7 Massachusetts Movies You Can Stream Right Now

Massachusetts punches above its weight when it comes to landing production for Hollywood feature films.

And while a tax break that has attracted at least 38 films to the Bay State since 2006 may be expiring, there's no shortage of films set and shot in the state on popular streaming services.

The films below are some of our favorites that were available for streaming on popular subscription services as of May 25, 2021 (films come and go from streaming services, so they may no longer be available by the time you read this).

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We've limited the list to films that were shot and set in Massachusetts, meaning we've excluded a film like "Joy," which used Wilmington and other Massachusetts towns as a stand-in for suburban Philadelphia. We've also nixed films from the list that were shot someplace else but set in Boston.

Jaws

Shot on Martha's Vineyard, "Jaws" was the first true summer blockbuster, completely changing the film industry's business model. But it also redefined how to make a compelling suspense movie. More than 45 years after its original, 1975 release, "Jaws" holds up. It's one of those films that really should be seen on the big screen but, if you can't see it in a theater, you can get a fix on HBO Max.

Watch now on HBO Max.

The Departed

Leonardo DiCaprio's bad Boston accent notwithstanding, the 2006 crime thriller had critical and commercial success. While technically a remake of a 2002 Hong Kong film, director Martin Scorcese offered a fictionalized account of Boston's notorious Winter Hill Gang with Jack Nicholson playing the character based on Whitey Bulger.

Watch now on HBO Max.

Malice

If you're too young to remember that Alec Baldwin was once a bonafide movie star, "Malice" is the place to start seeing as something more than Saturday Night Live's go-to Trump impersonator. "Malice" was shot on location in Boston, Amherst, Holyoke, and Northampton, with Smith College playing a prominent role in the film. The 1993 film was also the first screenplay Aaaron Sorkin wrote after his breakthrough with 1992's "A Few Good Men." Sorkin's "I am God" line, as delivered by Baldwin, still gives us chills.

Watch now on HBO Max.

Spotlight

Based on a true story, "Spotlight" follows the Boston Globe's investigation that uncovered systematic and widespread child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests in greater Boston. It was one of the ten best films of 2015 and was nominated for six Academy Awards. Fun fact: "Spotlight" was the first Best Picture to win fewer than three Academy Awards since 1952.

Watch now on Netflix.

The Town

Ben Affleck's second foray into directing was, on the surface, a heist movie. But it also explored Charlestown's "code of silence" in a way that had not been done since Ted Demme's "Monument Ave" in 1998. The film also rejuvenated Affleck's career as a leading man: he followed it up with the Best Picture-winning "Argo."

Watch now on HBO Max.

Gone Baby Gone

Directed by Ben Affleck, starring Casey Affleck and based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, few films get more Boston than this. It also introduced much of the film-loving public to Amy Ryan, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Watch now on HBO Max.

Ted

If you need a comedy (and, after sharks eating swimmers and children being kidnapped, who wouldn't?), you'll be hard-pressed to find a Massachusetts movie that doesn't star Adam Sandler. That's where "Ted" comes in. It was the directorial debut of Seth MacFarlane, best known for skewering Rhode Island in the 19 seasons of "Family Guy." While critics raised issues with the plot, it got high praise for its humor, premises and performances by Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.

Watch now on HBO Max.