Where Was Observe And Report Filmed? Seth Rogen’s Hilarious Black Comedy Film!

Seth Rogen has been in several black comedies, and one of them is Observe And Report (2009). The black comedy film recounts the story of a bipolar security guard, Ronnie, who works at a mall. When a flasher causes chaos inside the mall, he brings the culprit to justice. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Observe And Report filmed.

If you’ve already seen the movie, you know it is a multi-starrer. The black comedy flick other than Seth Rogen features Ray Liotta, Collette Wolfe, Anna Faris, Michael Peña, and Jesse Plemons. All these actors are brilliant and have won different awards for their incredible performances. Liotta, who unfortunately passed away in May 2022, was one of Hollywood’s finest. He rose to fame after playing the character of Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated epic crime drama film, Goodfellas.  

Now let’s talk about where was Observe And Report filmed. The multi-starrer black comedy movie was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.

From director Jody Hill, Observe And Report had its premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Texas on 16th March 2009. The black comedy film was released in the United States on 10 April 2009, followed by its release on streaming platforms on 2 March 2011. However, it’s time to go through the filming locations in detail.

Where Was Observe And Report Filmed? Observe And Report Filming Locations!

Jody Hill’s Observe And Report garnered mixed responses from critics, as some were not quite impressed with Seth Rogen’s performance. Rolling Stone’s Peter Traverse gave the movie three out of four stars, stating, “Hill is fearless at pushing hot buttons: date rape, shooting up, and worse.” Whereas The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave the film just one star and described it as “charmless, heavy-handed and cynical.”

Observe And Report scored 51% on Rotten Tomatoes and rated 5.7 on IMDb. Hill is an American filmmaker and screenwriter who made his directorial debut in 2006 with a low-budget indie movie, The Foot Fist Way. However, let’s dig a little deeper and find out where was Observe And Report filmed.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Of America

The Seth Rogen and Ray Liotta starrer black comedy movie was filmed in New Mexico’s Albuquerque. Yes, you’ve guessed it right, this is where one of the best TV series, Breaking Bad, was filmed as well. But I’m not here to discuss the series, so let’s focus on the movie. The Observe And Report production team shot in various locations across the city. 

Winrock Town Centre shopping mall was used as a stand-in for the Forest Ridge Mall in the movie. It is situated at 2100 Louisiana Boulevard, Albuquerque. Winrock Town Centre Mall, back in the day, was one of the city’s leading malls and had many visitors. But eventually, it was struggling as it was not well-maintained by the management. All the mall scenes we witnessed in the movie were filmed inside Winrock. And the parking lot scenes were shot just outside the mall.

The cast and crew also filmed many scenes in a nearby village known as Bosque Farms. The village falls under New Mexico’s Valencia County. It has a population of 3,904. Movies like No Country For Old Men, Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, Hell Or High Waters, We’re The Millers, and Sicario were also filmed here.

Plot Of Observe And Report (2009) | Who Will Catch The Flasher?

The story of Observe And Report revolves around the character of Ronnie Barnhardt, played by Seth Rogen. Ronnie is the head of security at Forest Ridge Mall and is considered bipolar and hyperactive. Many customers and mall employees consider him mentally unstable mainly because of his erratic behavior.

When a flasher, played by Randy Gambill, causes chaos at the mall, Ronnie takes matters into his own hands. He always dreamed of becoming a cop and wanted to grab this opportunity to make his dream come true by bringing the flasher to justice. Soon, his dreams are shattered when Harrison, played by Ray Liotta, a senior police officer, shows up at the mall to investigate the case.

Final Word

Black comedy movies like Observe And Report are always fun to watch. Having said that, remember that it showcases violent scenes, nudity, rough language, some sexual content, and drug use. No one under the age of 18 must watch this film. However, if you’ve never been to New Mexico’s Albuquerque, this is your chance to visit. But make sure whenever you go there, do not forget to check out the filming spots I mentioned. To read more filming location articles, visit the Viebly website.