How 'Southland Tales' Captured Abilene In A Chaotic Narrative

It seems I miss out on a lot of movies and show series mainly because I spend a ton of time playing video games. So, it's no surprise I missed this movie way back in 2006, where the opening scene shows Abilene, Texas, getting nuked.

Abilene Shows Off Its Mushroom Cloud

If you’ve ever watched a movie and thought, “Man, I hope my town doesn’t get nuked today,” then Southland Tales is not for you. Released in 2006, this bizarre, big-swing sci-fi satire opens with a montage of American cities getting obliterated by nuclear bombs, and yep, Abilene, Texas, is right there in the blast zone. No halftime show, no warning, just boom, the Key City gets vaporized on the big screen.

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Directed by Richard Kelly (the brain behind Donnie Darko), the film isn’t really about Abilene at all. It’s a chaotic, fever-dream vision of a near-future America drowning in politics, conspiracy, and celebrity culture...ya know, like what Facebook does.

Who’s in This Wild Thing?

The cast is surprisingly stacked with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, and Jon Lovitz, among others. It’s the kind of lineup that makes you say, “How did this get made?”, which is also what most people in Texas say after watching it.

So… Why Abilene?

Here’s the kicker: Abilene wasn’t “targeted” for any personal reason. In the film’s lore, multiple cities were hit simultaneously to spark national chaos and justify a government power grab. Abilene just happened to be unlucky enough to make the cut…lucky us!

Weird movie? Absolutely. Memorable? You bet. One thing the film did not point out is that with an abundance of potholes, we can all take refuge in them, in case the big shroom cloud hits our fair city.

Speaking of movies that have highlighted Abilene, here are some more that you might recognize.

Filmed in or Around Abilene

Under the Stadium Lights (2021) – A true-story sports drama centered on an Abilene high school football team. They shot scenes around town, including Abilene High, Shotwell Stadium, the zoo, and Paramount Theatre.
Friday Night Lights (2003) – Iconic Texas football film (and later TV series). Some game footage includes Abilene schools when Permian played Abilene teams.
The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995) – Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton star in this oil-era drama, with parts filmed just outside Abilene standing in for rural settings.

Movies Tied to Abilene by Setting or Title

(Not necessarily shot here, but you’ll recognize the name; hey, easy trivia at parties.)

Abilene Town (1946) – A classic Western starring Randolph Scott, set in the Kansas cattle town of Abilene. Not filmed here, but carries the name.
Showdown at Abilene (1956) – Western tale of an old sheriff returning to Abilene after the Civil War.
Gunfight in Abilene (1967) – Another Western with Bobby Darin, set in an Abilene town (though the story world is Kansas, the film references the name).

In the end, Southland Tales didn’t just put Abilene on the map; it briefly erased it from the map. Hey, if you’re gonna go out in cinema history, you might as well go out nuclear.