Discover the magic of Nova Scotia on the big screen! From its famous landmarks to its stunning landscapes, Nova Scotia has served as the backdrop for numerous well-known movies. This curated list highlights the most popular films shot in the region.
Whether you’re curious about what films were shot in Nova Scotia or seeking inspiration for your next movie night, you’re in the right place. Our list includes a variety of genres like horror, action, comedy, and more, featuring both big studio productions and indie films.
Best Movies Filmed in Nova Scotia
1. The Disappeared (2012)
In her debut feature film, writer and director Shandi Mitchell tells the harrowing tale of six men stranded 300 miles off Newfoundland after their fishing boat sinks in a North Atlantic storm. Trapped in two lifeboats with minimal supplies, they must rely on their strength, skills, and sheer willpower to survive and row to safety.
The film presents a raw and gritty portrait of men pushed to their limits and beyond, capturing their struggle to control their fate and ultimately face their failure with dignity. Filmed at sea, it boasts stunning visuals that bring an authenticity impossible to achieve on a soundstage.
2. Hard Drive (2014)
“Hard Drive” begins as a romance between two lost twenty-somethings and gradually morphs into a gripping thriller. Ditch (Douglas Smith) is a kind but directionless young man living with his mother (Megan Follows), who urges him to find his way before it’s too late. His only real bond is with Boomer Knudsten (Jerry Granelli), a washed-up jazz drummer who acts as a surrogate father.
When Boomer dies suddenly, Ditch’s life spirals until he meets Deb (Laura Wiggins), an enigmatic runaway with dark secrets. Despite his mother’s concerns, Ditch falls for Deb, only to discover she carries emotional baggage and hidden mysteries. Writer/director Bill MacGillivray layers this tale with wounded characters, creating a compelling narrative. Wiggins and Smith excel as the young lovers—one seeking a path forward, the other running from her past.
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3. Snow (2010)
What would you do if a natural disaster tore your life apart and forced you to start over in a new and unfamiliar place?
This is the question explored by writer/director Rohan Fernando in Snow. The film follows Parvati (Kalista Zackhariyas), a Sri Lankan refugee who relocates to Canada after losing her family to the 2004 Asian tsunami. Using tight shots and a pseudo-documentary style, Fernando and cinematographer Tarek Abouamin capture Parvati’s confinement and struggle with themes of loss, despair, alienation, and dislocation.
4. Candles on Bay Street (2006)
While it’s not exactly a holiday movie, this 2006 film, shot in Chester, features Alicia Silverstone in her captivating “Other Woman” role, earning it a spot on our list. Set in a quaint Maine town, the plot unravels with Silverstone’s character, Dee-Dee, returning and rekindling an old obsession in her childhood neighbor, causing turmoil in his marriage. The film expertly uses themes of old flames and symbolic candles, weaving a narrative rich in emotional complexity and nostalgic allure.
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5. Your Money or Your Wife (2015)
When Lionel (Craig Brown) gets dumped by his girlfriend, he drowns his sorrows at a bar. On the snowy walk home, a drunken vision leads him into someone else’s garage, where he passes out. Waking up, he’s confronted by gun-toting Warren (Brian MacQuarrie), who mistakes Lionel for a master criminal named Mike, with whom Warren and his wife Elsie (Anna Valentina) have planned a burglary (without having met him). Lionel becomes an unwilling accomplice in a botched home invasion and meets the homeowner, Annie (Meredith MacNeil), whom he falls for. This screwball romantic comedy, directed by Iain MacLeod, who also wrote the screenplay, brims with situational humor and escalating jokes, making even the most cynical viewers laugh.
6. Cloudburst (2011)
Based on Thom Fitzgerald’s 2010 play, Cloudburst is a touching story of Stella (Olympia Dukakis) and Dotty (Brenda Fricker), a lesbian couple from Maine. After Dotty is moved into a nursing home by her granddaughter, the two set off on a Thelma and Louise-style road trip to Nova Scotia to get married. Along the way, they pick up Prentice (Ryan Doucette), a hitchhiking hustler visiting his dying mother. This bittersweet film explores themes of family, love, and commitment with humor and truth.
Conclusion
Are you nostalgic for a great time spent in Nova Scotia, simply inspired by the local beauty, or want to learn more about your home? Well, there are too many movies filmed in Nova Scotia to list them all. But if we had to choose, we should start with the ones listed. They will give you the emotions you came here for.