New Jersey Movies and TV Shows
by gregbarnes | created - 10 Aug 2017 | updated - 29 Apr 2022 | PublicThis is a list of the movies and television shows that I know of that are supposed to have been based in New Jersey. Not all of these movies/shows were actually filmed in NJ, but it's where the stories take place.
When I get the time, I'll list the city or cities that correspond to the movies/shows. Or not.
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1. Atlantic City (1980)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon, Kate Reid, Michel Piccoli
Votes: 18,300
2. Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
PG | 95 min | Drama, Music, Mystery
A television newswoman picks up the story of a 1960s rock band whose long-lost leader Eddie Wilson may still be alive, while searching for the missing tapes of the band's never-released album.
Director: Martin Davidson | Stars: Tom Berenger, Michael Paré, Joe Pantoliano, Matthew Laurance
Votes: 8,469 | Gross: $4.79M
3. Down the Shore (1992–1993)
30 min | Comedy
A sitcom about a New Jersey Shore vacation house. Down the shore is how the locals refer to it.
Stars: Louis Mandylor, Cathryn de Prume, Anna Gunn, Lew Schneider
Votes: 92
4. Jersey Girl (1992)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Toby Mastallone (Jami Gertz) wants to trade her local diner for upmarket dates in Manhattan. But what is a New Jersey schoolteacher who longs to look 'like a city girl' to do? Ever ... See full summary »
Director: David Burton Morris | Stars: Jami Gertz, Dylan McDermott, Sheryl Lee, Aida Turturro
Votes: 1,769
5. Clerks (1994)
R | 92 min | Comedy
A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer
Votes: 232,382 | Gross: $3.15M
6. The Toxic Avenger (1984)
R | 82 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when meek mop boy Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.
Directors: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman | Stars: Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Jennifer Babtist, Cindy Manion
Votes: 32,165
7. New Jersey Drive (1995)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. Their favourite pastime is that of everybody in their ... See full summary »
Director: Nick Gomez | Stars: Shar-Ron Corley, Gabriel Casseus, Saul Stein, Gwen McGee
Votes: 3,453 | Gross: $3.57M
8. Cop Land (1997)
R | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Sheriff of a suburban New Jersey community, populated by New York City police officers, slowly discovers the town is a front for mob connections and corruption.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro
Votes: 106,411 | Gross: $44.89M
9. The Sopranos (1999–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 471,518
10. Lean on Me (1989)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama
The dedicated but tyrannical Joe Clark is appointed the principal of a decaying inner-city school he is determined to improve by any and all means.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume, Alan North
Votes: 22,989 | Gross: $31.91M
11. New Jersey Turnpikes (1999)
Comedy
A mockumentary about The New Jersey Turnpikes, a failing basketball team.
Director: Bryan Buckley | Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Roberta Angelica, Susan Anton, Darryl M. Bell
Votes: 75
12. That's Life (2000–2002)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Comedy
Lydia DeLucca is a New Jersey waitress who wants more from her life than just marriage and kids. So she breaks off her engagement and heads off to college. This doesn't make her ex-boyfriend happy and her family isn't too supportive.
Stars: Heather Dubrow, Ellen Burstyn, Kevin Dillon, Paul Sorvino
Votes: 514
13. American Desi (2001)
Not Rated | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
College freshman Krishna Reddy, who has never cared for his Indian-American cultural heritage, looks forward to a new life on campus but is surprised to find that he has been assigned ... See full summary »
Director: Piyush Dinker Pandya | Stars: Deep Katdare, Ronobir Lahiri, Purva Bedi, Rizwan Manji
Votes: 1,669 | Gross: $0.90M
14. The Station Agent (2003)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Paul Benjamin
Votes: 73,430 | Gross: $5.74M
15. Garden State (2004)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.
Director: Zach Braff | Stars: Zach Braff, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm
Votes: 223,209 | Gross: $26.78M
16. Jersey Girl (2004)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A widower must look after his precocious daughter and rebuild his life and career after he's sidelined by an unexpected tragedy and a personal blowup.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, Betty Aberlin
Votes: 70,477 | Gross: $25.27M
17. House M.D. (2004–2012)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Mystery
Using a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer
Votes: 513,670
18. War of the Worlds (2005)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
Votes: 475,336 | Gross: $234.28M
19. Point Pleasant (2005)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A series of supernatural events begins in a small coastal New Jersey town after the arrival of a mysterious teenage girl, who apparently has the ability to influence the people and events around her.
Stars: Elisabeth Harnois, Grant Show, Sam Page, Aubrey Dollar
Votes: 2,522
20. Guess Who (2005)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Romance
A young woman, Theresa, brings her boyfriend, Simon, home to meet her parents and surprise them with the news of their engagement. Another surprise: Simon is white.
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan | Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott
Votes: 45,763 | Gross: $68.92M
21. Sherrybaby (2006)
R | 96 min | Drama
Sherry tries to integrate again into society and become a good mother.
Director: Laurie Collyer | Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Bottoms, Michelle Hurst
Votes: 12,064 | Gross: $0.20M
22. Clerks II (2006)
R | 97 min | Comedy
A calamity at Dante and Randal's shops sends them looking for new horizons - but they ultimately settle at the fast food empire Mooby's.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes
Votes: 140,683 | Gross: $24.15M
23. Mercy (2009–2010)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama
Three nurses deal with patients and personal issues at Mercy Hospital.
Stars: Taylor Schilling, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jaime Lee Kirchner, James Tupper
Votes: 3,070
24. Jersey Shore (2009–2012)
TV-14 | 40 min | Comedy, Reality-TV, Romance
A reality-based look at the vapid lives of several New Jersey 20-somethings and their respective friends and/or hook-ups.
Stars: Paul 'Pauly D' DelVecchio, Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola, Nicole Polizzi, Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino
Votes: 24,522
25. The Real Housewives of New Jersey (2009– )
TV-14 | 44 min | Reality-TV
Another installment of Bravo's "The Real Housewives" reality show. In this series, they focus on housewives living in New Jersey.
Stars: Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Joe Gorga, Dolores Catania
Votes: 4,031
26. Jerseylicious (2010– )
TV-PG | Reality-TV
Explores the friendships of some of the residents living in New Jersey, having to deal with everyday drama and relationship problems.
Stars: Gayle Giacomo, Christy Pereira, Tracy Dimarco, Olivia Blois Sharpe
Votes: 768
27. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 203,175
28. Down the Shore (2011)
R | 93 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
The lives of three childhood friends on the Jersey Shore begin to unravel when a secret from their past is revealed.
Director: Harold Guskin | Stars: Famke Janssen, James Gandolfini, John Magaro, Michael Gandolfini
Votes: 1,454 | Gross: $0.00M
29. The Oranges (2011)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The enduring friendship between the Walling and Ostroff families is tested when Nina, the prodigal Ostroff daughter, returns home for the holidays after a five-year absence and enters into an affair with David, head of the Walling family.
Director: Julian Farino | Stars: Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Allison Janney
Votes: 13,530 | Gross: $0.36M
30. Bikini Barbershop: Jersey (2012– )
60 min | Reality-TV
Stars: Ceazar Reyes, Alex Kruz, Maytal Angel, Natalie Gray
Votes: 83
31. One for the Money (2012)
PG-13 | 91 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.
Director: Julie Anne Robinson | Stars: Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo
Votes: 44,122 | Gross: $26.41M
32. Not Fade Away (2012)
R | 112 min | Drama
Set in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big.
Director: David Chase | Stars: John Magaro, Jack Huston, Will Brill, Brahm Vaccarella
Votes: 4,951 | Gross: $0.61M
33. Girl Most Likely (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy
A failed New York playwright awkwardly navigates the transition from Next Big Thing to Last Year's News.
Directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini | Stars: Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss
Votes: 16,030 | Gross: $1.38M
34. Jersey Justice (2014)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Thriller
A suburban woman witnesses her husbands murder, and decides to seek revenge in a 24 hr period. Along the way, Polly O'Bannon finds others who share her taste for revenge in the Pinelands of South Jersey.
Director: John Charles Hunt | Stars: Blanche Baker, Bo Svenson, Christopher Mann, Sal Mazzotta
Votes: 137
35. Paterson (2016)
R | 118 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Nellie, Rizwan Manji
Votes: 88,967 | Gross: $2.14M
36. King of Newark (2016)
105 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Malcolm Graves past comes back to haunt him as he faces the consequences of his right and wrong decisions on trust, loyalty, lies, and the violence he created in this riveting sequel to Living With No Regrets (2013).
Director: Ebb Friday | Stars: Alonzo Herran JR, Clifton Powell, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Omar Gooding
Votes: 41
37. Brave New Jersey (2016)
TV-MA | 86 min | Comedy, History
A comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles' legendary 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which led millions of listeners to believe the U.S. was being invaded by Martians.
Director: Jody Lambert | Stars: Anna Camp, Heather Burns, Tony Hale, Erika Alexander
Votes: 675 | Gross: $8.92M
38. The Dunning Man (2017)
91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Connor Ryan, out of a job and dumped by his girlfriend, returns to Atlantic City to try to rebuild his life with the last source of income that he has -- a few apartments in a low-rise ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Clayton | Stars: James Carpinello, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Nicoye Banks, Jeff Rose
Votes: 92
39. King of Newark 2 (2018)
Crime
After an assassination attempt, Mayor Malcolm Graves fights to regain control of his life and city while saving his son from making the same mistakes of his past. Based on Living With No Regrets (2013), and King of Newark (2016).
Director: Jamal Hall | Stars: Alonzo Herran JR, Eric Roberts, Chuck Zito, Lillo Brancato
Votes: 21
40. Outmatched (2020)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A working-class couple raise their genius kids in South Jersey.
Stars: Jason Biggs, Maggie Lawson, Tisha Campbell, Ashley Boettcher
Votes: 2,268
41. ReVerso (2024– )
Crime | Pre-production
Geno Cavelli, an Atlantic City mob boss, seeks social and political influence to expand his criminal operations, aiming to become a prominent figure in the community.
Stars: Omar Gooding, Sticky Fingaz, Maino, Devonne Goode
42. Dutch (I) (2021)
R | 109 min | Action
For Dutch, survival is the ultimate score, and power is the deadliest high of all. When he gains control of an African drug lord's stolen heroin business, Dutch quickly makes it the most feared drug empire on the East Coast.
Director: Preston A. Whitmore II | Stars: Malcolm David Kelley, Robert Costanzo, Lance Gross, Natasha Marc
Votes: 588
43. Method & Red (2004)
30 min | Comedy, Music
Two street-wise, urban rap artists move into a comfortable suburban neighborhood in New Jersey and try to fit in with the predominantly white residents.
Stars: Method Man, Redman, Anna Maria Horsford, Beth Littleford
Votes: 701
44. Bless This House (1995–1996)
30 min | Comedy
A sarcastic postal worker and his equally-snarky wife raise their kids in a small apartment in New Jersey, hoping to move into a more spacious house.
Stars: Andrew Dice Clay, Cathy Moriarty, Don Stark, Raegan Kotz
Votes: 103
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