The 10 essential movies to watch before your trip to Canada

Are you planning your next road trip to Canada? Before hitting the Trans-Canada Highway, start your journey from your couch. This selection isn’t just about big landscapes: it also immerses you in the culture, humor, and stories that shape the country. Bonus: your ear will get used to the Québécois accent and a few expressions.

Got the popcorn ready? Settle in: these 10 gems will take you from one ocean to the other and help you feel, understand, and love Canada… even before you’ve finished packing your bags.

1. The Revenant

📍 Canadian West

• Director : Alejandro G. Iñárritu
• Year : 2015
• Runtime : 2h36
• Genre : Adventure, Drama, Western
• Main cast : Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson

Dive into the heart of Canada’s wild landscapes through this epic survival story starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film transports us to the mountains of the Alberta Rockies and the majestic forests of British Columbia.

The spectacular scenes filmed near Canmore and in the Bow Valley will give you a taste of the breathtaking views that await you on your journey. The Squamish area, with its sheer slopes and wild rivers, serves as the backdrop for several memorable sequences.

A total immersion in these territories you’ll soon be able to explore for yourself.

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2. One Week

📍From Ontario to British Columbia

• Director : Michael McGowan
• Year : 2008
• Runtime : 1h34
• Genre : Drama, Adventure
• Main cast : Joshua Jackson, Liane Balaban, Campbell Scott

A Canadian road movie that’ll give you a powerful urge to hit the road! After a life-changing diagnosis, Ben Tyler hops on his motorcycle and heads from Toronto to Tofino, stopping at typically Canadian landmarks: Sudbury’s Big Nickel, the iconic Husky the Muskie in Kenora, then the Rockies around Banff – before reaching the Pacific Ocean on Vancouver Island.

Sprinkled with touching encounters and breathtaking landscapes, this journey of discovery will surely inspire your own adventure along the Trans-Canada Highway. Music lovers will appreciate the 100% Canadian soundtrack, featuring legendary bands like The Tragically Hip.

A great intro for your own Trans-Canada crossing.

3. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

📍Nunavut

• Director : Zacharias Kunuk
• Year : 2001
• Runtime : 2h52
• Genre : Drama, History
• Main cast : Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq

The first feature film shot entirely in Inuktitut, this movie transports us to the magnificent landscapes of Nunavut. Filmed in Igloolik, a small island in Baffin Bay, Atanarjuat immerses us in the heart of Inuit traditions.

This ancestral legend comes alive in the vast expanses of the Canadian Arctic, where the raw beauty of the frozen landscapes forms the backdrop for an epic tale of love and revenge. The memorable scene of Atanarjuat running naked on the ice offers a striking glimpse of this harsh environment.

The breathtaking views of the arctic tundra and the authentic portrayal of traditional Inuit life make this film a unique immersion into the Canadian Far North.

4. This Time Around (Chez les beaux-parents)

📍Quebec City

• Director : James A. Woods, Nicolas Wright
• Year : 2023
• Runtime : 1h41
• Genre : Romantic Comedy
• Main cast : Zach Braff, Evelyne Brochu, Lucie Guest, Antoine Olivier Pilon

This romantic comedy lets you discover Quebec City at its most beautiful. Montreal-based directors James A. Woods and Nicolas Wright showcase the Petit-Champlain neighborhood, Saint-Paul Street, and the Dufferin Terrace in their love letter to the capital.

Scenes shot at the Château Frontenac provide a preview of the historic luxury awaiting you. You’ll follow the characters’ steps through the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec, where European architecture blends with typical Quebec cafés.

The views of the St. Lawrence River and the colorful rooftops of the lower town will surely inspire you to visit this jewel of UNESCO’s world heritage.

5. Seducing Doctor Lewis (La grande séduction)

📍Côte-Nord (Quebec)

• Director : Jean-François Pouliot
• Year : 2003
• Runtime : 1h48
• Genre : Comedy
• Main cast : Raymond Bouchard, David Boutin, Benoît Brière

This cult Quebec film transports you to the charming village of Harrington Harbour, on the Lower North Shore. With its boardwalks and colorful houses, this little haven of peace serves as the backdrop to a touching story of villagers willing to do anything to attract a doctor.

Filming lasted a month in this community accessible only by boat or plane. Locals participated as extras, giving the film a rare authenticity. The stilted walkways and the village wharf have become iconic spots you can visit today.

The unique atmosphere of this coastal village and its endless maritime views will immerse you in the film’s mood. A trip to Harrington Harbour lets you walk in the characters’ footsteps and discover this little paradise that charmed so many viewers.

6. Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life

📍Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec

• Director : Éric Tessier
• Year : 2012
• Runtime : 1h52
• Genre : Drama, Sport
• Main cast : Antoine Olivier Pilon, Rémi Goulet, Alice Morel-Michaud

A touching story set in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, where a team of young hockey players dreams of competing in the prestigious Quebec Pee-Wee Tournament.

The hockey scenes make you feel the intensity of Canada’s national sport as if you were there. The film perfectly captures the mood of local arenas and the passion young people have for hockey, while showcasing Quebec’s winter beauty.

The winter landscapes and thrilling matches offer an authentic taste of Quebecois sports traditions. A great way to discover how hockey shapes local culture, from outdoor rinks to big arenas.

7. Elvis Gratton: The King of Kings

📍Montreal and its suburbs, Quebec

• Director : Pierre Falardeau, Julien Poulin
• Year : 1985
• Runtime : 1h15
• Genre : Comedy
• Main cast : Julien Poulin, Yves Trudel, Denis Trudel

A cult phenomenon in Quebec, this satire follows Bob Gratton, a suburban garage owner and an impromptu Elvis impersonator, propelled from a local contest all the way to the tropics of “Santa Banana”. Shot in the suburbs of Montreal (Châteauguay, Laval, Mascouche) and as far as Mirabel, the film joyfully captures everyday life in the 80s: residential streets, garages, shopping malls, community centers… everything exudes authenticity.

And for our readers in France: Elvis Gratton is a bit like our “Père Noël est une ordure” or “Les Bronzés” — a cult comedy, biting, endlessly quoted, now part of pop heritage.

Result: a suburban road movie as biting as it is vintage, whose catchphrase, of course, remains: “Think big, sti!”

💬 Quick aside: some jokes have aged a bit poorly (era stereotypes, sometimes heavy humor). Watch with a sense of irony, more for the context and satire than for sharp wit.

8. Bon Cop, Bad Cop

📍Quebec and Ontario

• Director : Erik Canuel
• Year : 2006
• Runtime : 1h57
• Genre : Comedy, Action, Crime
• Main cast : Patrick Huard, Colm Feore, Lucie Laurier

Here is the most bilingual cop comedy in Canada! Shot between Montreal and Toronto, this cult film follows two cops who are total opposites: one is a Quebecer with colorful language, the other an Ontarian as stiff as the Queen. When a body is found on the border between the two provinces, they have to team up... and deal with their cultural differences.

The action scenes will have you discovering the iconic neighborhoods of both metropolises, while the witty dialogue will introduce you to the subtleties of Quebec French. A buddy movie that humorously plays on stereotypes between Anglophones and Francophones, while delivering a gripping police investigation.

💬 Note: The film’s success led to "Bon Cop Bad Cop 2" in 2017. A television series is currently being filmed in Quebec, with new faces joining the original team.

9. Togo

📍Rockies, Alberta

• Director : Ericson Core
• Year : 2019
• Runtime : 1h53
• Genre : Adventure, Drama, Biography
• Main cast : Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl

Lovers of the great outdoors will be thrilled! This Disney+ film was shot in extreme conditions in the heart of Alberta, notably in Cochrane and on the frozen Lake Abraham.

Director Ericson Core chose to avoid green screens to capture the authenticity of the Canadian Rockies. The spectacular action scenes on ice were filmed on a real lake, with nearly two meters of ice thickness to ensure crew safety.

The winter landscapes of western Canada superbly serve this true story from 1925. For ten days, the crew braved intense cold to immortalize the sled scenes in the pristine powder of the Alberta mountains.

Breathtaking panoramas that you’ll no doubt discover during your next road trip in western Canada.

10) Heartland (series)

📍High River, Alberta

• Creator : Murray Shostak
• First aired : 2007
• Runtime : 45 minutes per episode
• Genre : Family Drama
• Main cast : Amber Marshall, Shaun Johnston, Michelle Morgan

Welcome to the most famous family ranch on Canadian TV! Filmed in the area around High River, an hour from Calgary, the series immerses you in the heart of rural Alberta and its equestrian traditions.

The charm of this production lies in its natural settings: the rolling hills around Millarville, where the main ranch sits, and the picturesque streets of High River, which stands in for the fictional town of Hudson. The restaurant "Maggie's Diner," now a real tourist attraction, awaits you at 123 3rd Avenue.

Horse lovers can even visit the Foster ranch, which has served as the show’s outdoor set since 2007. Even though access to the property is limited during filming periods, the view from the road offers a great glimpse of the places that have captured millions of viewers.

These ten films offer an interesting glimpse into Canada’s diversity: from the villages of the Lower North Shore to the heights of the Rockies, and across the icy expanse of the Nunavut. More than just simple entertainment, they become your on-the-ground scouting: jot down the spots, as some filming locations have now become must-see stops.

Take the opportunity to soak in the local culture: Inuit traditions, hockey battles, Quebecois humor (and its accent, which will eventually seem “ben correct” to you). Each film already puts you in the mood for your itinerary.

So, make yourself comfy and start your virtual journey across Canada. The real adventure will only be that much sweeter!