23 Best Movies Set in Venice, Italy to Inspire Your Trip

Venice is one of Italy’s most iconic cities.

It’s known around the world for its grand canals, strapping gondoliers, numerous ornate bridges and incomparable palaces dating back to the Renaissance.

The city was once the greatest port in Europe and the gateway to Asia. Venice is pretty compact considering its historic importance!

Today, it’s utterly overwhelmed with tourists and cruise ships. And, apparently, sinking at an alarming rate.

Nevertheless, Venice’s eternal popularity and cinematic settings mean there are many amazing movies set in Venice, Italy.

I visited Venice for the first time in April 2023. But I feel like I’d visited the city dozens of times beforehand in Venice movies!

There are so many, from wistful romances to horror and action genre films.

Watching a few films about Venice is the perfect way to inspire you to book a trip. Or, get you excited about a trip you’ve already planned!

Either way, here is my extensive list of the best movies in Venice to watch whenever you need more of the City of Bridges in your life.

I must warn you: most of these films are in the English language.

I know, but I’m an English speaker and you probably are too, so I’m very biased!

1. Top Hat (1935)

English | 101m
100% Rotten Tomatoes

While director Mark Sandrich didn’t shoot this screwball classic movie in Venice, it is set there.

Top Hat stars dynamic duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They play an American tap dancer and a model in London, respectively. He tries to win her affection, but she is under the impression he is married to her friend.

The latter part of Top Hat takes place entirely in Venice.

The pair take a romantic gondola ride and, of course, tap dance around the ‘canals’ and bridges’ in a Hollywood studio somewhere.

While the plot is a little thin, the magical dance scenes are why you watch a film like Top Hat! It’s a classic for a reason.

2. Summertime (1955)

English | 100m
94% Rotten Tomatoes

It’s interesting how many ‘women travel to Italy to escape their desperately lonely lives’ films there are.

I can think of at least four off the bat.

One of those films, which also happens to be one of the best movies set in Venice, Italy of all time, is Summertime.

David Lean’s classic film stars the late, great Katherine Hepburn. She portrays an unmarried secretary from Ohio who embarks on her dream trip to Venice.

Her busy itinerary includes the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, sipping espresso at Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco … Oh, and falling in love with a local.

Hepburn is magnetic, as always. I love watching films about Venice (or anywhere in Italy!) from a tourist’s perspective.

3. Death in Venice (1971)

English, French, Italian, Polish | 130m
67% Rotten Tomatoes

Death in Venice is based on a famous short story by Thomas Mann.

It’s set in the 1800s around the time of the Cholera epidemic and follows a composer with a wanky name (Gustav von Aschenbach) as he travels to Venice to convalesce.

He becomes infatuated with a teenage Polish boy staying at his hotel, the Grand Hôtel des Bains, who makes him feel enlivened.

The subject matter of Luchino Visconti’s Venice film isn’t the most wanderlust-inspiring (dying, nonce-y behaviour, etc.).

But, this arty film has some beautiful locations on the Lido and will perhaps introduce you to a new movie style/genre.

4. Don’t Look Now (1973)

English | 110m
97% Rotten Tomatoes

I’ll be honest, Don’t Look Now is a horror film so I’ve not seen it. I will, but I can’t watch it alone!

However, it’s notoriously one of the most influential horror movies filmed in Venice and in the 1970s. Plus, it was adapted from a Daphne du Maurier story and I love her. So, it must be good.

Nicolas Roeg’s movie follows an English couple played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie.

They travel to Venice sometime after the tragic death of their young daughter. I’m told she was partial to a red coat.

Despite the change of scenery, they cannot escape their grief and it continues to haunt them.

If you can’t stand wistful travel romance films and love a good thriller, Don’t Look Now is probably one of the best Venice films to watch before your trip!

5. Moonraker (1979)

English | 126m
59% Rotten Tomatoes

Moonraker wasn’t the first of the James Bond films set in Venice, Italy, and it won’t be the last.

Roger Moore is 007 in this iteration of the suave ladies’ man with a license to kill. He travels to Rio de Janeiro and Venice to investigate the hijacking of an American space shuttle.

Yes, this is the first (and so far only) Bond movie in Space! You have to thank the 1969 moon landing for the 1970s space craze.

He arrives in Venice by gondola, of course, and docks his boat by Piazza San Marco. There are lots of locations in this action-packed Venice movie, so it’s worth a watch.

6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

English | 128m
88% Rotten Tomatoes

Indiana Jones is undoubtedly one of the most adventurous, travel-inspiring franchises ever.

When planning a trip to Venice, the third installment Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the one you want to watch. Steven Spielberg

Mainly set in 1938, Harrison Ford’s ophidiophobic archaeologist is on a quest to find his father (Sean Connery). He is a Holy Grail scholar and Nazis have kidnapped him.

Steven Spielberg shot The Last Crusade in locations all over the world.

Andalucía in Spain, Petra in Jordan, Germany, England, and the states of Utah, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico in the USA also feature. I’m exhausted just typing out that list.

Indy heads to a library in Venice in search of his father, which now hosts a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. We’re treated to a lovely shot of Venice’s Grand Canal too.

7. The Comfort of Strangers (1990)

English | 107m
50% Rotten Tomatoes

This is a city for lovers. So, it’s not surprising that there are tonnes of romance movies in Venice, Italy.

British film The Comfort of Strangers, directed by Paul Schrader, stars Natasha Richardson and Rupert Everett as a couple on a return getaway to Venice.

Not long after they arrive, they meet a British-Italian couple played by Christopher Walken and Helen Mirren. The strangers lure the young couple into their mysterious, unsettling lives.

It’s a thriller, but a gorgeous one. And not just because of Natasha Richardson’s dreamy, gravity-defying curls. 

The Comfort of Strangers wasn’t well-received by critics at the time but the cast is 10/10. Some of the beautiful Venice locations include Hotel Gabrielli and Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore.

9. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

English, Italian | 139m
85% Rotten Tomatoes

This is one of my favourite travel films hands down.

The Talented Mr. Ripley has everything. Sun-drenched beach locales, steamy scenes, betrayal, and murder.

Matt Damon plays Tom, who talks his way into a trip to Italy to convince wealthy shipping heir Dickie (Jude Law) to return to New York City.

He becomes obsessed with Dickie and his lavish lifestyle and goes to extreme lengths to take it from him.

Oh, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchette, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star!

The latter part of the film takes place in Venice. You’ve also got scenes in the Bay of Naples and Rome to sink your teeth into.

10. Bread and Tulips (2000)

Italian | 114m
71% Rotten Tomatoes

Is this seriously the first Italian-language movie on my list of Venice films?! Jeez, my bad. 

Bread and Tulips is a little bit of a hidden gem. It might be hard to find on streaming services, but it’s just such a raw and endearing love story.

If you’ve ever dreamed about leaving everything and running away to begin a new life in Venice, this is the film for you.

Bread and Tulips follows an Italian housewife who impulsively decides to begin a new life in Venice (see, I wasn’t lying) when she’s accidentally left at a rest stop on a family bus trip.

What follows is a film about passion, adultery, and abandoning your responsibilities. My kind of movie! Not the adultery part, obviously.

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11. Italian for Beginners (2000)

Danish, Italian, English | 118m 
88% Rotten Tomatoes

Another romantic comedy with an extremely different aesthetic to Bread and Tulips. 

Directed by Lone Scherfig in the Dogme 95 style, Italian for Beginners is an exceptionally ‘realistic’ film. Scherfig abided by strict filmmaking guidelines including the use of handheld cameras and natural light only.

Italian for Beginners is primarily set in Denmark.

It follows an unlikely group of people brought together by an Italian language class which they joined for various reasons.

When one of the members receives a huge inheritance, she spends the money on a trip to Venice for her entire class.

It’s a must-see travel-inspiring film and quite a light-hearted, funny film, unlike most other Dogme 95 movies.

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12. The Italian Job (2003)

English | 110m
73% Rotten Tomatoes

A loose remake of The Italian Job (1969) starring Michael Caine, the 2003 version moves the action from Turin to Venice.

It’s one of the few action films set in Venice on this list, too, if you’re getting a bit sick of romcoms.

The production shut down many Venetian streets for filming, including the famous St Mark’s Square. And even though it doesn’t quite rival the original in quality, The Italian Job is still a decent watch.

The Italian Job is an updated version for the new millennium. Mark Wahlberg stars as a safecracker who seeks revenge on a former friend by stealing $35 million worth of gold bullion.

With the help of his expert team, of course.

The mini Cooper cars, stunning Venice locations, and entertaining heist plot are all still present and correct in The Italian Job.

13. The Merchant of Venice (2004)

English | 131m
71% Rotten Tomatoes

There are surprisingly few feature adaptations of this particular Shakespeare play.

In fact, this movie is the first. The Verona-set play Romeo and Juliet usually takes centre stage when it comes to adaptations.

Starring Al Pacino as the film’s villain Shylock, The Merchant of Venice is set in 16th-century Venice. When a merchant named Antonio (Jeremy Irons) can’t repay a loan, he quickly becomes desperate.

It’s a generally well-regarded film even though nobody saw it and it tanked at the box office.

But director Michael Radford did shoot the film in Venice. If you’ve ever wondered what the city might have looked like 400 years ago, this may be your chance!

Just be glad you’ll never know what Venice smelled like back then.

14. Chasing Liberty (2004)

English | 111m
18% Rotten Tomatoes

Chasing Liberty is a very difficult film to recommend.

If you were a pre-teen girl in the early noughties, as I was, you might be able to suffer through on the dreamy wanderlust vibes and nostalgia feels alone.

This is a film in the same sub-sub-genre of American teenage romcom travel films. Think The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), What a Girl Wants (2004), and Mary-Kate and Ashley films like When in Rome (2002).

You’ve been warned.

Mandy Moore stars as 18-year-old Anna Foster, who just so happens to be the President of the United States’ daughter.

Whilst tagging along on an official visit to Prague, Anna manages to escape the clutches of the Secret Service.

She ventures on an epic, carefree trip around major European cities like Berlin, London, and Venice.

Downton Abbey‘s Matthew Goode co-stars as her love interest. Personally, I would not mind cruising around Europe on the back of his Vespa a single bit.

15. Casanova (2005)

English | 112m
44% Rotten Tomatoes

The legendary figure of Casanova is synonymous with 17th-century Venice.

It makes total sense to discover more about this illustrious character before you visit. For, you know, historical reasons.

Heath Ledger plays Casanova, a hedonistic womaniser who must marry ASAP before he is arrested for crimes against sexual morality. He becomes entangled with a headstrong feminist and struggles to get his sh*t together.

Granted, it’s not one of the best films set in Venice but it’s a fun time. Heath Ledger is a hugely missed gem. Plus, director Lasse Hallström filmed Casanova entirely in Venice.

I think this Northern Italian city must be one of the most straightforward places to shoot period films. I doubt the city has changed much in 400 years!

16. Casino Royale (2006)

English | 144m
95% Rotten Tomatoes

Casino Royale is the 21st entry in the James Bond series and might just be my favourite of the franchise.

I know, Sean Connery is supposedly the best Bond actor, etc. but Daniel Craig is my era’s Bond.

Casino Royale reboots the series a little by taking place at the beginning of the MI7 agent’s career before he earns his license to kill. M sends him to infiltrate a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro before convalescing in Venice after the ordeal.

Casino Royale doesn’t country-hop as much as some of the other films in the Bond series, so Venice is one of the main settings. And, it’s an amazing film regardless!

17. Brideshead Revisited (2008)

English, Arabic, French, Italian, Latin | 133m
62% Rotten Tomatoes

Brideshead Revisited would make a great double feature with The Wings of the Dove. They’re both novel adaptations from a similar period about upper-middle-class English folk gallivanting in Venice.

Perfect for Downton Abbey fans.

Only a snippet of the film is set in Venice, but this snippet is worth watching the entire film.

Matthew Goode stars as Charles, a man who befriends the wealthy Lord Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw). He becomes wrapped up in the Lord’s life and family, including his opulent estate at Brideshead.

They both visit Venice early in the film, stay in a gorgeous Italian villa, and wander the narrow streets at night. 

18. The Tourist (2009)

English | 103m
20% Rotten Tomatoes

I did consider burying this horrific excuse of a movie deep within the ‘honourable mentions’ section at the end of this post.

But, I realised The Tourist has one key element that makes it worthy of a place on this list: the cinematography is gorgeous and showcases some hella dreamy vistas of the canal-laden city. This is The Tourist‘s one saving grace.

If it had another saving grace, it’s become one of the most famous movies filmed in Venice, Italy.

Starring Hollywood elite actors Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, The Tourist centres around two apparent strangers. Frank is a lonely maths teacher from Wisconsin on vacation. Elise Clifton-Ward (what a wanky name) is an undercover Scotland Yard agent.

This film’s plot is such a mess. However, its mise-en-scène is unrivalled if you just want to stare at Venice.

I recommend muting the film and playing in the background while you vacuum and fold laundry. You might enjoy it more this way.

19. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

English | 129m
90% Rotten Tomatoes

Of course, one of the entries on my list of the best movies set in Venice is one I’ve rewatched again and again: Spider-Man: Far from Home. 

Or, Peter Parker’s European Vacation.

It’s part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a fantastic followup to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

In Far From Home, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is still suffering in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame (2019). He jumps at the chance to escape his problems with a class trip to Europe and stops in Venice, Austria, Prague, Berlin, the Netherlands, and London. 

However, when Nick Fury needs your help, you do not let it go to voicemail …

Basically, it’s a superhero and wanderlust-inspiring film all in one. Who wouldn’t enjoy watching that?!

Lots of gorgeous shots of Venice (like the Rialto Bridge) early in the film, too.

20. The Souvenir (2019)

English | 119m
90% Rotten Tomatoes

‘Mainstream’ indie films are my bread and butter, so of course, I had to throw one in.

The Souvenir is set in the 1980s. It follows an ambitious film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) as she embarks on her first serious relationship with a mysterious man, Anthony (Tom Burke).

Filmmaker Joanna Hogg shot most of the movie in London. However, the mystery man invites Julie on a trip to Venice.

It’s not the cheeriest film but the cinematography is lush.

If you like serious, award-winning, moody dramas, The Souvenir is for you.

21. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

English | 163m
96% Rotten Tomatoes

James Bond, Indiana Jones, Marvel, and now Mission: Impossible. Every big action franchise is including Venice on their call sheet!

This is the seventh installment in the high-octane, high-stakes series.

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, a highly trained spy. In Dead Reckoning Part One, the IMF team faces off against the Entity, a powerful rogue AI.

They travel to Venice to infiltrate a party hosted by an arms dealer before departing the city on the Orient Express.

Did you know this is one of the most expensive movies ever made? The budget was $291 million!!

Worth it, though. I’m not a huge action movie fan but I appreciate the heck out of these films.

22. A Haunting in Venice (2023)

English | 103m
75% Rotten Tomatoes

One of the more recent movies set in Venice, Italy is A Haunting in Venice.

It’s part of director/lead actor Kenneth Branagh’s new Poirot passion project. It follows Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022).

This particular story is based on the Agatha Christie book Hallowe’en Party. She didn’t set the original in Venice, but changing locales now and again can breathe new life into a story.

In the movie, Poirot is retired and living in self-imposed exile in Venice. He reluctantly attends a seance in a dilapidated, haunted palazzo and is forced to hunt ghosts when one of the guests is murdered.

It’s a fun, easy weekend watch. Naturally, there’s an all-star cast and sweeping shots of Venice too!

23. Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

English | 108m
46% Rotten Tomatoes

Is it weird that I’ve seen this sequel movie and not the original Book Club (2018)?

Unsurprisingly, I mostly watch travel films! And I like catching new movies in Venice, Italy while they’re still new.

Book Club: The Next Chapter stars phenomenal actresses Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen.

When one of the group becomes engaged, they take a Bachelorette trip to Italy. Their destinations are Rome, Tuscany, and, of course, Venice.

They stay at the five-star Hotel Danieli in Venice.

Another fun, lighthearted movie to watch with the girls!

Honourable Mentions

There are honestly dozens of movies that take place in Venice. It was SO hard to narrow down this list!

But I can’t help myself and I want to include more. So, here are some honourable mentions:

• The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1951)
• From Russia with Love (1963)
• Fellini’s Casanova (1976)
• Only You (1994)
• Dangerous Beauty (2008)
• Unforgiveable (2011)
• One Chance (2013)
• Meet Me in Venice (2015)
• Inferno (2016)
• When in Venice (2021)

That’s a Wrap!

Those are all the best movies set in Venice, Italy I think will inspire you to visit this gorgeous city!

You can find them on Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming platforms.

Want to chat with other film fans about your travels to Venice?

Join the Filming Locations Fan Club Facebook Group!

Or, stay on the site and read one of my related guides:

• Inferno Filming Locations
• Spider-Man: Far From Home Locations
• The Talented Mr. Ripley Filming Locations
• Brideshead Revisited Filming Locations
• Top Films Set in Rome to Watch Before Your Trip
• Amazing Films Set in Italy to Inspire you to Visit
• TV Shows About Italy To Watch Before Your Trip