Top 10 Movies Taking Place in 1 Day

Writer/director Richard Linklater is something of a specialist when it comes to capturing periods of time within film. His “Before” trilogy showcased this wonderfully with 1995’s “Before Sunrise,” but it’s “Dazed and Confused” from 1993 that probably serves as Linklater’s most enduring calling card. The film perfectly captures the complicated zeitgeist of extremes and contradictions that embodied the 1970s, as it documents the last day of school for students in Austin, Texas. The various plot threads make “Dazed and Confused” feel episodic, but in a good way, as Linklater and the outstanding ensemble cast bring together elements of ‘70s drug, student and sociological cultures.

George A. Romero may have greatly expanded his world of the living dead after the 1968 OG, but it’s remarkable how much tension is present within “Night of the Living Dead.” Romero’s picture plays out more like a siege film, as survivors of a ghoulish, undead attack hold out in a farmhouse and argue over how to proceed. Several news reports underline the severity of the situation, as it’s revealed how the unburied dead aren’t just attacking this singular group. Instead, it’s clear that an epidemic is at hand, and it’s up to these disparate elements to coexist, if they’re going to survive the night.

Some critics, commentators and movie fans over the years have called out the character of Ferris Bueller, he of the titular “day off,” as actually being kind of a jerk. Knowing this, it’s interesting to observe how writer/director John Hughes actually made the city of Chicago the focus of his screenplay. The day off that Bueller and his friends enjoy is a romp, for sure, and makes the most of its Chicago setting while capturing a lot of zany antics along the way. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” may not have been written with the intention of being scrutinized in this way so many years later, but the film’s conceptual set-up and execution help make this an iconic film for many.

This 1975 film features a career-defining performance from Al Pacino, one in a series of career-defining performances. Director Sidney Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson adapted an article from Life Magazine that was actually based on a real life situation from 1972. John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile attempted to rob a Chase Manhattan bank, with some sources claiming as motive a gender reassignment surgery for Wojtowicz’s lover. “Dog Day Afternoon” leans into this claim, but manages to do so without feeling exploitative. The stand-off remains tense from first frame to last, allowing Pacino to explode off the screen with intensity.

There are a lot of characters and moving parts present within the narrative of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film, “Magnolia.” Having this many balls in the air allows “Magnolia” to feel expansive, while still taking place within the confines of a single day. The stories and motivations of its sprawling ensemble cast are connected, but in a remarkably complex way. This allows for multiple viewings, and it’s highly likely that audiences will come away from “Magnolia” feeling differently each and every time. This seems to be by design, and Paul Thomas Anderson earned a lot of acclaim for just how deeply involved fans feel about “Magnolia.”

There’s a good reason why the legacy of John Hughes as a screenwriter is so closely tied with films such as 1985’s “The Breakfast Club.” For starters, the sincerity and intelligence of its writing stands apart from so many of its peers during this decade. Hughes treats his characters with respect, outlining various teen archetypes while never trapping these kids within these roles. If anything, it’s the gathering of these disparate kids for an afternoon’s detention that allows them to see over the fences of their lives. Everyone in “The Breakfast Club” leaves their afternoon together changed, although it’s unclear how long this will last. And it’s this ambiguity that makes Hughes’ film feel so beautiful.

What would you do if your back was against the wall? Screenwriter Carl Foreman and director Fred Zinnemann ask this question in one of the western genre’s all-time classic films, “High Noon.” The narrative takes place in real time, as the newly-married Marshal Will Kane attempts to seek out help against an invading posse led by the outlaw, Frank Miller. Kane finds closed doors and empty promises at every turn, and the tension is ramped up as Miller’s gang grows ever closer. Only a child offers to help Kane square off against Miller, and the Marshal is left alone at the titular “high noon.” Or is he?

It only takes the heat of one summer’s day to ignite local neighborhood tensions into an explosive powder keg of tragedy. This, in a nutshell, helps describe the intensity of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” The ensemble cast includes Lee himself, and points fingers at racism from all angles, including first-person ones directly at the camera. A pizzeria may not, on the surface at least, feel like a setting for violence. Yet, “Do the Right Thing” explores topics of police brutality, community tensions, riot culture and more within its two-hour running time. And in doing so, Lee gave generations of moviegoers food for thought.

It takes a special kind of film to take the everyday judicial system and dramatize it with this level of smoldering intensity. Juries of our peers deliberate cases on a daily basis, yet “12 Angry Men” takes the viewer into those deliberation rooms and places them in those seats. What happens when there’s a single, dissenting voice for a trial that will decide a young man’s life or death? “12 Angry Men” methodically explores this situation, as the heat outside boils over into the jury room, increasing personal tensions. There’s a lot to unpack with each juror’s biases and personal stories, yet doing so ensures that “12 Angry Men” remains essential viewing for staunch cinephiles.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992)
Who Will Make the Cut & Drink the Coffee?

“Run Lola Run” (1998)
Inventive Editing & Flashbacks Expand a Brief Span of Time

“Rope” (1948)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Infamous “Single-Take” & Single Day Film

“Clerks” (1994)
Dante Wasn’t Even Supposed to BE There Today!

“American Graffiti” (1973)
A Single Night of Cruisin’ with Sixties Youths

There’s so much going on in “Die Hard” that it makes it easy to forget that the film actually takes place in a single day. Perhaps it’s because there’s so many bits of quotable dialogue or set-pieces that feel so extensive and exciting, that we can only assume they go on for an extended siege. But no, John McClane’s infiltration of Nakatomi Plaza is a day-and-night long affair that gives us shootouts, monologues and subterfuge galore. Credit the great acting (because it is) or maybe the solid script and direction (both true), but “Die Hard” is a classic for a reason.


What’s your favorite 24-hour roller coaster ride? Let us know in the comments!