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Best Movies that take place over the course of one night

Dennis Brian

over 3 years ago

my dinner with andre

A Tree in Tanjung Malim (Tan Chui Mui, 2004)

House of Leaves

-moderator-
about 3 years ago

Since these films need all the pub they can get (and you should track them down), both of Tom Noonan’s films:

What Happened Was…
and
The Wife

Criminally under-seen.

Dennis Brian

about 3 years ago

also by Tom Noonan

What Happened Was

Well, there’s also a little film called La Notte by Antonioni. ;)

Venus Sands

about 3 years ago

L’Année dernière à Marienbad ( I think that was one night…maybe not)
Cléo de 5 à 7 (one evening)

Uli Cain, Cinefid​el¹³

about 3 years ago

Gotta go with dazed and confused and what happened was…

Neo-Glo​om

about 3 years ago

@Natasha – I believe “Last Year At Marienbad” juxtaposes two different events, one year apart from each other (unless you consider half the movie flashback sequences which I suppose could be the case.) Who can really be sure with that film though?

Buffalo ’66 <3

Frank P. Tomasul​o, Ph.D.

about 3 years ago

Blue K.: I love La Notte and have even written about it, but I guess I took the OP literally and only listed films that take place over a single NIGHT, not a full day and night. La Notte covers almost 20 hours from morning to the next dawn.

As for L’Année dernière à Marienbad, I mentioned it in an earlier post but with a question mark because the true time frame could be as little as an hour or two one evening (if you believe that the main character imagined the entire story while watching the play) or could stretch out over a year or more (as Roger H. mentions above).

Finally, isn’t it odd that It Happened One Night takes place over FOUR nights? Although that may depend on the meaning of “IT.”

Venus Sands

about 3 years ago

@ Roger: Yeah, that’s how I was viewing it—- a flashback and a present situation. Like you said, who can be sure?? I saw it about 8 years ago too, so my memory of it is fading.

Roscoe

about 3 years ago

AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE takes place in an afternoon, does that count?

One evening:
THE RABBIT OF SEVILLE
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Sorry, ERASERHEAD doesn’t take place in one night. At least I don’t think it does.

Truman Sparks

about 3 years ago

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (the original,,,not sure about sequel)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

Kristia​n Ramsden

about 3 years ago

Dog Day Afternoon. I don’t see that anywhere…

algazar​ra

about 3 years ago

Isn’t “The Night of the Iguana” one?

--------

about 3 years ago

Buffalo ’66

Ben Simingt​on

about 3 years ago

I’ll echo the mention on the first page of TOUTE UNE NUIT by Akerman. Really fantastic, and terribly unavailable.

Frank P. Tomasul​o, Ph.D.

about 3 years ago

@Kristian: As the title itself indicates, Dog Day AFTERNOON takes place mainly over the course of an afternoon. True, there are night scenes at the end but I think the OP asked for films that take place at night.

Am I being a stickler for detail again?

Roscoe

about 3 years ago

Well, a significant part of DOG DAY AFTERNOON takes place at night, yeah, but a significant part of BEFORE SUNRISE takes place during the afternoon, as does most of LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Where do we want that line to be drawn?

Dr. Szell

about 3 years ago

EDIT – duplicates – didn’t see first page

Tim Noble

about 3 years ago

Glengarry Glen Ross is close.

TakaAwe​some

over 1 year ago

Dazed and Confused
Before Sunrise
Before Sunset
Magnolia
Dog Day Afternoon
Collateral (except for the ending, which I don’t like)

I’m interpreting this as “films that take place over the course of a 24-hour period.” I’m sure I’m forgetting some that I like, but I really like films like this, if done well.

Santino

over 1 year ago

Carnage

Rohit

over 1 year ago

Double Indemnity

Santino

over 1 year ago

Rope

Kenji

over 1 year ago

The 1960s Iranian film Brick and Mirror is both day and night, but strikingly atmospheric during the latter. Another form the 60s, the Brazilian film Noite Vazia, is also excellent, quite erotic. And do see Hugo Santiago’s film Invasion (1969).

A Tree in Tanjung Malim is among my favourite shorts

There’s also the 1930s Russian short Night on Bald Mountain, i presume an influence on Fantasia

Rohit

over 1 year ago

Raj Kapoor’s Jagte Raho

http://mubi.com/films/stay-awake

Santino

over 1 year ago

September

Santino

over 1 year ago

Knife in the Water

Z. Bart

over 1 year ago

“Edmond”
“Le feu follet” (more or less)
“Last Night at the Alamo”

micah van hove

over 1 year ago

4 Months, 3 weeks & 2 days