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14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

Movies with one actor who’s stuck in a single place or with a main actor in charge of the whole story, are a risky bet, because everything rests on the shoulders of that single actor who must captivate an audience for more than an hour, often without any change of scene or narrative.

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The following 14 examples are successful, because they were entrusted mostly to famous actors who proved their qualities and have enough skill to express a wide range of emotions within the time, space, and narrative limits imposed on them. Check out the acting performances...

1. High Strung

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Film Brigade

Steve Oedekerk isn’t widely known to the general public (he’s a stand-up comedian), but this film rests largely on his shoulders, although there are a few famous actors who make appearances, like Jim Carey. It should be noted that Oedekerk co-wrote the screenplay ... So as a terribly grumpy, never happy main character, he gets all kinds of messages one day that something will happen at 8:00. He goes on with his day as usual. Nothing really happens in the movie, but the acting is worth seeing.

2. The Shallows

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Columbia Pictures

The script isn’t very sophisticated, but the film is centered on one person: Blake Lively, a surfer stuck on a small island circled by a great white shark. The whole story tells her struggle to escape the shark.

3. Duel

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) UniversalTV

The script is weak, but we’re kept on the edge of our seats, proving Spielberg’s directing talents early on. It tells the story of a man driving across the desert to meet a customer. He meets a psychopath who gets offended when the main actor passes his big rig, which is driving under the speed limit. A cat-and-mouse game follows, where the crazy trucker ends up symbolizing the evil that lurks everywhere. All the talent of Spielberg captivates the audience with practically a single actor.

4. All Is Lost

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Tree House Pictures

The entire film takes place in the middle of the Indian Ocean, on a troubled yacht that the famous Robert Redford tries to save. The main character is alone at sea and struggles between the elements and his courage. The film relies entirely on one actor, but Redford is able to take up such a challenge.

5. Cast Away

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) 20th Century Fox

Here’s another great actor in the role of man facing nature alone. Tom Hanks plays a FedEx employee who is the victim of a plane crash in the open sea trying to survive on a deserted island. The film follows the survivor in his attempts to adapt to this hostile environment, and then shows how he fights for his life when he’s isolated for many years.

6. Locke

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) IMglobal

Not only the whole film, but also its title centers on the main character: Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy). He spends an hour and a half in his car, while the life that he has meticulously created gradually breaks down after a phone call. However, he still has control over his vehicle. Several cameras, placed in different places, filmed the actor from various angles, even though the main subject was always him. And there are other actors in the film, each introducing a different facet of Locke's life, but we only hear their voices.

7. Gray's Anatomy

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) BBC Television Centre

In Gray's Anatomy, one man talks about the different treatments he is offered for his eye disease. Therefore, it’s a long medical monologue, interrupted by small comical scenes in which the actor is followed in his "world tour of alternative medicines," which should prevent him from requiring surgery. The main character (who is a stand-up comic) is funny, and the situations are too, but Soderbergh has a hard time enriching the story enough to make it a good movie.

8. Zulo

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Discobolo Films

Zulo is a psychological thriller, which scrutinizes the reactions of a man who wakes up one morning imprisoned in a sort of well, after being kidnapped. His captors only give him a blanket and a bucket, and throw him little things from time to time. The story gets richer when you learn that the victim knows his captors all too well.

9. 1408

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Dimension Films

In this horror film, John Cusack writes horror novels, and challenges himself by deciding to visit a hotel room known for violent events due to paranormal activity, which he has never believed. What happens in this room will convince him how true these phenomena are, but he will also have to face his doubts to come out alive from this experience. The actor is practically alone in this film, and thus has the opportunity to prove his acting skills.

10. The Man Who Sleeps

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Dovidis

This French movie is about a student who sinks into depression and gradually detaches himself from all that surrounds him. As he disappears from society, the city becomes the main character and reveals its own faults. The main actor never says anything, but it’s a woman's voice that makes the comments. It’s hard to concentrate for the entire length of a feature film on one character who doesn’t speak and disappears from the world, however the beautiful black and white images add to the script.

11. The Human Voice

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Associated-Rediffusion Television

Adapted from a play by Jean Cocteau, this movie stars Ingrid Bergman and recounts the telephone conversation of a woman and her longtime lover. When he is to get married the next day, she calls him to explain himself one last time, and the conversation becomes desperate. Only a great actress could captivate an audience during a film with such limitations.

12. Buried

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Lionsgate (C) Warner Bros.

This is the psychological and physical struggle of a man who, from one day to the next while working in Iraq, finds himself buried in a wooden coffin, with a cell phone, a lamp, a lighter, and a knife that he must use to escape before he runs out of air. Just like the character, the film can only count on Ryan Reynolds to survive.

13. Bronson

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Vertigo Films

Tom Hardy appears twice on this list, and in this movie, he plays the most dangerous British prisoner of all time. Therefore, the action takes place in an overcrowded prison, and yet it feels like he’s the only one in the story.

14. Moon

Illustration de l'article : 14 movies that relied on a single actor that proved to be excellent

(C) Liberty Films UK

This is an interesting sci-fi film, in which an employee working on the moon for 3 years alongside a robot discovers that he’s in fact only a clone who has come to the end of his time. He realizes that if he doesn’t do anything, he'll be cremated to make way for his replacement.

Photo credits: The Shallows / Columbia Pictures