7 best movies ever made in Mississippi and a few bad ones. See our list

More and more movies are being made in Mississippi every year.

In 2023 alone, seven feature movies filmed in the state have debuted. Along with TV series such as "Hometown" in the last few years, 11 feature films also debuted in 2021 and 13 came along in 2020 as the world was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first film to be produced in Mississippi was a documentary in 1903, followed by the first feature film in 1914. Beginning in the 1970s, more films were made. Starting in the 2000s Mississippi became one of many states where producers wanted to film.

Here is a list of seven of some of the best movies ever made in Mississippi.

'O Brother Where Art Thou' (2000)

The 2000 musical/drama starring George Clooney, John Goodman and Holly Hunter, among others, is generally considered one of the best movies ever made in Mississippi.

Produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen, the movie was filmed in multiple locations throughout Mississippi. The sound track was also a hot ticket for many years after the making of the movie.

'The Help' (2011)

This 2011 film coming from the best-selling book of the same name by Kathryn Stockett dealing with stories from her youth growing up in a racially charged Mississippi, may be the biggest box office hit from the state.

The movie stars Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer. It grossed $216 million worldwide and received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. It also won a Screen Actors Guild award for Best Cast.

'Baby Doll' (1956)

Starring Karl Malden and Carroll Baker, this is one of most controversial movies ever made in Mississippi and wasn't shown in many theaters because of its sexual overtones.

The movie had great reviews and won the Golden Globe for Best Director. It also received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Screenplay from Mississippian Tennessee Williams.

'Mississippi Masala' (1991)

The hit, starring Denzel Washington and made by filmmaker Mira Nair, found new life in 2022 when it was re-released.

The movie is a love story between a woman born in India and a man living in Mississippi.

Nair has said that the movie is based, in part, on some of her own experiences.

It was recognized in 2001 by the American Film Institute as one of the best 100 love stories in the history of American cinema.

'Mississippi Burning' (1988)

This was a star-studded cast of Gene Hackman, Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe.

It was loosely based on the KKK killings of the civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman during the Freedom Summer of 1964.

The film won dozens of awards and was critically acclaimed. It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

'The Hollars' (2016)

This independent movie, which starred John Krasinski, Anna Kenrick and Margo Martindale, became a cult classic as it tells the story of a man going back into the dysfunctional world of his youth to care for his mother, who is having surgery.

It won many awards on the independent film award circuit and was critically acclaimed.

'The Reivers' (1969)

"The Reivers," starring Steve McQueen, comes from the last novel of the same name written by William Faulkner, which won a Pulitzer Prize. It follows the travels of an 11-year-old boy and his experiences.

The movie had multiple nominations from the Golden Globes and The Academy Awards, including for John Williams for Best Music. Williams went on to write music for Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park and many others.

Honorable mentions

Some other good movies made in Mississippi that you might remember but didn't quite make our cut include John Grisham's "A Time To Kill," "Crossroads" which starred Ralph Machio, the critically acclaimed 1966 thriller "This Property is Condemned" and finally the 1951 classic "Showboat."

A few flops

Some movies, however, don't quite live up to expectations. Here are just a few of those that were made in Mississippi.

'Stone Cold' (1991)

This movie has been long remembered for the scene in which former University of Oklahoma and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth rides a motorcycle through the Mississippi State Capitol Building.

These days, Bosworth is entertaining us with Diet Dr. Pepper commercials.

'The Ritual Killer' (2023)

Despite the fact that Morgan Freeman is in this movie and there are scenes in Madison, Jackson and Clinton that everyone from the Jackson metro area will recognize, it doesn't quite live up to some of the best that Freeman has given us over the years. If you do watch it, stick it out to the very last scene.

'Breaking News in Yuba County' (2021)

This Tate Taylor-directed movie that focuses on the death of a husband who is cheating on his wife also has good actors including Allison Janney and Ellen Barkin. While it has a couple of good moments, it is mostly a stinker.

'The Premonition' (1976)

While this film made mostly in the Jackson area features a young Ward Emling, who went on to be a stalwart at the Mississippi Film Office, is probably worth watching, it is mostly just to see if you can catch a glimpse of people you know walking around in the background.

'The Brain Machine' (1977)

This movie about a scientific experiment involving mind-reading and memory goes downhill quickly as the plot never gets uphill.

Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: 7 best movies made in Mississippi and a few bad ones