Maps of Movies

Colossal (2016)

Where Colossal says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A giant monster in Seoul is controlled by a woman at a playground in New Hampshire, and the Seoul scenes were filmed by a second unit, not the main crew in Vancouver.

Scenes and places

The breakup in the New York apartment

Gloria's boyfriend Tim, frustrated with her drinking, breaks up with her and kicks her out of the apartment. She is left with nowhere to go.

Set in Gloria and Tim's New York City apartment — The apartment where Tim ends the relationship and kicks Gloria out.

An ordinary New York apartment; the film's sources do not say where it was shot.

Back home in Mainhead

Gloria moves back into her family home and reunites with her childhood friend Oscar. He welcomes her warmly and offers her a job at his bar.

Set in Mainhead, New Hampshire (Gloria's family home) — The small town and empty family house Gloria returns to.

A small fictional-sounding town; the sources name no real location for these scenes.

Oscar's bar

Gloria takes the job at the bar and drinks with Oscar and his friends Garth and Joel until morning. The late nights make her drinking worse.

Set in Oscar's bar — The bar Oscar inherited from his father, where Gloria works and drinks.

A neighbourhood bar run by Oscar; the film's sources give no real filming address.

The monster in Seoul

Gloria sees news footage of a giant monster in Seoul and calls Tim in shock. When it returns the next day, she starts to notice the timing.

Set in Seoul, South Korea — The city where the giant creature appears. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Seoul is the capital of South Korea, where the creature appears.

Filmed at Seoul (second unit) — A second unit filmed in Seoul; the creature itself is CG. No exact spot is given. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The playground at 8:05 am

Gloria realizes that walking through the playground at exactly 8:05 am makes the monster appear and copy her. She shows Oscar and his friends by dancing while they watch the newsfeed.

Set in The playground in Mainhead — The playground Gloria walks through each morning at exactly 8:05.

A small town playground; the sources give no real filming location for it.

The robot and the apology

Gloria discovers that Oscar also appears in Seoul, as a giant robot. She tries to make amends by having the monster spell out an apology in Korean.

Set in Seoul, South Korea — Seoul again, where the robot appears beside the monster. Google Maps · Apple Maps

The same Seoul setting as the monster scenes; no exact street is named.

Filmed at Fort Langley, British Columbia — Vancouver-area location listed for the shoot; which scene is not stated. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Gastown, Vancouver — Vancouver-area location listed for the shoot; which scene is not stated. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Maple Ridge, British Columbia (The Caddyshack) — Vancouver-area location listed for the shoot; which scene is not stated. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Gloria — An unemployed writer struggling with alcoholism who moves back to her hometown.
• Oscar — Her childhood friend, who now runs his late father's bar.
• Tim — Gloria's frustrated boyfriend in New York.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was the Seoul monster in Colossal really filmed?