Vicious is a horror movie released on October 10th, 2025, and stars Dakota Fanning. The Paramount Pictures movie was originally slated for a theatrical release, but was later changed to a Paramount Plus exclusive. The plot revolves around a young woman who receives a mysterious box from a stranger late one night.
Vicious was filmed in the spring of 2024 in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. The city has seen a huge increase in filming in the last few years. It’s varied architecture and scenery allows it to stand in for multiple cities, as well as small towns and natural environments.
Polly’s House
The action centres around Polly, the main character. She lives in an older-style house that she rents from her sister. The semi-detached house used in the movie is located in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill Neighbourhood. This historic area is just east of the downtown core, and many of the houses date back to the late 1800s or early 1900s.
We see some of Polly’s neighbourhood as well. Numerous scenes were filmed on the street outside her house, including where we see the mysterious box sitting in the middle of the street. The entire neighbourhood was covered in fake snow as the movie takes place at Christmastime.
We also get a look at some of the houses across the street. These houses appear in the background numerous times.
The Neighbour’s House
Near the start of Vicious, Polly visits her neighbour to use her phone. While Polly mentions that she lives across the street, the house used is actually further down the block. Fun fact, the neighbour is played by actress Klea Scott, who got her start a TV series that also filmed in Ottawa. She was a cast member on You Can’t Do That On Television, a popular 80s children’s sketch show.
Lainie’s House
Polly rushes to her sister Lainie’s house. The house used is located in a different part of the city, in a neighbourhood called The Glebe. Another historic area with a collection of beautiful old houses. When I visited in the fall of 2025, the house was under renovations, with a large construction fence surrounding it.
Lainie’s Neighbourhood
Polly runs out of Lainie’s house and into the street looking for help. We see her walking down the snowy street with the mysterious box. Like the Sandy Hill location, this street and surrounding houses were also covered in fake snow during filming.
Tara’s House
She eventually comes to the house of a girl named Tara, where more horror awaits. This house is located directly across the street from Lainie’s house.
1Department Studios
The movie was co-produced by 1Department Productions. Interior shots from Vicious were filmed at 1Department’s studios in suburban Ottawa.
