Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer SFX
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
Keir Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey
Movies The 32 greatest sci-fi movie quotes
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in La La Land
Movies The 32 greatest Los Angeles movies of all time
Huntrix performing in KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix
Fantasy Movies The 10 best fantasy movies on Netflix to watch right now
Best alien movies of all time: Sigourney Weaver as Ripley wearing a spacesuit in the film, Alien.
Sci-Fi Movies The 10 best alien movies of all time
Rachel Sennott in Shiva Baby
Movies The 32 greatest movies under 90 minutes
The robot from Ex Machina
Movies The 32 greatest movies about technology
Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride
Movies The 32 greatest action movie quotes of all time
The Wild Robot still
Sci-Fi Movies The 10 best sci-fi movies on Netflix to watch right now
Stephen King
Horror Movies Stephen King names his favorite movies of all time, excluding his favorite Stephen King adaptations
Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movies The 32 greatest movie trilogies of all time
The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Movies From Ant-Man to The Rise of Skywalker, movie fans are discussing the films that break their own rules
Amy Adams as Louise Banks wearing an orange suit and holding up a sign that says "Human", during the sci-fi movie, Arrival.
Movies From one of Denis Villeneuve's best sci-fi movies to an early Christopher Nolan thriller, the internet is suggesting the movies you absolutely have to watch with no prior knowledge
Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith in Alex Garland's film Civil War.
Movies The 10 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
Yu Shu Lien from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Movies The 32 greatest action films ever made
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

10 awesomest fictional cities in the movies

Features
By Sarah Dobbs published 23 June 2015

10 places you won't see before you die

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

10 places you won't see before you die

10 places you won't see before you die

Ever wanted to step into the world of your favourite film? Depending on what your fave movie is, that might or might not be possible if you love Before Sunrise or Casablanca, for example, you can buy a plane ticket to Vienna or Morocco, but if your tastes run more to the fantastic, it might be trickier to arrange a pilgrimage. None of the cities on this list actually exists in the real world, and some of them you wouldnt wanna visit anyway, but why not let us play fictional travel agent anyway?

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
10. Zion, The Matrix (1999)

10. Zion, The Matrix (1999)

Location: Underground, in a secret location about 4km below the Earths surface.

Character: Desperate. Its the only human city left after the machines took over, so it functions as a place of refuge for the tiny percentage of the human race whose minds reject the Matrix. They might be better off learning to accept it, though, because Zions a pretty uncomfortable alternative.

Why its awesome: Because its a multi-layered underground city that manages to function (just about) even when the rest of the world has been destroyed.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
9. Basin City, Sin City (2005)

9. Basin City, Sin City (2005)

Location: Somewhere in the American west probably California?

Character: Grim. Basin City, aka Sin City, doesnt so much have a criminal underworld as a criminal over-world; theres corruption everywhere you look. Unless youre a criminal kingpin of some colour, youre gonna find Sin City pretty unwelcoming.

Why its awesome: Okay, we wouldnt wanna move there, but its one of the most stylish hellholes ever to grace the silver screen.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
8. The City, Brazil (1985)

8. The City, Brazil (1985)

Location: Unknown the city doesnt even have a name.

Character: Absurdist. Brazil pushes stereotypes of bureaucracy past their breaking point, creating a weird world of fatal printing errors and terrorists sick of the paperwork; the city might have been dreamed up by George Orwell if he was in a particularly whimsical mood.

Why its awesome: Its another place we wouldnt fancy living in, but for a brief visit it looks amazing the daft attempts that have been made to soften the edges of its Brutalist aesthetic make for a weirdly compelling landscape.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
7. Metropolis, Metropolis (1927)

7. Metropolis, Metropolis (1927)

Location: Somewhere in Germany.

Character: Divided its full of delights for its richer citizens to enjoy, while the underclasses are doomed to hard, dangerous, and short lives trying to keep all the generators running. Assuming you can find a place among the aristocracy (and avoid getting killed in a workers revolt) itd be a pretty great place to live.

Why its awesome: Mostly because it just looks so cool, with all its dramatic Futurist architecture and creepy yet striking statues.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
6. Gotham City, Batman and Robin (1997)

6. Gotham City, Batman and Robin (1997)

Location: On the East Coast, roughly where New York City is currently.

Character: Demented. Batmans home town has seen various incarnations in the movies and comics, but Schumachers version gets included here because its the most striking its drenched in neon, with all sorts of improbable architecture livening up the city skyline. Yes, there are terrifying criminals on every corner, but itd be worth it to live near enough to visit the Gotham Observatory.

Why its awesome: It looks like nowhere on Earth. Its just spectacular.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
5. Christmas Town, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

5. Christmas Town, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Location: At the North Pole.

Character: Jolly! The home of Santa Claus, his elves, and various other Christmas-related creatures, Christmas Town is Christmassy all year round. Theres always snow, always fairy lights, and always candy canes. What more could you want?

Why its awesome: Because its the permanent home of Christmas, officially the best time of the year. Or, okay, if thats not quite your thing, you could always go and hang out in Halloween Town, but Christmas Town is much cosier.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
4. Hogsmeade, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

4. Hogsmeade, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Location: Somewhere in the north-east of England, where Muggles arent likely to stray into town.

Character: Magical. Founded more than a thousand years ago and located conveniently near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogsmeade is one of those charmingly old-fashioned villages you see on Christmas cards.

Why its awesome: For magical types, it offers all the shopping opportunities you could want from Honeydukes sweet shop to Ollivanders wand shop plus plenty of places to hang out, including several wizard pubs.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
3. Emerald City, The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

3. Emerald City, The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Location: At the end of the Yellow Brick Road.

Character: Green. The home of the legendary Wizard is grand and green, with buildings made of green glass and jewels. Although everything might not be quite what it seems

Why its awesome: Its inhabitants are crying out for someone to start a street style blog, and the Wizard can grant pretty much any wish you care to name. Plus its loads better than the Haunted Forest

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
2. Cloud City, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

2. Cloud City, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Location: In the clouds, hovering above the gas planet Bespin.

Character: Luxurious, particularly in its upper levels. Established as a gas mining colony, its become better known as a kind of luxury holiday resort, packed with posh hotels and casinos. It should be the perfect place to stop and relax while your spaceships in for repairs, provided your visit doesnt coincide with that of an intergalactic dictator.

Why its awesome: Its a floating city! Whats not awesome about that?!

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
1. The Capitol, The Hunger Games (2012)

1. The Capitol, The Hunger Games (2012)

Location: West of the Rockies.

Character: Pampered. The Capitol is where the wealthiest citizens of Panem live while the citizens of the outer Districts slave away at whatever their areas specialism is, the inhabitants of the Capitol spend their time dyeing their skin bizarre colours and trying out new fashion styles. Yes, life in the Capitol is superficial and trivial, but its also a non-stop party.

Why its awesome: Because the citizens of the Capitol have access to all of lifes luxuries. They come at the expense of everyone else in the world, but when you can watch children fighting to the death on live TV, whos got time to worry about that?

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Sarah Dobbs
See more Movies Features
Read more
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
 
 
Keir Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey
The 32 greatest sci-fi movie quotes
 
 
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in La La Land
The 32 greatest Los Angeles movies of all time
 
 
Huntrix performing in KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix
The 10 best fantasy movies on Netflix to watch right now
 
 
Best alien movies of all time: Sigourney Weaver as Ripley wearing a spacesuit in the film, Alien.
The 10 best alien movies of all time
 
 
Rachel Sennott in Shiva Baby
The 32 greatest movies under 90 minutes
 
 
Latest in Movies
Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
 
 
Insidious
Arrowverse and Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stars to venture into The Further for upcoming horror sequel Insidious 6
 
 
Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Anaconda
Jack Black and Paul Rudd head out into the jungle to find a giant killer snake in meta first trailer for Anaconda
 
 
Huntrix onstage in KPop Demon Hunters
After becoming Netflix's most popular release ever, KPop Demon Hunters seems to be getting a short film – and it might be a prequel
 
 
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Anime is officially mainstream after Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, but where does it go from here?
 
 
Fantastic Four First Steps ending
Fantastic Four gag reel shows a whole new side to Marvel's First Family: "How do you say 'Oh f*ck' in Marvel land?"
 
 
Latest in Features
Chance Perdomo in Gen V
Is Chance Perdomo in Gen V season 2? How The Boys spin-off pays tribute
 
 
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows' new DLC weapon transforms Naoe into a samurai-bashing machine, and I'll never use anything else
 
 
Asa Germann as Sam Riordan in Gen V season 2
Gen V season 2 proves you can go bigger and bolder without relying on shock value, and The Boys' final season could learn a lot from the spin-off
 
 
Borderlands 4 tips picture showing enemies drawn into a singularity vortex while the player watches
Borderlands 4 does what Destiny couldn't: I'm finally back on the looter shooter train, and it feels like reliving my 60 hours in Borderlands 2
 
 
The key art for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight showing a shadowed Batman superimposed in front of a neon and spotlight lit Gotham City
I briefly mistook the new Lego Batman for modded Arkham footage, genuinely bamboozling me while making me more excited for the game than ever
 
 
A screenshot of a character looking bored during a cutscene in the trailer for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
September's Nintendo Direct told us a lot about the Switch 2's future, and I fear 2026 is the year I crack and buy another handheld
 
 
  1. Key art for Lego Voyagers showing the two lego heroes with red and blue brick eyes near a rocket
    1
    Lego Voyagers review: "A carefully crafted, playful, and earnest adventure"
  2. 2
    There's now a real version of the Witcher Gwent card game, and it's just as engrossing as the original
  3. 3
    Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
  4. 4
    This enormous exploration board game won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay
  5. 5
    Hollow Knight Silksong review: "Worth the wait and then some, this isn't just more Hollow Knight but an evolved, spindly beast all its own – even if it's fiddly at times"
  1. Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another
    1
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  2. 2
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  3. 3
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  4. 4
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  5. 5
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  1. The cast of Gen V season 2
    1
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  3. 3
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  4. 4
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  5. 5
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...