• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Guides
    • Top 10 London
  • Contact

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London



You are here: Home / Columns / London Fiver / The London Fiver – Five Movies That Make Modern London Look Beautiful

The London Fiver – Five Movies That Make Modern London Look Beautiful

Aug 2, 2018 By John Rabon 2 Comments

Scenery porn is a phrase used to describe camera shots in films and TV programmes that take a long view of the landscape.  Any production that films in a city certainly isn’t immune to it and London has a lot to show off.  With that in mind, cinematographers certainly love to linger on shots of London’s skyline and landmarks, making our mouths water at the thought of visiting the city.  With so many movies filmed in London, it can be hard to pick only five that really make the city look outstanding, so feel free to offer five of your favorites in the comments.

Skyfall/Spectre

Director Sam Mendes really loves good views of London, it seems.  Of course, this should be no surprise given that Road to Perdition, American Beauty, and Revolutionary Road are such visually stunning pieces.  No less is true for the double-0 act of Skyfall and Spectre.  Whether it’s Bond looking out over Whitehall in the former film’s climax or the breathtaking views of the city at night in the latter, each shot of London is breathtaking.

Love Actually

Longtime London resident Richard Curtis certainly likes to show off his city, and it couldn’t be truer of his directorial debut.  Focusing on the different forms of love and relationships between people, we get to see many parts of London in this 2003 classic.  What’s more, because it’s set at Christmastime, the audience gets quite an eyeful of the city lit up with holiday decorations.  Most of the shots are brief glimpses of London between scenes, but there are a number of lingering views of the Thames, Wandsworth, and other parts of the city that give you a full picture one of the planet’s greatest metropolises.

28 Days Later

A weird choice to be sure, but not when you really think about it.  The 2002 zombie film spends most of its time away from London, but the first act of the story takes places in a city wiped clean by the post-apocalypse.  When Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in St. Thomas Hospital, the city is practically abandoned as people have fled the infected.  This gives us a significant number of shots of Jim wandering spots from Westminster Bridge to Royal Exchange completely uncrowded, letting the audience appreciate the sheer beauty of the buildings (even if it is quite creepy).

Notting Hill

Back to Richard Curtis again, though for a film he wrote rather than directed.  Set in the neighborhood in which Curtis lived, director Roger Michell certainly does an excellent job showing off the area’s many charms.  The travel bookshop, markets, parks, and that famous blue door all get shots that make Notting Hill look like one of the most beautiful places in the city to live, so much so that it leads a glamorous movie star to settle down in the neighborhood with the shop owner.  One can certainly argue that the film did as much for Notting Hill’s tourism as Carnival.

Harry Potter Franchise

Of course, the entirety of the eight Harry Potter films don’t take place exclusively at Hogwarts, and throughout the franchise, major London landmarks get their screen time.  Leadenhall Market is shown as the entrance to wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron, King’s Cross has a gateway to the Hogwarts Express, and New Square is hiding the Black family home.  Later films make a great deal of displaying other famous landmarks including the Millennium Bridge, Picadilly Circus, and the Palace of Westminster.  No matter whether the film is directed by Chris Columbus, David Yates, or the franchise’s other helmers, London is always going to be front and center in the films.

 

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Related

Filed Under: Featured, London Annual, London Fiver, Movies

Download Our Mobile App!


Read Anglotopia on your Mobile Phone. A completely ad-free reading experience. Listen to our podcast in the app. Watch our videos in the app. All without ads! Available for iOS and Android.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christopher Pavlick says

    Aug 2, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    Very nice choices! I think the film “Last Chance Harvey” (2008) also shows London in a beautiful, modern light too! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Hortensia Gomez-Tirella says

    Aug 7, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    Great choices! Bridget Jones’s Diary also has some great shots of the city and bridges when she is walking to work, etc. Also, Richard Curtis was one of the screenwriters!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

The London Quiz

Support Londontopia by Buying the 2020 Calendar

Anglotopia 2020 Calendar – Shipping October/November

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

Sign-up for Free London Weekly Updates!



London Guide

  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Top 10 London

  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Merton, London
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Barking & Dagenham
  • Top Ten London: Top 10 London Street Markets
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Enfield
  • Top Ten Works of Art to See at the Tate Britain
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Waltham Forest
  • Top Ten Things to Do in Kensington
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Wandsworth

Search our Extensive Archive

Watch Our London Videos!

Recent Posts

  • London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Stepney
  • The London Fiver – Five Things to Do in December
  • London Alert: Black Friday Sale is ON – Big Discounts On Everything We Have In Stock!
  • Fancy a Pint? Ten of London’s Most Beautiful Pubs
  • On Her Majesty’s Appointment – Shops in London that Serve the Royal Family
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and do in Kennington
  • The London Fiver – Five Things to Do in London Before Christmas
  • Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery
  • Hidden London Announces New Tour: London Moorgate Disused Station Tour

Follow us on Instagram!

Load More...Follow on Instagram

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Clapham Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Natural History Museum Notting Hill Palace of Westminster Piccadilly Circus Portobello Road Putney Queen's Gallery Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey Windsor Castle

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2020.

Link Partners

  • AmoMama Entertainment News

Top Posts & Pages

  • Language: Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases
    Language: Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases
  • Tower Bridge: 10 Facts and Figures About London's Tower Bridge You Probably Didn't Know
    Tower Bridge: 10 Facts and Figures About London's Tower Bridge You Probably Didn't Know
  • New London Street Slang - Fun British Slang
    New London Street Slang - Fun British Slang
  • London and the Industrial Revolution
    London and the Industrial Revolution
  • The London Fiver – Five of the Best Video Game Arcades in London
    The London Fiver – Five of the Best Video Game Arcades in London
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Knightsbridge and South Kensington
    Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Knightsbridge and South Kensington
  • Streets of London: London's Most Unique Street Names and Their Fascinating Histories
    Streets of London: London's Most Unique Street Names and Their Fascinating Histories
  • London History: A Guide to Metroland - The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
    London History: A Guide to Metroland - The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube
  • Blog
    Blog
  • London Taxis: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about London Taxis You Might Not Have Known
    London Taxis: 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about London Taxis You Might Not Have Known

Sign-up for Free London Weekly Updates!



Copyright © 2019 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.