# Movies that take place over a few hours **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 15, 2021, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139 "2021-05-15T05:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/21 "2021-05-15T17:14:38Z")
Die Hard was the first one I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/22 "2021-05-15T17:15:01Z")
Technically, most of _Two Seconds_ takes place in two seconds (with a couple of minutes before and after). It’s done in flashbacks, but those are supposed to occur in the two seconds before the man dies in the electric chair. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/23 "2021-05-15T17:15:30Z")
_Rope_ (1948) – A dinner party hosted by murderers. _The Set-Up_ (1949) – Boxing tale takes place over a little more than an hour, same as the film’s running time. _Cleo from 5 to 7_ (1961) – Woman awaits potential life-altering medical diagnosis. _Dr. Strangelove_ (1963) _The Taking of Pelham, One, Two, Three_ (1974, 2009) _Don’s Party_ (1976) – Election party in Australia. _Salome’s Last Dance_ (1988) – An evening at the brothel with Oscar the Wilde and Bosie. _Falling Down_ (1993) – Michael Douglas flips out. _The Ice Harvest_ (2005) – Criminal behavior on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. _Attack the Block_ (2011) – Gang defends their ‘hood against aliens. _Locke_ (2014) – Dude drives his BMW. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/24 "2021-05-15T17:24:03Z")
How about _The Wannsee Conference_, and it’s more recent counterpart _Conspiracy_? And IMHO both were outstanding movies. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/25 "2021-05-15T21:03:44Z")
The longest movie that I’ve seen which is one continuous shot is the 2015 German film _Victoria_ directed by Sebastian Schipper, which is 140 minutes long. This Wikipedia entry lists three longer ones and many that are shorter. Two of the ones they list (_Timecode_ and _Russian Ark_) are reasonably well known: > **[One-shot film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-shot_film)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A one-shot film (also one-take film, single-take film, continuous shot feature film) is a full-length movie filmed in one long take by a single camera, or manufactured to give the impression it was. > In a 2019 article, discussing the award-winning film 1917 (2019), Eric Grode of The New York Times wrote that very long takes were becoming popular in more mainstream films "as a sobering reminder of temporality, a virtuosic calling card, a self-issue... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/26 "2021-05-15T21:20:41Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > The Neighbors with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, [nitpick] It’s just _Neighbors_, no article. Fantastic movie. > [@Cumberdale](#): > > Other such movies on my list include the underrated After Hours by Martin Scorsese. > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Not by me it isn’t. It’s one of my favorite films. > [@silenus](#): > > _Into the Night_ is a quirky little film by John Landis that takes place in less than 24 hours. Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfieffer and most of Landis’ director friends star. Y’all have excellent taste in movies. 😃 My contribution is _16 Blocks_. > **[16 Blocks (2006) ⭐ 6.6 | Action, Drama, Thriller](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450232/)** > > 1h 42m | PG-13 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/27 "2021-05-16T02:29:00Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > [@Cumberdale](#): > > > > The Neighbors with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, > > [nitpick] It’s just _Neighbors_, no article. Fantastic movie. Agree with this. It was poorly received, but it was one of the better adaptations of book-to-movie. I loved the book (I was on a Thomas Berger kick for awhile) and this was a good job. Also, if you read the book, it’s clear that Ackroyd was perfectly cast as Captain Vic. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/28 "2021-05-16T03:13:35Z")
I haven’t actually watched it, but I believe _The Purge_ takes place over a 12 hour period. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/29 "2021-05-16T04:55:55Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > Dan Akroyd > [@RealityChuck](#): > > it’s clear that Ackroyd was perfectly cast > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > nitpick] It’s just _Neighbors_ , no article. Another nitpick: _A **y** kroyd_ (I learned that here on the Dope) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/30 "2021-05-16T05:02:18Z")
_Let it Ride_ is a 1989 comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss. Except for about two minutes the night before, the whole thing takes place at a racetrack in an afternoon. > **[Let It Ride (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Ride_(film))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Let It Ride is a 1989 American comedy film. It was directed by Joe Pytka (in his feature non-documentary debut) from a screenplay by Nancy Dowd (credited as Ernest Morton) based on the 1979 novel Good Vibes by Jay Cronley. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Teri Garr, and Allen Garfield. The story is centered on a normally unsuccessful habitual gambler who experiences a day in which he wins every bet he places, and focuses on the personali... ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/31 "2021-05-16T05:36:48Z")
Groundhog Day ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/32 "2021-05-16T06:17:52Z")
_Adventures In Babysitting_ ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/33 "2021-05-16T12:50:45Z")
**Clue** **The Ref** ---
**Author:** ![DoubleG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DoubleG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleG)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/34 "2021-05-17T05:00:31Z")
3 O’clock High which is an underrated 80’s movie. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/35 "2021-05-17T06:30:35Z")
Some films that take place around a holiday are sure to qualify - stuff like _Pieces of April_ or _The Ice Storm_ happen on Thanksgiving or start just before. Some Christmas movies, too, no doubt. Oh, and _Death At A Funeral_ is all one day. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/36 "2021-05-17T11:43:26Z")
Good point _Arthur Christmas_ takes place overnight. Same for _A Christmas Carol_ _After the Thin Man_ Since it’s mostly a flashback, _The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek_ takes place in only a few minutes of real time. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/37 "2021-05-17T12:09:30Z")
It’s more a collection of 5 shorts, but _Night on Earth_ certainly qualifies. Good film also. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/38 "2021-05-17T12:32:22Z")
_Margin Call_, one of the better films about Wall Street, takes place over a single evening. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/39 "2021-05-19T16:20:52Z")
> **[1917 (2019 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_(2019_film))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > > 1917 is a 2019 war film directed and produced by Sam Mendes, who co-wrote the film with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Partially inspired by stories told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather Alfred about his service during World War I, the film takes place after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich, and follows two British soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), in their mission to ... > **[Buried (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buried_(film))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Buried is a 2010 English-language Spanish survival thriller film directed by Rodrigo Cortés. It stars Ryan Reynolds and was written by Chris Sparling. > The story is about Iraq-based American civilian truck driver Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), who, after being attacked, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin, with only a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pen, pencil, and a mobile phone. Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Fes... ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139/40 "2021-05-22T21:29:48Z")
_Duel_ takes place over one day, if that counts as “a few” hours. During the opening credits Mann is shown leaving his house for his business trip in the morning. As the closing credits roll, he’s sitting on the edge of the canyon as the sun starts to set. Although when he first encountered the truck at the beginning of the movie he’d probably already been driving for a while, so you could argue that most of the actual action takes place over a few hours. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-take-place-over-a-few-hours/942139.md?page=3)