Toronto has definitely been the star of a number of movies and TV shows that showcase the city in all its glory, but the 6ix is also phenomenal at playing the part of other locales and making some subtle and surprise appearances in various flicks.

In contrast to Turning Red and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, which are iconically Toronto, there are so many scenes that locals may have no idea were filmed here. And, it seems that people keep discovering more of them — like in one Reddit thread from the long weekend that brought some more hidden Toronto shots to light.

One T.O. setting that perhaps only residents of the metropolis will be able to recognize when it shows up on the big screen, which is often, is the TTC. Viewers have picked out Toronto subways, buses and maps in Repo Men, Shazam!, the viral video game Only Up! and even Hocus Pocus.

(A GO Bus also somehow made its way into a shot in Spider Man: Homecoming, which many think is an homage from the Toronto-based visual effects company that worked on the movie.)

Toronto institutions that somehow slipped into Hollywood films
by u/givemean95 in toronto

Then there are Toronto's malls and attractions: Vin Diesel and co. visit Scarborough's Woodie Wood Chucks in The Pacifier, while Sherway Gardens and various other Etobicoke spots — including a home on High Point Road that has come up for sale in recent months — hosted the cast of Mean Girls.

Similarly, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a very accidentally Toronto production, with private homes, stores, churches, schools and restaurants from the city used as backdrops. Hairspray has countless local shots, too, if you pay close attention.

Our City Hall is also a popular filming location, serving as a site for Resident Evil: Apocalypse, The Vow, The Sentinel, and The Kidnapping of the President, among others. Yonge Street is another easy one to identify in The Incredible Hulk, The Fly, and Half Baked, where a police horse gorges on a little too much outside a bustling Pizza Pizza.

Toronto's public squares and green spaces make for great shots, too, whether it's Yonge-Dundas (The Handmaid's Tale, Star Trek, Suicide Squad), David Pecaut (The Boys), Berczy Park (The Boys, My Spy, Orphan Black) or Trinity Square Park (Dead Ringers).

Certain businesses, such as the Lakeview Diner, are also regularly sought after for shooting; it has appeared in Boondock Saints, Max Payne, Cocktail, The Samaritan, Shape of Water and many more.

Love this. Can generally spot TO within seconds in a film or commercial. https://t.co/kjENrMMKkF

— Caitlin Kelly: writing coach/journo, RFA mentor (@CaitlinKellyNYC) March 9, 2021

Among the countless other hits that have covert, unexpected Toronto area scenes are American Psycho, Pacific Rim, X-Men, Silent Hill, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Good Will Hunting, The Fly, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, A Christmas Story, In the Mouth of Madness, Land of the Dead, Urban Legend, Wedding Season, Carrie, The Silent Partner and Kick-Ass.

Given that the city is far cheaper to film in than many of its American counterparts, if you keep your eyes peeled for familiar street scenes, storefronts and more, you're bound to find them far more often than anticipated.