Long Takes
A list of movies that contain one or more long sequences without a (visible) cut.
As with all my lists based on a topic: Suggestions are welcome!
As with all my lists based on a topic: Suggestions are welcome!
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25 titles
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.Basically the whole movie is one take (with hidden cuts).
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsJulianne MooreClive OwenChiwetel EjioforIn 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.Contains four long scenes without cuts. Interestingly those are the scenes where the most actions happens, which is a place where the cutting frequency usually increases. For me this is the top movie in this category, because of how much is happening in those scenes.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.The mother of all scenes without cuts. The whole movies is just a single shot. (Well there are some hidden cuts, but you get the picture.)
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Some extensive, action-packed scenes without cuts.
- CreatorMike FlanaganStarsMichiel HuismanCarla GuginoHenry ThomasFlashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.Episode 6 in season 1 contains maybe 4 cuts in total (except for the last minute which is edited conventionally).
- DirectorDavid LeitchStarsCharlize TheronJames McAvoyJohn GoodmanAn undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.An extensive fight scene in a building leading into a car chase. (I only wish the car chase wouldn't switch back to cuts halfway through.)
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsNicolas CageGary SiniseJohn HeardA corrupt detective and a Navy Commander investigate an assassination and the disappearance of a beautiful stranger.The first scene is a long tracking shot through all the locations where the rest of the movies takes place. (There are some hidden cuts.) What makes this movie great is that later we keep returning back to this scene to find out what we didn't see. What makes this movie bad is the end.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RobbinsGreta ScacchiFred WardA Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected, but which one?The first scene is a long tracking shot through a lot of locations involving dozens of actors and a lot of dialogue. Very impressive.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.The opening shot follows Daniel Craig through a crowd and in and out of a building and an elevator.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyJames McAvoyBrenda BlethynThirteen-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.There is a very long take at the end with hundreds of extras on the beach.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.The scene where they enter the restaurant.
- DirectorJulius AveryStarsJovan AdepoWyatt RussellMathilde OllivierA small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.An extensive airdrop scene in the beginning. Most special effects, but impressive nevertheless.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsNathan FillionGina TorresChiwetel EjioforThe crew of the ship Serenity try to evade an assassin sent to recapture telepath River.The first shot follows Nathan Fillion through the spaceship while he talks to all the crew members.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonThe former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.Johnson vs. Sporino
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsCharlton HestonOrson WellesJanet LeighA stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.The beginning of the movie is a long shot from a crane camera with a lot of stuff going on. Later there is another long scene in the lawyer's office.
- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsElijah WoodJohn HurtLeonor WatlingAt Oxford University, a professor and a grad student work together to try to stop a potential series of murders seemingly linked by mathematical symbols.A very long take following several people through the street and in and out of buildings.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsSaoirse RonanCate BlanchettEric BanaA sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.Eric Bana walking through Berlin while being tailed and eventually fighting a couple of agents.
- DirectorMabrouk El MechriStarsJean-Claude Van DammeValérie BodsonHervé SogneJean-Claude Van Damme gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages situation and reflects about his life during it.The intro is a long continuous fight scene. There are a lot of other long takes later.
- DirectorAlbert HughesAllen HughesStarsJohnny DeppHeather GrahamIan HolmAfter five ritualistic murders are committed in 1888 London, Inspector Abberline's assignment is to investigate the "Jack the Ripper" murders. Along with a string of mutilated prostitutes, he uncovers a conspiracy involving the government.The first shot follows Heather Graham throught the London streets.
- DirectorMike LeighStarsTimothy SpallBrenda BlethynPhyllis LoganFollowing the death of her adoptive parents, a successful young black optometrist establishes contact with her biological mother -- a lonely white factory worker living in poverty in East London.There is one very touching scene in a restaurant with the two female leads and one at the end with the complete cast. Both are static, but take several minutes each.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsKurt RussellZoë BellRosario DawsonTwo separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman who uses his "death proof" cars to execute his murderous plans.A seemingly endless shot circling around four women talking at a table in a restaurant.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsEdward NortonColin FarrellNoah EmmerichA family's moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law. For Ray, the truth is revelatory, a Pandora's Box that threatens to upend not only the Tierney legacy but the entire NYPD.The hand camera follows Noah Emmerich as he enters a building and walks through a crime scene.
- DirectorAlejandro AgrestiStarsKeanu ReevesSandra BullockChristopher PlummerA lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside house begins to exchange love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.There is a very long scene without cuts where Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves talk on a patio.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsHarvey KeitelWilliam HurtGiancarlo EspositoA Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.The last scene is just Harvey Keitel talking, while the camera moves in on him.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonCiarán HindsAfter a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.Brendan Gleeson talking on the phone and walking through the room.