New Bedford References Abound in Paramount+ Film ‘Finestkind’

All it took was 10 minutes and I was sucked right into the cinematic masterpiece Finestkind.

Since April 2022, the good people of the SouthCoast have been patiently waiting for the debut of the locally shot and set film, now on Paramount+. That free seven-day trial couldn't have been more clutch. The accurate depiction of the New Bedford waterfront combined with the fictional story of a dysfunctional family make for a brilliant finished product.

Finestkind is among the finest films.

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From the get-go, Academy Award-winning writer/director and New Bedford native Brian Helgeland puts New Bedford's working waterfront front and center in this gritty picture, and, boy, does it feel like home.

Take a look at this tense scene, shot at Rasputin's Tavern in Fairhaven:

The casting was superb, especially Tommy Lee Jones and Jenna Ortega. However, if I'm being honest, the Massachusetts accents overall seemed a little forced, with a little too much Bostonian for the New Bedford scenes. Even though there are a couple of scenes in Dartmouth and Fairhaven, most of the movie was filmed in New Bedford. I spotted numerous local staples and it was somewhat surreal.

From the steel scallop dredges constructed by Blue Fleet Welding to the local liquor stores, Finestkind shines a spotlight on many familiar places. The only thing that would make this movie better is if it were in theaters rather than only on streaming.

Here are some of the local places and references we caught. Let us know what we missed.