In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the classic rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You hitting our silver screens, here’s a look at the best movies based in and around the Emerald City. Read on to discover those worth adding to the watch list to inspire your next trip.
10 Things I Hate About You
Perfectly encapsulating late-nineties youth culture, romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, stars the late Heath Ledger alongside Julia Stiles. Based loosely on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the movie was mostly shot in the Seattle metropolitan area. 25 years on, many of the locations can be visited today. From paintballing at Gas Works Park, to Paramount Theatre and the Fremont Troll, the film’s setting shows off the city’s most famous landmarks.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the Oscar nominated 1993 film paid homage to many iconic spots around the Emerald City. Visitors can retrace the footsteps of Sam Baldwin (played by Hanks) by visiting Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continuously operated farmers markets in the United States, seeing the floating home of Sam and his son on Lake Union, and strolling along hidden coastal gem, Alki Beach.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
A romantic comedy starring the talented Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, and Jake Johnson, Seattle played an important role in the plot of Safety Not Guaranteed. The story unfolds when the main character, a reporter at the Seattle Magazine is told to respond to a unique advert from an aspiring time traveller. The film was shot at 32 different locations around Seattle including what used to be the Shipwreck Tavern in West Seattle and the Marco Polo Lounge on Aurora.
The Ring (2002)
A well known horror film, The Ring sees a Seattle-based journalist receive a mysterious VHS tape that murders its watcher within a week. Following a terrifying turn of events, the journalist, played by Naomi Watts investigates the origins of the tape across the Puget Sound region. Horror fans can head to filming locations including the Harbor Steps in Downtown Seattle, Whidbey Island and the popular hotel, Westin Seattle.
KIMI (2022)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Zoë Kravitz, KIMI is a tense thriller about an agoraphobic tech worker who wishes to bring wrongdoers to justice. The film sees concerns about the power of technology, whilst also being interested in its potential. Protest scenes were filmed at Seattle’s Westlake Park and the movie includes many shots of the city’s exterior to give the cinematography a grunge atmosphere.
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