Big City Cinema: New York on Film

Sick of LA? NYC is ready for you to look upon its filmed splendor.

Overhead shots of New York City are some of the most commonplace openers of genres as varied as gangster dramas and rom-coms. Undressing the dense urbanity is a vertical challenge that the warm lingering streets of Los Angeles simply doesn’t have.

Aerial wonder and streetview grime emphasize the two American worlds: myth and reality. Understanding them both at once is a NYC specialty.

Luís Azevedo created a supercut of film’s treatment of the city throughout history that shows the diversity and similarity in its portrayals.

Jacob Oller: Jacob Oller writes everywhere (Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Playboy, FSR, Paste, etc.) about everything that matters (film, TV, video games, memes, life).