Top 10 Movies that Take Place in One Room

The highly saturated “Saw” franchise had a very humble beginning. Made on a shoestring budget and primarily set in a single bathroom, the original film gave horror a new identity. “Saw” features two men—Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell—who find themselves chained between a corpse in an unknown location. Neither knows how or why they are there, and only once Jigsaw’s voice is heard do they know they’re being played—and the game is not fun. The plot takes several unbelievable turns as the men are pitted against death and each other in Jigsaw’s deranged social experiment, but the action remains relatively confined to a single spot.

“The Man from Earth” is a low budget direct-to-video movie, and for all intents and purposes, it should not have been good. Instead, the film was pulled from obscurity and passed around, becoming a cult classic that is revered for its original plot and mesmerizing dialogue. The movie concerns a group of professors who throw a goodbye party for their colleague at his cabin, unaware that the colleague harbors an incredible secret. It is shot entirely in the living room of the cabin, and the suspense resides solely in the unraveling of the revelation. Based on Jerome Bixby’s screenplay, it is a masterpiece on the importance of writing.

Few movies capture the troubles of teenage life better than “The Breakfast Club”—and how could it not? Every high school clique is represented in this John Hughes classic, as five vastly different students serve the same detention period. Most of the film takes place in the school library, where the reticent kids start warming up to each other, and slowly divulge the intricacies of their lives. Through this development, they realize they’re all quite similar, and it’s merely the social hierarchy that keeps them from being friends. There’s someone for every person to relate to, which is why “The Breakfast Club” is so beloved. 

Based on a Stephen King story, this film about a haunted hotel room was a critical and financial success. Number 1408 of the Dolphin hotel caused the mysterious deaths of many occupants, which leads a horror writer named Mike Enslin–played by John Cusack—to investigate it. He decides to spend the night in the room, ignoring the pleas and warnings from the hotel’s manager. What follows is a disturbing journey through Mike’s own personal hell, as the room warps his sense of reality. Almost the entire movie takes place in room 1408, even the scenes that don’t… if you’ve seen the movie, you know what we’re talking about! 

Set in a motel room in real time, “Tape” stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman, and is directed by the always trippy Richard Linklater. The film was shot on camcorder and revolves around three former friends who talk in detail about their high school years. The Michigan motel room makes for an intimate setting, and the dialogue is just as intimate as the 20-somethings reminisce about their interconnected lives. Then, a bomb drops, and things get dark very quickly. Linklater, a dialogue wizard, creates such a natural exchange that it’s hard to believe we’re watching a movie, and the brilliant acting and tight setting are equally responsible.

“My Dinner with Andre” is a conversation between two people at a restaurant. That’s it. The film stars Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, who also wrote the screenplay, in a performance that walks the line between acting and reality. The exchange is scripted, however, and the scenes are properly directed. While the subject of performance art is one that is broached in the nearly two-hour conversation, many others are discussed, ranging from electric blankets to the meaning of life. The dining table is the only true setting, which allows the dialogue primary focus. The stripping of film’s habitual conventions makes this one-room film one of the most unique viewing experiences.

Alfred Hitchcock was known for making a lot out of a little—using high concept ideas in low concept settings—and “Rear Window” is the very definition of that. Often considered the peak of Hitchcock’s filmmaking career, “Rear Window” tells the story of a peeping tom: an immobile man, played by James Stewart, who spends considerable time watching people from his apartment. But it’s not perversion that motivates the man…it’s murder. He speculates that his neighbor committed a crime, and the rabbit hole gets deeper as he continues to watch and unfold the narrative from his wheelchair. The rear window room is the film’s primary setting, and the peeping tom concept has inspired countless adaptations, including 2007’s “Disturbia.”

Said to be “The Godfather” of independent cinema, 1992’s “Reservoir Dogs” displayed the talent of a new filmmaker named Quentin Tarantino. With the possible exception of “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs” is considered Tarantino’s best work, due to its intricate plot that blends comedy, drama, and horror seamlessly. What? Horror you say? Well, considering that torture scene, yes. Centered on a heist, “Reservoir Dogs” is also notable for not showing the heist itself; it only deals with the fallout of the botched excursion as the criminals meet back at the warehouse. This empty warehouse is the setting for most of the film, and spurred Tarantino’s single-setting fascination which was perfected in “The Hateful Eight.”

Hitchcock does it again in “Rope,” which is a more faithful adherence to the single-room concept. Along with its minimalist setting, the film was innovative for its real-time pacing and long take approach—nearly 70 years before “Birdman” applied the same techniques. “Rope” is about two university students who kill their classmate and host a dinner party to test the strength of the crime. The rise in suspense is masterful, as Hitchcock unveils the perfect crime with the perfect narrative, and cements “Rope” as one of the genre’s best.

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

- “The Exterminating Angel” (1962)

- “The Sunset Limited” (2011)

- “Carnage” (2011)

- “No Exit” (1962)

Maybe the greatest dialogue-driven movie of all time, “12 Angry Men” is a masterful example of storytelling. Based on a teleplay by Reginald Rose, it introduces twelve jurors who are tasked with determining the fate of a man on trial for murder. The jurors have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the man is guilty or innocent based on the evidence presented in court. Set almost entirely in the deliberation room, the movie writhes with suspense, intrigue, and climax through nothing but conversation. Heralded for its accurate portrayal of deliberation and human nature, “12 Angry Men” is a law school staple, and is among the National Film Registry’s selections for culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite single room movie? For more confined Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.