Where Was ‘Look Both Ways’ Filmed? Lili Reinhart’s Netflix Movie Goes to Austin, LA, and More

Look Both Ways, a new romance movie now streaming on Netflix, tells not one story, but two. The film follows a college graduate named Natalie (played by Lili Reinhart) whose life is split into two parallel timelines, all hinging on one very important event: Whether she gets accidentally pregnant in the final weeks of her senior year.

In one version of the story, Natalie never gets pregnant, moves to Los Angeles with her best friend, and follows her dream of becoming a working artist. In the other, Natalie does get pregnant, moves back in with her parents in Austin, and tries to navigate the world of being a single mother at 22. (That said, her baby daddy, Gabe, is extremely supportive and by her side.)

The physical city where Natalie lives is a huge factor in distinguishing the two different versions of her life, which makes the Look Both Ways filming locations equally important. Read on to learn more about where Look Both Ways was filmed, and how director Wanuri Kahiu used location to help tell these two stories.

Where was Look Both Ways filmed?

Look Both Ways was filmed on location in both Austin, Texas and in Los Angeles, —aka the two cities where the two different versions of Lili Reinhart lived.

In an interview with Wanuri Kahiu with Variety, the director explained how she made an effort to establish a distinct color palette for each location, to help audiences distinguish the two timelines. “We played LA as reds and oranges and pinks, and we played Texas as the blue-green palette. The first split starts to happen the moment she gets pregnant,” Kahiu said. “It was something that we wanted the audience to feel, but not necessarily notice.”

Austin natives will certainly recognize the annual South by Southwest Festival—a festival for film, music, and technology that takes place in downtown Austin—that features prominently in the movie’s third act. (The festival got a “special thanks” shoutout in the Look Both Ways credits.) SXSW locations include The Continental Club, where Gabe’s band performs, and Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, where the LA version of Natalie reunites with Gabe. There’s also the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, the location where Natalie first tells Gabe she is pregnant, and later finally confesses her love.

As for the Los Angeles locations, Angelenos will see the iconic Venice sign on Pacific Avenue, which leads to Venice Beach and the boardwalk, in the scene where Natalie attends her first LA party. Reshoots were also done in early 2022 in Vancouver, Canada—specifically at the Vancouver Public Library, nearby Pacific Coffee Roasters, and at Acquafarino Restaurant, according to a report from Hollywood Northbuzz.

So there you have it! With the combined power of movie magic and on-location-filming, the two worlds of Natalie were brought to life on the screen. Pretty cool, right?