If you’ve ever found yourself wondering where the 2002 thriller film Murder By Numbers was shot, then we have the right answers that will quench your curiosity. Since this is a thriller crime film, brace yourself to be shocked when you find out about the locations where this film was shot.
A psychological thriller crime movie, Murder By Numbers, is said to be loosely based on real-life murderers Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold. The movie premiered on April 19, 2002, and its run time was one hour and fifty-five minutes.
The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Sandra Bullock, along with Ben Chaplin and Michael Pitt, in the lead roles. Directed by Barbet Schroeder and written by Tony Gayton, the movie earned only $56.7 million at the box office and gained a lot of mixed reviews.
The filming began on February 27, 2001 and concluded on May 21, 2001. According to Barbet Schroeder, the director of this thriller film, water was an important part of the story; hence, the coastal region of Central California was an appropriate location for filming, which is where the film was shot primarily.
Murder By Numbers Plot
Murder By Numbers follows Richard Haywood and Justin Pendleton, two high school classmates who are obsessed with one thing. These two friends plan a perfect crime and try their best to blame it on someone else. However, Detective Cassie Mayweather is the investigator in this case and won’t be fooled so easily.
Her new partner, Sam Kennedy, believes that these boys are innocent. But Cassie has her own reasons to doubt them and is hell-bent on proving them guilty of their crimes. As she digs deeper, the boys get scared and take some major steps to escape Cassie. But how far can they run before the truth comes out?
Murder By Numbers Filming Locations
San Luis Obispo County, California, USA
San Luis Obispo is one location where major parts of Murder By Numbers were shot. We see Cassie enter her houseboat at the beginning of the movie, which was shot here. Later, Richard and Justin also meet each other and walk through the famous Mission Plaza and along the creek next to the San Luis Obispo Art Center, now known as the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, right in this exact location.
Los Osos, California, USA
Los Osos is an unincorporated town in San Luis Obispo County where some scenes of this 2002 thriller movie were supposedly filmed, but there isn’t any specific information about it. Since Morro Bay is a nearby location, it’s believed that a few scenes were filmed here as well. But it’s hard to confirm with all the dark scenes in the movie.
Morro Bay, California, USA
Although Morro Bay had limited screen time, we do see a few glimpses of this area in the movie. If you remember the scene where Cassie talks with Sam in a bar at a restaurant, you will recognize the resemblance here. Later, Cassie and Sam also leave for her houseboat, which is docked at the Morro Bay Yacht Club.
Templeton High School, California, USA
The filmmakers wanted to shoot locally to show the character’s background and how they seemingly came from “middle-class normal” families. As per an article, it is believed that some of the school scenes were shot at this particular public High School.
541 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, California, USA
The exact location of Cassie Mayweather’s Houseboat is said to be 541 Embarcadero, Morro Bay in California which is a beautiful place. With its waterfront downtown area filled with shops and museums, this place was a perfect location to shoot Cassie’s houseboat.
San Luis Obispo County Court House, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
The lawn of San Luis Obispo County Court House is used as the outside of the San Benito Police Station in the film. It is also said that a set was used for the station’s interiors but most of the outer scenes of the police station were filmed here to capture the raw beauty of California.
Murder By Numbers Other Filming Locations
These are a few other locations where Murder By Numbers is said to have shot, such as Montrose, California, USA; Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA; Altadena, California, USA; and Louisville High School, Los Angeles, California, USA. These are a few locations that appear in the movie; however, not much information is available about them at the moment, so we can’t be sure.
With that, we’ve covered all the locations where Murder By Numbers was shot. If you still haven’t watched this movie, then you can stream it now on Prime Video. But if you have watched it, then maybe it’s time for another re-watching session.
