List of films set in a single location

Last updated

This page lists films that are set fully, or almost entirely, in only one location. Such films are sometimes referred to as "bottle movies" [1] or "chamber pieces". [2] [3] [4] In June 2023, film critic and director Chris Stuckmann speculated that the limitations that chamber pieces bring not only make writers self-conscious but also drive their creativity. [5]

List of films

FilmYearDirectorNotesRef(s)
10 Cloverfield Lane 2016 Dan Trachtenberg Set in a bunker. [6]
12 Angry Men 1957 Sidney Lumet Set almost entirely in a jury room. [7]
12 Angry Men 1997 William Friedkin [8]
127 Hours 2010 Danny Boyle Set in a canyon. [9]
1BR 2019David MarmorSet in an apartment complex. [10]
The Antares Paradox 2022Luis TinocoSet in a single room [11]
All Is Lost 2013 J. C. Chandor Set in the Indian Ocean, first in a damaged yacht and then in a life raft. [12]
All Is Vanity 2021 Marcos Mereles Set in photography studio. [13]
Almanac of Fall 1984 Béla Tarr Set in a claustrophobic apartment. [14]
Assault on Precinct 13 1976 John Carpenter Set in a decommissioned police precinct. [15]
ATM 2012David BrooksLocated in and around an ATM booth. [16]
The Big Kahuna 1999John SwanbeckSet in a hotel hospitality suite. [17]
Biosphere 2022Mel EslynLocated in a shelter. [18]
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant 1972 Rainer Werner Fassbinder Almost totally restricted to the protagonist's bedroom. [19]
The Boat 2018Winston AzzopardiSet on a sailboat. [20]
Bodies Bodies Bodies 2022 Halina Reijn Set at a house party. [21]
Boiling Point 2021 Philip Barantini Set in a restaurant. [22]
Brake 2012Gabe TorresSet inside a car trunk. [23]
The Breakfast Club 1985 John Hughes Set in high school detention. [6]
Breaking 2022Abi Damaris CorbinSet almost entirely in a bank. [24]
Brink of Life 1958 Ingmar Bergman Set in a maternity ward. [25]
Bullet Train 2022 David Leitch Set in a fictionalized version of the Tokaido Shinkansen. [26]
The Bullet Train 1975 Junya Satō Set on a bullet train. [27]
Buried 2010 Rodrigo Cortés Set in a coffin. [28]
Carnage 2011 Roman Polanski Set in an apartment. [29]
Circle 2015Aaron Hann, Mario MiscioneSet in a darkened room. [30]
Clerks 1994 Kevin Smith Set almost entirely in a convenience store. [31]
Clue 1985 Jonathan Lynn Set in a mansion. [31]
Coherence 2013 James Ward Byrkit Set at a dinner party. [30]
Copshop 2021 Joe Carnahan Set in a police station. [32]
Craving 2023 J. Horton Set in a roadside bar. [33]
Cube 1997 Vincenzo Natali Set in a large unidentified cube. [34]
Cujo 1983 Lewis Teague Set in a car. [35]
Daddio 2024 Christy Hall [36]
Deathtrap 1982 Sidney Lumet Set in a secluded home. [37]
Deterrence 1999 Rod Lurie Set in a diner. [38]
Devil 2010 John Erick Dowdle Set in an elevator. [30]
Dial M for Murder 1954 Alfred Hitchcock Set in an apartment. [31]
Dog Day Afternoon 1975 Sidney Lumet Set mostly in a bank. [39]
Exam 2009 Stuart Hazeldine Set in an exam hall. [40]
Failure! 2023 Alex Kahuam Set in a three-story family home. [41]
Fall 2022 Scott Mann Set on top of a TV tower. [42]
Feast 2005 John Gulager Set in a tavern. [43]
Free Fire 2016 Ben Wheatley Set in an abandoned factory. [44]
Friend of the World 2020 Brian Patrick Butler Set in a bunker. [45] [46]
Glorious 2022 Rebekah McKendry Set in a public bathroom. [47]
Grave Encounters 2011 The Vicious Brothers Set in a psychiatric hospital. [48]
Knock at the Cabin 2023 M. Night Shyamalan Set in a cabin in the woods. [49]
The Guilty 2018Gustav MöllerSet in a police emergency call center. [30]
The Guilty 2021 Antoine Fuqua Remake of the 2018 film. [30]
The Hateful Eight 2015 Quentin Tarantino Set in a ranch waystation. [50]
Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea 2023 Tony Olmos Set in an apartment complex. [51] [52]
Humane 2024 Caitlin Cronenberg Set in a large home. [53]
The Immaculate Room 2022 Mukunda Michael Dewil Set in a large white room. [54]
Inside 2023Vasilis KatsoupisSet in a billionaire's penthouse. [55]
The Invitation 2015 Karyn Kusama Set at a dinner party. [56]
It's a Disaster 2012 Todd Berger Set in a suburban home. [6]
Last Shift 2014 Anthony DiBlasi Set in a police station. [57]
The Last Stop in Yuma County 2024Francis GalluppiSet in a diner. [58]
Late Night with the Devil 2024Colin & Cameron CairnesSet on a late-night talk show. [59] [60]
Lifeboat 1944Alfred HitchcockSet on a lifeboat. [61]
Locke 2013 Steven Knight Set in a car. [62]
Lord of the Flies 1963 Peter Brook Set on a desert island. [6]
Lord of the Flies 1990 Harry Hook [6]
Malum 2023 Anthony DiBlasi Set in a police station. [57]
The Man from Earth 2007 Richard Schenkman Set in a farewell party. [30]
Mass 2021 Fran Krantz Set in a single room. [63]
Miss Julie 2014 Liv Ullmann Set in a manor house. [64]
My Dinner with Andre 1981 Louis Malle Set in Café des Artistes. [65]
Next Door 2021 Daniel Brühl Set in a pub. [66] [67]
Nine Dead 2009Chris ShadleySet in a room. [30]
No Exit 2022 Damien Power Set in road-side rest stop during a snowstorm. [68]
No Through Road 2009Steven ChamberlainSet on a no through road. [69]
One Night in Miami... 2020 Regina King Set almost entirely in a motel room [70]
The Outfit 2022 Graham Moore Set in a tailor shop. [71]
Panic Room 2002 David Fincher Set in a New York City brownstone. [6]
The Party 1968 Blake Edwards Set at a Hollywood house party. [72] [73]
Penny Dreadful 2006Richard BrandesSet almost entirely in a stranded car in the woods. [74]
Perfect Strangers 2016 Paolo Genovese Set around the dinner table. [75] [76] [77] [78]
Phone Booth 2002 Joel Schumacher Set mostly in a phone booth. [79] [80]
The Platform 2019 Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia Set in a Vertical Self-Management Center. [30]
Rear Window 1954Alfred HitchcockSet in an apartment. [31]
The Rental 2020 Dave Franco Set mostly in a Pacific Northwest house. [81]
Reservoir Dogs 1992Quentin TarantinoSet mostly in a warehouse. [31]
Room 2015 Lenny Abrahamson Largely confined to a shed. [82]
Rope 1948Alfred HitchcockSet in an apartment. [83]
Sanctuary 2022 Zachary Wigon Set in a hotel room. [84]
Share? 2023Ira RosensweigSet in a single room. [85] [86] [87]
Shirin 2008 Abbas Kiarostami Set inside a theater. [88]
Shiva Baby 2020 Emma Seligman Set almost entirely in a shiva home. [89]
Shut In 2022 D.J. Caruso Set in a single house; mostly in the kitchen pantry. [90]
The Silent House 1929 Walter Forde Set in a house. [91]
The Silent House 2010 Gustavo Hernández [92]
Silent House 2011 Chris Kentis and Laura Lau [93]
Sleuth 1972 Joseph L. Mankiewicz Set in a manor house. [31]
Snowpiercer 2013 Bong Joon-ho Set in a train. [6]
Something 2018Stephen PortlandSet in a house. [94]
The Sunset Limited 2011 Tommy Lee Jones Set in an apartment. [95]
Tape 2001 Richard Linklater Set in a hotel room. [96]
Venus in Fur 2013 Roman Polanski Set in a theater. [97]
Wait Until Dark 1967 Terence Young Set in an apartment. [31]
The Whale 2022 Darren Aronofsky Set in an apartment. [98]
What Happened Was 1994 Tom Noonan Set on a date. [99]

References

  1. ↑ "The Best Bottle Movies". Johnson County Library. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  2. ↑ "The Art of the One-Location Screenplay". WriterDuet . March 11, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Chamber Piece (Definition)". Wonderful Cinema. 17 May 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  4. ↑ Topel, Fred (June 24, 2013). "LAFF Review: Goodbye World". Mandatory . Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ Stuckmann, Chris (June 13, 2023). Sanctuary - Movie Review (Review). YouTube . Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fairbrother, Emma (22 April 2022). "10 Best Movies That Take Place in Mostly One Location". Collider. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "12 Angry Men: Telling a Story in One Location". All The Right Movies. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  8. ↑ "12 Angry Men (1997)". Letterboxd editorial. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  9. ↑ Ebert, Roger (November 10, 2010). "127 Hours movie review & film summary (2010)". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Abrams, Simon (2020-04-24). "1BR movie review & film summary (2020) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  11. ↑ Lussier, Germain (25 September 2022). "The Antares Paradox Is Contact Meets 24 In a Single Room, and It's Incredible". Gizmodo .
  12. ↑ Savage, Sophia (August 7, 2012). "First Look at J.C. Chandor's 'All is Lost' with Robert Redford". indieWire. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  13. ↑ Murray, Iana (2022-10-17). "All Is Vanity". Empire. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  14. ↑ "Almanac of Fall". Strictly Film School. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  15. ↑ Mathai, Jeremy (18 October 2023). "The Siege In Assault On Precinct 13 Is The Best Action Scene Ever". /Film. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Director David Brooks ATM Interview". Collider. 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  17. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "The Big Kahuna movie review & film summary (2000) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  18. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (July 6, 2023). "'Biosphere' Review: An Imperfect Yet Endearing Indie Comedy About the End of the World". Variety.
  19. ↑ Chen, Nick (November 18, 2018). "François Ozon: 10 essential films and the classics that influenced them". British Film Institute.
  20. ↑ Thurman, Trace (27 September 2018). "[Fantastic Fest Review] 'Christine' Takes to the High Seas in Claustrophobic 'The Boat'". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  21. ↑ Olcese, Abby (15 March 2022). "SXSW 2022: The Prank, Apollo 10 ½, Bodies Bodies Bodies | Festivals & Awards". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  22. ↑ Sturges, Fiona (2021-12-31). "Vinette Robinson: 'The collective effort was magic – I've never felt that on a set'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  23. ↑ "'Brake' Director Talks Making 'Die Hard' in the Trunk of a Car'". Screen Rant . 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  24. ↑ O'Sullivan, Michael (22 August 2022). "John Boyega rages against injustice in the fact-based 'Breaking'". The Washington Post . Retrieved 8 October 2025. The fact-based hostage drama "Breaking" is a kind of chamber piece, set almost entirely inside the lobby of a Marietta, Ga., Wells Fargo branch.
  25. ↑ MACDONALD, DWIGHT. "FILMS | Esquire | JUNE, 1961". Esquire | The Complete Archive. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  26. ↑ Alder, Theo (September 21, 2022). ""Bullet Train" movie review". Northern Iowan. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  27. ↑ Verma, Shikhar (8 August 2022). "9 Movies to watch if you Like Bullet Train (2022)". High On Films. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  28. ↑ Boucher, Geoff (September 12, 2010). "The Directors: Rodrigo Cortés builds suspense in 'Buried'". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  29. ↑ Stephen Wallis (2012). "On the set of Carnage". Architectural Digest. Condé Nast. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "13 Amazing Movies Filmed In A Single Location". This is Barry. 14 February 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stephens, Dan (3 March 2018). "Top 10 Films Set In One Location". top10films.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  32. ↑ Graham, Adam (September 16, 2021). "Review: Bullets (and quips) fly in violent, fast-talking 'Copshop'". The Detroit News. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  33. ↑ Lawrence, Vicky (2023-04-24). "CRAVING". Starburst . Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  34. ↑ Graham, Bob (20 November 1998). "'Cube's' Cogs Stuck in Its Pure Visuals". San Francisco Chronicle .
  35. ↑ "Cujo (1983), Lookback/Review". Den of Geek. 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  36. ↑ O'Malley, Sheila. "Daddio movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  37. ↑ Burack, Emily (29 December 2022). "12 Movies to Watch After You Watch Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery". Town & Country. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  38. ↑ Holden, Stephen. The New York Times , film review, March 10, 2000. Last accessed: February 21, 2011.
  39. ↑ Screen: Lumet's 'Dog Day Afternoon'. The New York Times , film review, September 22, 1975. Last accessed: October 14, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Exam Review". Total Film . 21 December 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  41. ↑ Bitel, Anton (2023-08-28). "Failure! (2023)". Projected Figures. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  42. ↑ Buglass, Lucy (31 August 2022). "Fall review: survival movie takes horror to new heights". whattowatch.com. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  43. ↑ "Feast (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  44. ↑ Barrett, Alex (31 March 2017). "10 great films set in one location". BFI. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  45. ↑ "Friend of the World is a Bracing Stocktake of a Crumbling World". Tilt Magazine. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  46. ↑ "REVIEW: 'FRIEND OF THE WORLD' (2020) IS A BIZARRE APOCALYPTIC FILM". Horror Geek Life. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  47. ↑ Lemire, Christy (August 18, 2022). "Glorious movie review & film summary (2022)". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  48. ↑ "Movies Filmed at Riverview Hospital" . Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Knock at the Cabin Review". 27 February 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  50. ↑ Knight, Rich (21 January 2024). "8 Great Bottle Movies And How They Used Their Location". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  51. ↑ Bitel, Anton (2024-01-24). "Hemet, Or The Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023)". Projected Figures. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
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