Movies filmed in a single location

Richard Castillo15 MemberOP

18 messages
joined Aug 2013

#1 · Aug 9, 2011

I’m thinking about putting together an analysis of some high-quality feature films that take place entirely within a single location—you know, those tight, contained stories—so I was wondering if anyone could help me out? If any such movies come to mind, please feel free to drop the title and maybe even the director's name below. Thanks so much!

Christian Taylor3 Active Member

213 messages
joined Jul 2010

#2 · Aug 9, 2011

Just another thread consisting of nothing but a massive list of titles. 😬

@Nancy Fox89

How exactly are we defining "filmed in a single location"—does that include outdoor scenes? How big is this 'confined space'? What's the minimum limit of time? Does Snakes on a Plane count? Honestly, all we’re missing here is some guy like Branimir Bilic showing up with his usual endless barrage of annoying questions. 😁

A few of my favorites:

12 Angry Men (1957)
Le locataire (1976)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmhIMbdecEU

Rear Window (1954)
Rope (1948)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Lifeboat (1944)

"Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms."
-Alfred Hitchcock

Obsession (1949)
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)

The Breakfast Club (1985)
Dogville (2003)
Panic Room (2002)
Tape (2001)

Others:

Buried (2010)
127 Hours (2010)
Devil (2010)
Phone Booth (2002)
Clerks (1994)
Cube (1997)
Clue (1985)
Nothing (2003)
Closet Land (1991)
The Descent (2005)
1408 (2007)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Gerry (2002)
Bug (2006)
Sleuth (2007)
Doubt (2008)

Seriously, what are you even doing here, Nancy Fox89 (without giving away who you are, obviously)? I still remember those "investigative" threads of yours: "Which topic or novel would you love to see adapted into an American film?"... Any chance we could actually get the results from that little study? Don't take it personally, but we all end up feeling like lab rats in a The Twilight Zone episode like "Miljenko Manjkas." 🤷

@everyone

What’s your absolute favorite movie "set entirely in one location"?

And why exactly is it your top pick?

I still vividly remember the sheer, indescribable disgust I felt watching Trier's Dogville. What an idiot, a complete moron. You think you can just sketch some scenery and props on the floor and try to sell that to me as a legitimate film?! Gimme a fuckin' break, seriously, go get some help if you're actually this crazy! I almost tried to call him (lost his number somewhere, the reception at Cannes wouldn't let me through) just to yell at him face-to-face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lN1bG8YSZU

Trier, "consider this your standing ovation." *phew!*

But honestly, how wrong was I? The movie actually blew me away. Once you stop obsessing over the damn chalk lines and wooden floors, dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms. 🙏

A more recent example is Buried (Rodrig Cortés), which left quite a few people breathless—literally. A huge chunk of that credit goes to the screenwriter, Chris Sparling.

Script Review: http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2009/06/buried.html
Download script [PDF]: Buried (Early draft) http://t.co/IsleNYX via @myPDFscripts
Buried. Undated, unspecified early draft by Chris Sparling http://t.co/nRAPKnC via @myPDFscripts

Alright, your turn. 🙂

neonsurfer6 Member

37 messages
joined Jan 2010

#3 · Aug 9, 2011

The Sunset Limited

You get some incredible dialogue when you combine Cormac McCarthy’s writing with two seasoned acting heavyweights. The whole thing is confined to a single room. Looking at the list Christian Taylor3 put together, the closest thing I can think of to this is Linklater's Tape—another absolute standout.

Lisa Bennett2 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Nov 2011

#4 · Aug 9, 2011

Man from Earth. That was actually the first movie I ever watched that took place entirely in one room and relied almost exclusively on dialogue. Honestly? It wasn't boring for even a single second—it totally blew me away with how it was executed.

Buried (Rodrig Cortés) is also a very good film, though that bit of animalistic filler kind of killed the vibe for me.

127 Hours—in my book, that was easily the best movie of last year, and it really should have swept the Oscars.

Richard Castillo15 MemberOP

18 messages
joined Aug 2013

#5 · Aug 9, 2011

Christian Taylor3;35184683 said:Yet another thread consisting entirely of just listing movie titles. 😬

@Nancy Fox89

How exactly would you define "filmed in a single location"? Does that—I suppose we should clarify—include exteriors?

OF COURSE, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN EXTERIOR ACTING AS THE SOLE SETTING (LIKE A DESERT, A SPECIFIC CITY STREET, A DEFINED BATTLEFRONT, OR A REMOTE ISLAND...)

And what is it you actually do, Nancy (without giving away your identity, naturally)? I seem to recall one of your "research" threads: "Which a) topic or b) novel would you all like to see adapted into an American film?"... Might we be able to see the results of that little inquiry? Don't take this the wrong way, but we all end up feeling like test subjects in The Twilight Zone episode "Miljenko Manjkas." 🤷

THIS FORUM IS A HIGHLY PARLIAMENTARY AND VOLUNTARY FORM OF COMMUNICATION. ON THIS BOARD—AND BY EXTENSION, IN MY OWN QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS—NO ONE IS BEING TREATED LIKE A TEST SUBJECT, BECAUSE TEST SUBJECTS ARE DRIVEN INTO THEIR ROLES AGAINST THEIR WILL. THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. ANYONE WHO RESPONDS DOES SO VOLUNTARILY AND, I HOPE, IN GOOD FAITH.
I simply cannot share the full results of my research and analysis here due to the sheer scale of it—and it feels a bit unnecessary, anyway—to post them on the forum.
I am hoping, perhaps, that everything will eventually be published in a book...
MY THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE FILM TITLES YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ME SO FAR.

wiredraven82 Active Member

146 messages
joined Mar 2014

#6 · Aug 9, 2011

Hey everyone, I just wanted to ask—I can't for the life of me recall the title of this one movie. The whole thing takes place in a TV studio, where they're reporting on an incoming asteroid heading straight for Earth. Then, once they finally manage to stop it, a hundred more asteroids start pouring in—the whole twist is that someone is intentionally targeting Earth. It’s been so long since I watched it that I honestly can't even tell you if it was actually any good; my memory of it is pretty hazy. Still, I'd love to give it another watch if anyone knows the name?

As for the OP, great topic 👍. Personally, I’d recommend playing the odds—but is that happening in a single room, or are there multiple "gambles" involved? haha

Christian Taylor3 Active Member

213 messages
joined Jul 2010

#7 · Aug 9, 2011

Nancy Fox89 said:...

Alright, Jasnica, there's no need to start screaming in ALL CAPS—we can hear you just fine.

Just let me know when the book finally drops. 👍

Rachel Young3 Active Member

111 messages
joined Dec 2014

#8 · Aug 9, 2011

'night, Mother

swifteagle6 Member

11 messages
joined Feb 2010

#9 · Aug 9, 2011

...I think this one falls into the same category... it's just a remake... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282040/ ...the original is obviously the original... the remake ended up playing on TV one Sunday afternoon... on ABC... naturally I was hoping for something like the original, but nope... nothing... just that Golden Pond 2001 version...

Roger Allen3 Regular

337 messages
joined Oct 2003

#10 · Aug 9, 2011

That's quite a wide range of categories...

Looking at all those intense prison flicks (Shawshank Redemption, Stalag 17, Escape from Alcatraz, Das Experiment...), hospital or asylum settings (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Shock Corridor), schools or boarding houses (Au Revoir les Enfants, The Devil's Backbone, Scum), isolated apartments, houses, or cabins (Seventh Continent, The Thing, Key Largo, Petrified Forest, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Rondo, The Ladykillers, 13 Tzameti, Only Angels Have Wings), urban streets and neighborhoods (Do the Right Thing, The Set-Up, The Burbs), tiny isolated towns (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Last Picture Show, Noi Albinoi, Le Corbeau, The White Ribbon), even vehicles (H-8, The Lady Vanishes, Wages of Fear), and then there's Ox-Bow Incident which stays in one spot but moves outdoors, etc., etc.

Plus a whole mountain of titles already mentioned, along with ones nobody has even thought of yet! So, why don't you just pick out a few favorites and tell me a bit about them? You can if you want!😁

I don't recall anyone mentioning Wise'sThe Set-Up (1949) on this forum. Robert Ryan is simply brilliant as that classic noir protagonist; in just 73 minutes—with the action unfolding in "real time" much like High Noon—he dares to dream big, only to be painfully brought back down to earth, just like so many noir heroes before and after him.

Richard Johnson42 Member

20 messages
joined Jan 2015

#11 · Aug 10, 2011

Altman's Secret Honor, much like Baker Hall's take on Nixon. That's what you look for when you're actually hunting for quality. 😁

Aaron Adams41 Newcomer

1 message
joined Aug 2011

#12 · Aug 10, 2011

12 Angry Men, as far as I know, that whole movie was filmed in just one room...

Patrick Martin Regular

702 messages
joined Aug 2015

#13 · Aug 10, 2011

Christian Taylor3 said:Dogville (2003)

I still can't get over that absolute train wreck of a viewing experience I had with Trier's. Honestly, just thinking about it makes my blood boil. It was one of those times where you're sitting there, wondering if you've actually lost your mind or if the movie is just that much of a disaster. Total nightmare. DogvilleTotal moron. Absolute idiot. Just a complete and utter clown! So you think you can just sketch out some set design and props on the floor and try to sell me that crap as if it’s actual filmmaking? Give me a break.! Give me a damn break, man. Seriously, if you're sick, just go get some medicine and deal with it.I was honestly thinking about just calling him up myself—lost his number somewhere, and the front desk at the hotel in Cannes wouldn't even put me through—just to look him dead in the eye and give him the whole truth.

What kind of nonsense is that? Are you kidding me? The movie was absolutely incredible! Total masterpiece. Just forget about that damn creed and those wooden floors already; honestly, just let it go.

Exactly! That’s what I’m talking about!
I’m right there with you—that movie was absolute genius. Seriously, a total avant-garde masterpiece.
Man, that raw, gritty set design? It totally blew my mind visually. I was straight-up intoxicated by how it looked. And don't even get me started on the emotional side of things—honestly, better not go there. Just a one-of-a-kind experience.
Look, I’m telling you right now—hands down, no contest—that one is easily my favorite chamber piece ever made. It just hits different.👍

Laura Palmer25 Active Member

102 messages
joined Aug 2007

#14 · Aug 10, 2011

wiredraven82 said:Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone can help me out. I can't for the life of me remember the name of this movie. It takes place mostly in a news studio reporting on an incoming asteroid heading toward Earth. Then, once they finally manage to stop it, a hundred more asteroids show up, making it seem like someone is intentionally targeting us. I watched it ages ago and my memory is pretty fuzzy, so I can't even tell if it was actually good, but I'd love to give it another watch if someone knows the title.

As for the OP, great topic 👍. Personally, I'd suggest Die Hard, though I guess you have to decide if it's one big action flick or just several smaller "Die Hards" strung together? haha

Is it that one... I think there isn't much else like it, just some Cold War piece of crap. Honestly, I barely made it to the end (or maybe I didn't, it was a long time ago).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079550/

Regarding the subject itself, aside from Dogville which completely mesmerized me, I find that intense atmosphere reminds me of Tape (is that Linklater's?). A truly excellent piece of work.

Dennis Doyle3 Active Member

72 messages
joined Aug 2008

#15 · Aug 10, 2011

Hmm, I think you guys have already covered most of the heavy hitters here. But, if I may, I’ve got a few more to toss into the ring:

12
Five fingers Exam Unknown hard Candy Naboer
Exam
Unknown
Hard Candy
Naboer

Mark Wood79 Member

49 messages
joined Jul 2010

#16 · Aug 10, 2011

Nancy Fox89 said:I'm looking to analyze some high-quality feature films that take place entirely within a single location. If any such movies come to mind, could you please drop the title and maybe the director's name? Thanks!

Fassbinder's ''Petra von Kant'' is a perfect example. I'd give anything to dive deep into an analysis of that one.

It’s about two hours long and unfolds completely within one room—a bedroom.

wiredraven82 Active Member

146 messages
joined Mar 2014

#17 · Aug 10, 2011

Laura Palmer25 said:Is this that... I don't think there's any other Cold War era piece of crap out there—honestly, I barely made it to the end (well, maybe I didn't, it was a long time ago).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079550/

No, no... I don't think that's the right movie. The one I’m thinking of (if my memory serves me) has this premise where aliens are supposedly sending those meteors—essentially, it turns out that if you stop just one, another hundred more come flying in, which spells certain doom. And if I recall correctly, that movie is newer than this one... at least from the 80s.

Nicole Murphy Newcomer

7 messages
joined Feb 2010

#18 · Aug 11, 2011

The Man from Earth

cosmiclynx57 Regular

320 messages
joined Mar 2019

#19 · Aug 12, 2011

Angry Men (1957) — absolute masterpiece! 🙏

Buried (2010) — honestly, probably the best one out of all the recent stuff.

Lawrence Booth2 Regular

297 messages
joined Sep 2022

#20 · Aug 12, 2011

Did someone mention Spanish here?
The method???

Movies filmed in a single location

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