10 Oklahoma-made movies and where to watch them

Oklahoma, known for its wide-open plains, bustling cities, and rich cultural heritage, has become a hotbed for filmmaking in recent years.

The Sooner State is growing into one of the hottest places to film movies, not only for the temperature but the competitive tax rebates.

As Oklahoma and the rest of the world wait for 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' the million-dollar-a-minute Western crime drama directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, to be released in October, the Examiner-Enterprise put a short list together of other notable films that were made in Oklahoma and where to watch them.

'Twister' (1996)

Director: Jan de Bont

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes

Oklahoma locations: Wakita and Norman

Does the story involve Oklahoma? This Hollywood Blockbuster follows a group of storm chasers as they try to deploy a tornado research device called 'Dorothy' during a server weather outbreak across Oklahoma. Twister received Academy Awards nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound but was beaten by 'Independence Day.' Twister went on to become the second-highest gross film of 1996, behind, you guessed it, 'Independence Day,' always a bridesmaid and never a bride. The next installment of the film franchise, 'Twisters' is currently being filmed in Oklahoma.

Where to stream: Rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV

'August: Osage County' (2013)

Director: John Wells

Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, Misty Upham

Oklahoma locations: Pawhuska, Bartlesville, Ochelata and across Osage County

Does the story involve Oklahoma? This tragicomedy hosts a star-studded ensemble cast portraying a dysfunctional family convening in rural Pawhuska after the family's patriarch disappears. The film was adapted from Tulsa-born Tracy Letts' play which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The film was considered a modest commercial success and Streep and Roberts received Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectfully.

Where to stream: Netflix, Pluto TV and Tubi. Rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

'Outsiders' (1983)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett

Oklahoma locations: Owasso, Skiatook and Tulsa

Does the story involve Oklahoma? This Americana classic film is based on the coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton and explores the socioeconomic-driven conflict between the working class and upper-class teenagers in 1960s Tulsa. The historic Admiral Twin Drive-In is the backdrop for the film's initial conflict that sets in motion its tragic end. The young cast was packed with future Hollywood heartthrobs, including one of the world's highest-paid actors, Tom Cruise. The Outsiders house in Tulsa was restored in 2019 and turned into a museum for the film.

Where to stream: Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Rent on Apple TV.

'UHF' (1989)

Director: Jay Levey

Starring: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, David Bowe, Victoria Jackson

Oklahoma locations: Tulsa

Does the story involve Oklahoma? Nope. This comedy cult classic, filmed entirely in Tulsa, follows a zero-budget television station manager's effects to save the station from bankruptcy. "Weird Al' lives up to his moniker in this odd and eclectic film that he co-wrote and starred in. Tulsa was chosen because one of the producers worked on the 'Outsiders' and considered Tulsa a budget-friendly option. Even with its measly $5 million cost, it was considered a financial disappointment because it was overshadowed by major blockbusters released in the same summer like, 'Batman,' 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,' 'Ghostbusters II,' 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,' and 'Lethal Weapon 2.'

Where to stream: Pluto TV, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video. Rent on Apple TV.

'To The Wonder' (2012)

Director: Terrence Malick

Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem

Oklahoma locations: Bartlesville and Pawhuksa

Does the story involve Oklahoma? If you ask the critics, the film's an experimental cinematic impressionistic romantic poem that explores a couple's relationship after moving from Paris to Oklahoma with emotional vulnerability not seen in Hollywood. If you ask people who saw it, they would say they have no idea what they watched. This film embodies the "love it or hate it" experience that an audience can have.

Where to stream: Hulu, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video. Rent on Apple TV.

'Where the Red Fern Grows' (1974)

Director: Norman Tokar

Starring: James Whitmore, Beverly Garland, Stewart Petersen, Jack Ging

Oklahoma locations: Vian and Tahlequah

Does the story involve Oklahoma? Set in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression, this 1961 iconic autobiographical fiction children's novel by Wilson Rawls was adapted to film and tells the coming-of-age story of a boy who buys and raises coonhounds for hunting. Tahlequah hosts a Red Fern Festival each year featuring hound dog field trials and 1930s-era children's games. Disney remade the film in 2003, which was also filmed in Tahlequah.

Where to stream: Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. Rent on Apple TV.

'The Killer Inside Me' (2010)

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Ned Beatty, Elias Koteas, Tom Bower, Simon Bake, Bill Pullman

Oklahoma locations: Guthrie, Enid, Tulsa and Oklahoma City

Does the story involve Oklahoma? For once, a film set in Texas was filmed in Oklahoma and not the other way around. This crime drama film was adapted from Jim Thompson's 1952 novel. Let's keep this short, it's about a sociopath killer set in a 1950s Texas oil town, and the film has been criticized for its graphic depiction of violence toward women. So viewer discretion is advised.

Where to stream: Pluto TV, Tubi and Amazon Prime Video. Rent on Apple TV.

'Minari' (2020)

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, Will Patton

Oklahoma locations: Tulsa

Does the story involve Oklahoma? The award-winning dramatic film is about a Korean immigrant family that moves from California to rural Arkansas to start a farm growing Korean produce. Oklahoma does make it into the film as the family travels to Oklahoma City for a doctor's appointment. The film racked up six nominations from the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Youn Yuh-jung took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Korean to win an Academy Award for acting.

Where to stream: Youtube, Pluto TV and Tubi. Rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

'Grapes of Wrath' (1940)

Director: John Ford

Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Shirley Mills, John Qualen, Eddie Quillan

Oklahoma locations: Sayre

Does the story involve Oklahoma? Combine the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and Route 66 aka The Mother Road, and you get an epic story of the migration of Okies west toward the promised land of California. The film is based on John Stienbeck's 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and in 1989, was one of the first 25 films selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress.

Where to stream: Youtube, Pluto TV and Tubi. Rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

'Elusive' (2022)

Director: Nick Sanford

Starring: Bradchad Porter, Alex Sanchez

Oklahoma locations: Moore

Does the story involve Oklahoma? This indie film is set in the fictional town of Lofa, Oklahoma and features a would-be documentary filmmaker following a cryptozoologist searching for Bigfoot to impress his son. Obviously, hijinx ensues in this 'Unsolved Mysteries' meets 'Scooby Doo' meets 'Blair Witch Project' comedy film. It's an odd little duck, but it holds a special place in the hearts of Bartians as one of its graduates, Chris Butcher, helped produce this low-budget COVID-19 lockdown-era mockumentary.

Where to stream: Tubi. Rent Amazon Prime Video.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: 10 Oklahoma-made movies and where to watch them