Key Points
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The Beast in Me season 1 was filmed mainly in New Jersey, with additional scenes shot in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Key New Jersey locations include Red Bank, Newark, Jersey City, and Westfield’s Tamaques Park.
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Filming took place in fall 2024 and wrapped in early 2025 before the Netflix premiere on November 13, 2025.
The Beast in Me season 1 brings its unsettling psychological tension to life through carefully chosen filming locations across New Jersey and North Carolina. The series, starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys, follows an author whose fixation on her mysterious neighbor leads to dangerous consequences. Here’s a full breakdown of where the show was filmed, how each setting shapes the story, and everything you need to know about the production.
Where Was The Beast in Me Season 1 Filmed and Why Were These Locations Chosen?
The bulk of The Beast in Me season 1 was filmed across New Jersey, a state known for its mix of quiet suburbs, historic towns, and gritty urban pockets. The production crew used these contrasts to mirror the show’s shifting mood—from peaceful neighborhood calm to unsettling suspense. Some scenes were also shot in Raleigh, North Carolina, expanding the visual palette with wooded parks and academic backdrops.
Filming began in fall 2024, with the production capitalizing on the season’s muted colors and overcast skies—ideal for a psychological thriller. By early 2025, the shoot wrapped and entered post-production, paving the way for the series’ November 13, 2025 release on Netflix.
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What New Jersey Filming Locations Were Used for The Beast in Me Season 1?
Red Bank Filming Locations in The Beast in Me
Red Bank, located in Monmouth County, served as one of the show’s primary filming hubs. Its charming downtown streets and riverside surroundings created the perfect setting for Aggie Wiggs’ fictional town.
Production transformed parts of West Front Street into story-specific backdrops. For instance, JR’s Restaurant was redesigned as Roberto’s Pizzeria for the series, a location that appears in several character-driven scenes. The blend of small-town storefronts and scenic streets helped establish the eerie calm that sits at the heart of the show’s tone.
Red Bank’s compact neighborhoods also allowed the crew to create a sense of intimacy—ideal for a story rooted in close-proximity tension between neighbors.
Newark Filming Locations in The Beast in Me
Newark offered a stark contrast to Red Bank’s suburban charm. Several prominent spots across the city were used, including Branch Brook Park—famous for its cherry blossoms—and multiple streets around Broad Street, Frelinghuysen Avenue, and the National Newark Building.
These areas appear during moments that demand a more expansive or urban atmosphere. Newark’s historic architecture and busy streets provided the scale and grit needed for scenes tied to Nile Jarvis’ public life and the broader world beyond Aggie’s quiet neighborhood.
Additionally, a warehouse on Mulberry Street and other industrial zones around Newark helped shape scenes that required open interiors and flexible set design.
Jersey City Filming Locations in The Beast in Me
Downtown Jersey City was selected for sequences involving Nile Jarvis’ real estate protests. Its mix of modern high-rises and older brick buildings gave these scenes a rugged edge, visually grounding the tension around Jarvis’ public controversies.
The city’s fast-paced environment added momentum to the storyline, contrasting sharply with the slower, more personal moments set in Red Bank and Westfield.
Westfield Filming Locations: Scenes Shot in Tamaques Park
Tamaques Park in Westfield delivered the lush green spaces needed for several emotional and transitional scenes. Its open fields, walking paths, and reflective atmosphere allowed the show to weave in moments of calm—often juxtaposed against Aggie’s internal turmoil.
The park’s natural beauty subtly heightens the show’s themes: serenity on the surface masking deeper unease. Its suburban setting also reinforces the sense of ordinary life being disrupted, which is central to the show’s psychological framing.
Other New Jersey Filming Spots Used in The Beast in Me
Beyond the major towns listed above, the production also utilized:
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Poinier Street
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Independence Park
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Halsey Street
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Unique Design Menswear in Branford Place
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Essex County Airport in Belleville
These locations helped fill out the world of the series, appearing in quick transitions, exterior scenes, or specialized segments. Each spot contributed to the overall tone—natural, urban, and residential elements mixed to create a believable, lived-in environment.
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Why Was Raleigh, North Carolina Used as a Secondary Filming Location?
Raleigh appears in select scenes that required spacious parks, university-style landscapes, and broader outdoor environments. Known for its blend of modern cityscapes and nature, Raleigh offered flexibility for sequences that didn’t fit the New Jersey aesthetic.
Whether the production needed wide streets, wooded areas, or more neutral terrain, Raleigh provided those options. The city’s visual variety helped the show move beyond the tight suburban focus of the main storyline and added texture to the overall world-building.
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How Do the Filming Locations Enhance the Story of The Beast in Me Season 1?
The psychological tension of The Beast in Me relies heavily on atmosphere. Each location was chosen to reflect the characters’ inner worlds and the shifting dynamics between Aggie and Nile.
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Red Bank’s cozy neighborhoods accentuate Aggie’s isolation and creative struggle.
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Newark and Jersey City’s urban edges capture the broader pressure surrounding Nile Jarvis, hinting at chaos beyond the frame.
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Tamaques Park’s quiet landscapes offer brief, deceptive calm before tension rises again.
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Raleigh’s open spaces push the visual language beyond small-town boundaries when needed.
Together, they create a psychological landscape that moves between comfort and discomfort, mirroring the cat-and-mouse narrative throughout the season.
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What Is the Plot of The Beast in Me Season 1?
The story follows Aggie Wiggs, a grieving novelist struggling after the death of her son. She’s stuck creatively and emotionally—until Nile Jarvis moves in next door. Nile, a wealthy real estate figure with a dark past, once served as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.
Aggie grows convinced that digging into Nile’s secrets will spark her next book. But fascination quickly turns into fixation, pulling her into a dangerous spiral where her own sanity is at risk.
The series blends mystery, grief, obsession, and moral ambiguity, anchored by powerful performances from Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys.
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Where Can You Watch The Beast in Me Season 1?
The Beast in Me season 1 premiered on Netflix on November 13, 2025. The series is available exclusively on the platform.
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