This Is Where The Unhealer Was Actually Filmed

2020's "The Unhealer" follows the story of a teenage boy, Kelly (played by Elijah Nelson), who has an encounter with a mystical healer that grants him the ability to transfer the pain people inflict on him back to the perpetrator. Unfortunately for everyone around him, he spirals down a dark path to get revenge on a group of school bullies.

Alongside Nelson ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "Mad Men"), Natasha Henstridge (the "Species" series) and Lance Henriksen ("Aliens," "Hard Target") fill out the cast. While the movie flew under the radar at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo), thanks to limited release amidst a pandemic, it does have enthusiastic critical and audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The film takes viewers through a horrific journey in a small, western town where Kelly lives with his mother. The sparse desert landscapes might lead viewers to wonder where the movie was filmed. Well, we've got the answer.

"The Unhealer" was filmed on location in Arizona. The Arizona Commerce Authority website lists the locations used during the June 2018 shoot as Scottsdale, Apache Junction, Chandler, and Queen Creek. While many of these featured areas are simply gorgeous desert landscapes, the eclectic Bluebird Mine and Gift Shop where Bernice (Natasha Henstridge) first meets Pflueger (Lance Henrikson) is a real business you can visit in Apache Junction.

It might be an immediate reaction to think "who makes a movie in Arizona?" — but "The Unhealer" was filmed in the same locales as some famous films. Scottsdale, Apache Junction, and other Arizona locations were used for the Coen Brothers' "Raising Arizona," which makes sense given the title (via Phoenix New Times). 1989's "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," which gave the world an iconic Keanu Reeves character, was also filmed throughout Phoenix (also via Phoenix New Times). Additionally, "Jerry Maguire" featuring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger shot partially in Apache Junction (via The UnCool).