12 films that show the events of one day taking place in real time (13 photos)

Here are those rare films whose stage time is equal to real time. Their specificity is that it is as if we are seeing a live broadcast of the events being shown.





Not all films show events of many days, weeks and months. And even years. And even decades. And if it’s science fiction, and the plot includes a time machine, then centuries.

In contrast to such films, there are those that tell the story of one day. Or even several hours. Or even an hour and a half, which is how long the average film is.

This feature alone does not always make films automatically brilliant, but we have collected those that are definitely worthy of attention.

Run Lola Run (1998)



Film duration: 81 minutes.

The main character has very little time to get a large sum of money and save her boyfriend. We see every second of her desperate improvisations on the screen.

At the Last Moment (1995)





Duration: 90 minutes.

The daughter of a simple accountant (and part-time Johnny Depp) is kidnapped at a train station. The attackers demand a ransom in the form of one difficult case - the murder of the governor. The hero is given a revolver and 90 minutes of time.

Rope (1948)



Duration: 80 minutes.

Two friends kill their friend minutes before a party, hide the body in a suitcase in the middle of the living room, and then act in front of the guests as if nothing happened. Until one of them begins to suffer from conscience.

The film is one of the first in history to be shot with the effect of an indivisible take. Several cuts are disguised by moving the camera onto the backs of the characters.

16 Quarters (2006)



Duration: 102 minutes.

16 blocks from the police station to the courthouse - this is the distance that detective Jack Mosley (better known as Bruce Willis) and important witness Eddie Bunker must overcome. As you understand, this turned out to be not so easy, since an entire film is dedicated to this movement.

12 Angry Men (1957)



Duration: 96 minutes.

12 jurors closed in the deliberation room to reach a verdict in a case in which everything is clear. But is it really understandable if the discussion took an hour and a half, and the men turned from ordinary to angry?

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)



Duration: 130 minutes.

The story of one robbery. One fine Brooklyn afternoon, three people (including Al Pacino) break into a bank, but something immediately goes wrong.

Man from Earth (2007)



Duration: 87 minutes.

A university professor moves to another city and finally gathers his colleagues for a farewell party. On it, he suddenly admits that he is immortal and has been walking around the planet for about 14 thousand years. (The film does not show the events of all 14 thousand years - only this party.)

Before Sunset (2004)



Duration: 80 minutes.

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy meet 9 years after the events of the first film (Before Sunrise, 1995) and walk around Paris for 80 minutes, knowing that they will soon separate again.

Massacre (2011)



Duration: 80 minutes.

The story of one parental showdown. Two pairs of adults sort things out after their children got into a fight. First in a civilized way, and then in any way.

Phone Booth (2002)



Duration: 81 minutes.

The unknown person on the other end of the line keeps Colin Farrell in a booth for over an hour, claiming to see him through the scope of his sniper rifle. And he even provides evidence.

Shootout (2016)



Duration: 91 minutes.

The star-studded cast plays members of two groups of dangerous people who pull off a weapons deal in an abandoned factory. A conflict occurs, and the place of trade turns into a battlefield for an hour and a half.

Victoria (2015)



Duration: 138 minutes.

A young Spanish woman living in Berlin agrees to go for a walk with local guys, but ends up getting involved in criminal squabbles. The entire film was shot in one continuous take.

We also have a separate post with films that were shot with various unique features, including the effect of an indivisible take and showing events in reverse order (guess what kind of film). Look, there's a lot of interesting things here.