroom ...
Time: year 2002, 80s, year 1988, 21st century
Place: san francisco, usa, los angeles, mexico, latin america
Is relevant?
 6.7
 98K
Sweet November (2001)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story: Nelson is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV, he meets Sara. She is very different from the other women in his life. Nelson causes her to miss out on taking the test and later ...
Style: romantic, touching, sentimental, emotional, sexy ...
Audience: date night, chick flick, girls' night
Plot: love, love story, terminal illness, bittersweet, fall in love, life, tragic love, cancer, opposites attract, leukemia, love and romance, destiny ...
Time: year 2001, 2000s, 21st century
Place: san francisco, california, usa, new jersey
Is relevant?
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