I was always a little disappointed in the hit FX series, Justified, but not for the reasons you might think.

Here was a razor sharp crime drama about a U.S. Marshal assigned to the Lexington, Kentucky bureau who regularly deals with organized crime and drug cartels in the eastern third of the Commonwealth. It's been called a modern-day western (although it's set EAST of the Mississippi) and I get that. It had the classic western feel to it.

One thing it DIDN'T have, oddly enough, was the KENTUCKY feel, and that's because it wasn't filmed here.

While I give the show credit for its authentic references--like Churchill Downs and extras in crowd scenes wearing UK gear--38 of the series' 39 episodes were filmed in CALIFORNIA. The one episode that wasn't--the pilot episode--was shot in Pittsburgh. Uh, close, but no cigar.

It drove me crazy. I'm sorry, but California mountains cannot double for eastern Kentucky mountains. They're too tall and too brown.

So it's nice when a movie or series SET in Kentucky is FILMED in Kentucky. And it's even nicer when it's a hit.

The movie in question is a 2018 release called Rust Creek. It, too, is a crime drama set in Kentucky and, wonder of wonders, it was filmed here too. Check out the trailer:

The story's about a Centre College student who heads toward Washington DC for a job interview only to get sidelined in the dense Kentucky forest where she has to deal with weather and a band of criminals who are coming for her.

I haven't seen the film, but it's proven to be a hit on Netflix. And, you know, the other night I was specifically looking for a good crime drama--my favorite genre--to sink my teeth into.

Why not one set in my home state? It'll be fun trying to recognize places I've visited.

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Movies Filmed in Kentucky

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