Where was The Beast in Me filmed? Inside the real New Jersey locations behind Netflix’s twisty thriller
Shot in areas that will be familiar to fans of The Sopranos
The Beast in Me features locations that may look familiar, and there’s a good reason: Netflix’s unsettling psychological thriller is filmed almost entirely in New Jersey, home turf of The Sopranos.
Below, we break down the major filming spots in the eight-part drama, and how they connect to key moments in the series.
Where is The Beast in Me set and what’s it about?
The series centres on reclusive author Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes), who is still grieving her young son when charismatic property developer Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys) moves into the grand house opposite hers. Drawn to him against her better judgement, Aggie begins to suspect a darker side to him – and that he may be responsible for his wife’s death.
Although the story unfolds in an affluent suburb, the drama regularly steps into more hard-edged surroundings – from the protests against Jarvis’ property development plans and the FBI offices, to anonymous industrial streets. Almost all of these locations are real places in New Jersey, with a handful of supporting scenes shot in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Beast in Me filming locations
Production took place across several North Jersey towns and cities, each contributing a distinct look to the show’s uneasy atmosphere. The primary locations include:
- Red Bank, Monmouth County – The core suburban setting where Aggie and Nile’s tense neighbourly relationship unfolds.
- Newark – Used for parks, government buildings, and the more menacing urban sequences.
- Jersey City – The backdrop for protests surrounding Nile’s controversial development project.
- Cranford & Westfield – Leafy, quiet areas used for reflective scenes and flashbacks.
- Belleville – Home to the hospital and airport featured in the series.
- Raleigh, North Carolina – Supplementary interiors and pick-up scenes.
These contrasting locations give The Beast in Me its blend of suburban calm and urban paranoia.
Key filming locations in The Beast in Me
Red Bank – Aggie and Nile’s waterfront neighbourhood
Much of the series’ tense cat-and-mouse dynamic plays out in Red Bank, a historic riverside town known for its Victorian homes and boutique-lined streets. It provides the idyllic yet faintly uneasy neighbourhood that Aggie observes obsessively from her window.
East and West Front Street
These busy streets were temporarily transformed for filming. A local restaurant on West Front Street became the show’s Roberto’s Pizzeria, the site of several pivotal conversations between Aggie and Nile. What begins as friendly small talk gradually becomes a series of probing, uneasy exchanges that set the tone for their relationship.
26 West on the Navesink & The Molly Pitcher Inn
These riverside establishments appear in scenes where characters retreat for more intimate discussions. Dinner sequences here often mark turning points in the plot – such as when Aggie starts to see cracks in Nile’s charm.
The parks, hospital and airport in The Beast in Me
Not all the drama happens on manicured suburban streets. Several key moments unfold in quieter settings:
Tamaques Park, Westfield
Its long trails and wooded pockets provide the backdrop for Aggie’s solitary walks — scenes that blend grief, introspection and suspicion. These paths also host some of the series’ more heartfelt conversations, far from the watchful eyes of the neighbourhood.
Dreyer Farms, Cranford, and surrounding rural roads
Used for drives and discreet meetings, these locations help build the sense that someone could be watching Aggie at any time.
Carewell Health Medical Centre, Belleville
Serving as the hospital seen in flashbacks and emergency moments, this real medical centre grounds some of the show’s most emotionally charged scenes.
Essex County Airport (Fairfield/Belleville area)
This small airport appears in those tense sequences that hint Nile may be plotting an escape or conducting business well outside Aggie’s line of sight.
Newark: cherry blossoms, FBI offices and ominous city streets in The Beast in Me
Newark provides some of the series’ most visually striking contrasts.
Branch Brook Park
Famous for its vast cherry blossom displays, the park features in scenes where Aggie’s emotional façade seems outmatched by the beauty around her.
Downtown Newark
Several imposing buildings and gritty streets are used for FBI meetings and confrontations. The National Newark Building provides sweeping interiors for legal and governmental scenes.
Addresses such as Washington Street, Frelinghuysen Avenue, Mulberry Street, and Halsey Street offer industrial atmospheres for shady exchanges and night-time sequences.
Jersey City – location of Nile Jarvis’ real-estate scenes in The Beast in Me
When public outcry enters the plot, the production shifts to Jersey City. Its skyline and busy streets act as the stage for demonstrations against Nile’s lucrative development plan.
Scenes featuring chanting crowds, placards and media attention were filmed around the waterfront district, using real business towers such as Harborside. These moments portray the wider social fallout of Nile’s ambitions, and show Aggie seeing her neighbour in a far more public, political context.
Other shows and films shot in the same places as The Beast in Me
Red Bank and Navesink River also feature in the 1997 film Chasing Amy, starring Ben Affleck. Branch Brook Park & Newark were also used in Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Jersey City was famously home to iconic HBO Mafia series The Sopranos, as well as The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
The Beast in Me filming locations shared with The Sopranos
While The Beast in Me doesn’t recreate specific Sopranos shots, it does share the same geographical heartland. Both series make extensive use of Newark, with its historic homes, urban grit and civic buildings.
And then, of course, there is Jersey City, home to many of the mob drama’s key cemetery and street scenes.
Read more: Netflix’s The Beast in Me ending explained: Was Nile Jarvis a cold-blooded murderer after all?
