In any film there can be 20 to 30 characters to help build and carry the story along. In some films however there are film that can be successful with 5 people and sometimes even have the film focus on 1 character. With that being said I'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite films with limited casts. So without further ado...
10. All Is Lost
This is fantastic movie and it does so much without having to have any dialogue and Robert Redford gives the best performance of his career. After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor (played by Robert Redford) finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face. All Is Lost was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and it has a 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Life of Pi
This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and Ang Lee's direction was worthy of an Oscar. A young man (played by Suraj Sharma) who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with another survivor...a fearsome Bengal tiger. Life of Pi was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score and Best Original Song while winning 4 (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score) and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. I Am Legend
This is a pretty powerfult and intense movie and it is one of the last best performances form Will Smith. A brilliant scientist who raced to discover a cure for the man-made virus as humanity came crumbling down all around him, Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) was inexplicably immune to the highly contagious superbug. Now the entire population of New York City -- and perhaps the world -- has been transformed into carnivorous bloodsuckers that fear the light and live solely to spread their contagion to any remaining living creature that crosses their path. It's been three years since civilization came to an end, and the loneliness has taken a devastating toll on Neville. By day he scours the city for food and supplies while sending out desperate radio messages in hopes that someone might respond, and by night he attempts to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus by experimenting with his own blood. But time is running out for Neville as the legions of infected watch his every move from the safety of the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They, too, long to learn the secret that lurks in Neville's blood, though they will have to take caution while attempting to procure it because Neville will sooner die attempting to slay every last one of them than willingly giving up a single drop. I Am Legend has a rating of 70% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Gravity
If you watching an on edge of your seat sci-fi movie then this is the film for you. Dr. Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock), a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (played by George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. Gravity was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects while winning 7 (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Locke
This is both a very mellow yet very intense film, with a magnificent performance from Tom Hardy. Ivan Locke (Hardy) has worked diligently to craft the life he has envisioned, dedicating himself to the job that he loves and the family he adores. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul. Locke has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Misery
This is a really crazy film and it has one of the most iconic performances in film history. After a car accident, Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) is trapped in his vehicle in the middle of a blizzard; on the brink of death, he is rescued by Annie Wilkes (played by Kathy Bates), a former nurse who carries the writer to her home to recover. It turns out that Annie is a huge fan of Sheldon's work, which consists of a series of romance novels about a character named Misery Chastain; Paul, wanting to explore more serious work, has decided to kill Misery in order to write a raw, autobiographical book about life on the streets. Annie, who has lived almost vicariously through the Misery Chastain books for years, is livid over the harsh language of Paul's book, but becomes almost crazed upon discovering Misery's fate. To teach the bedridden man a lesson, she forces him to burn the autobiographical manuscript and resurrect Misery; after learning of Annie's murderous past, he knows that Misery's return to life will mark the end of his own. Misery was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Actress and it has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Cast Away
This is a really great film and one of and my personal favorite performance from Tom Hanks. Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), a Federal Express engineer who devotes most of his life to his troubleshooting job. His girlfriend Kelly (played by Helen Hunt) is often neglected by his dedication to work, and his compulsive personality suggests a conflicted man. But on Christmas Eve, Chuck proposes marriage to Kelly right before embarking on a large assignment. On the assignment, a plane crash strands Chuck on a remote island, and his fast-paced life is slowed to a crawl, as he is miles removed from any human contact. Finding solace only in a volleyball that he befriends, Chuck must now learn to endure the emotional and physical stress of his new life, unsure of when he may return to the civilization he knew before. Cast Away was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Sound Mixing and it has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. 127 Hours
This is a truly great story of survival and a tremendous and surprising performance form James Franco. 127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (played by James Franco)'s remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolate canyon in Utah. Over the next five days, Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life. 127 Hours was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song and Best Original Score and it has a rating of 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Buried
This is such a suspenseful film and Ryan Reynolds gives an aperformance and does a great job of carrying the film by himself. Paul Conroy (played by Ryan Reynolds) is an American truck driver who has been contracted to work in Iraq, and while delivering a load of kitchen equipment as part of a humanitarian aid program, he's captured by insurgent guerrillas who intend to hold him hostage. Paul is struck unconscious, put into a coffin-like box, and buried, and when he comes to, all he has to help him get out is a lighter and a cell phone. Trapped underground with a limited supply of air, Paul frantically calls his family, his employer, and American military and political representatives, trying to remain calm as his chances of survival slip farther away with each passing minute. Buried has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Moon
This movie is fantastic, vastly underrated and it is Sam Rockwell's best performance and he was robbed of an Academy award nomination as well as the entire film. For three long years, Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell) has dutifully harvested Helium 3 for Lunar, a company that claims it holds the key to solving humankind's energy crisis. As Sam's contract comes to an end, the lonely astronaut looks forward to returning to his wife and daughter down on Earth, where he will retire early and attempt to make up for lost time. His work on the Selene moon base has been enlightening -- the solitude helping him to reflect on the past and overcome some serious anger issues -- but the isolation is starting to make Sam uneasy. With only two weeks to go before he begins his journey back to Earth, Sam starts feeling strange: he's having inexplicable visions, and hearing impossible sounds. Then, when a routine extraction goes horribly awry, it becomes apparent that Lunar hasn't been entirely straightforward with Sam about their plans for replacing him. The new recruit seems strangely familiar, and before Sam returns to Earth, he will grapple with the realization that the life he has created may not be entirely his own. Up there, hundreds of thousands of miles from home, it appears that Sam's contract isn't the only thing about to expire. Moon has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
10. All Is Lost
This is fantastic movie and it does so much without having to have any dialogue and Robert Redford gives the best performance of his career. After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor (played by Robert Redford) finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face. All Is Lost was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and it has a 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Life of Pi
This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and Ang Lee's direction was worthy of an Oscar. A young man (played by Suraj Sharma) who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with another survivor...a fearsome Bengal tiger. Life of Pi was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score and Best Original Song while winning 4 (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score) and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. I Am Legend
This is a pretty powerfult and intense movie and it is one of the last best performances form Will Smith. A brilliant scientist who raced to discover a cure for the man-made virus as humanity came crumbling down all around him, Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) was inexplicably immune to the highly contagious superbug. Now the entire population of New York City -- and perhaps the world -- has been transformed into carnivorous bloodsuckers that fear the light and live solely to spread their contagion to any remaining living creature that crosses their path. It's been three years since civilization came to an end, and the loneliness has taken a devastating toll on Neville. By day he scours the city for food and supplies while sending out desperate radio messages in hopes that someone might respond, and by night he attempts to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus by experimenting with his own blood. But time is running out for Neville as the legions of infected watch his every move from the safety of the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They, too, long to learn the secret that lurks in Neville's blood, though they will have to take caution while attempting to procure it because Neville will sooner die attempting to slay every last one of them than willingly giving up a single drop. I Am Legend has a rating of 70% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Gravity
If you watching an on edge of your seat sci-fi movie then this is the film for you. Dr. Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock), a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (played by George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. Gravity was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects while winning 7 (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects) and it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Locke
This is both a very mellow yet very intense film, with a magnificent performance from Tom Hardy. Ivan Locke (Hardy) has worked diligently to craft the life he has envisioned, dedicating himself to the job that he loves and the family he adores. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul. Locke has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Misery
This is a really crazy film and it has one of the most iconic performances in film history. After a car accident, Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) is trapped in his vehicle in the middle of a blizzard; on the brink of death, he is rescued by Annie Wilkes (played by Kathy Bates), a former nurse who carries the writer to her home to recover. It turns out that Annie is a huge fan of Sheldon's work, which consists of a series of romance novels about a character named Misery Chastain; Paul, wanting to explore more serious work, has decided to kill Misery in order to write a raw, autobiographical book about life on the streets. Annie, who has lived almost vicariously through the Misery Chastain books for years, is livid over the harsh language of Paul's book, but becomes almost crazed upon discovering Misery's fate. To teach the bedridden man a lesson, she forces him to burn the autobiographical manuscript and resurrect Misery; after learning of Annie's murderous past, he knows that Misery's return to life will mark the end of his own. Misery was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Actress and it has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Cast Away
This is a really great film and one of and my personal favorite performance from Tom Hanks. Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), a Federal Express engineer who devotes most of his life to his troubleshooting job. His girlfriend Kelly (played by Helen Hunt) is often neglected by his dedication to work, and his compulsive personality suggests a conflicted man. But on Christmas Eve, Chuck proposes marriage to Kelly right before embarking on a large assignment. On the assignment, a plane crash strands Chuck on a remote island, and his fast-paced life is slowed to a crawl, as he is miles removed from any human contact. Finding solace only in a volleyball that he befriends, Chuck must now learn to endure the emotional and physical stress of his new life, unsure of when he may return to the civilization he knew before. Cast Away was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Sound Mixing and it has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. 127 Hours
This is a truly great story of survival and a tremendous and surprising performance form James Franco. 127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (played by James Franco)'s remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolate canyon in Utah. Over the next five days, Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life. 127 Hours was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song and Best Original Score and it has a rating of 93% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Buried
This is such a suspenseful film and Ryan Reynolds gives an aperformance and does a great job of carrying the film by himself. Paul Conroy (played by Ryan Reynolds) is an American truck driver who has been contracted to work in Iraq, and while delivering a load of kitchen equipment as part of a humanitarian aid program, he's captured by insurgent guerrillas who intend to hold him hostage. Paul is struck unconscious, put into a coffin-like box, and buried, and when he comes to, all he has to help him get out is a lighter and a cell phone. Trapped underground with a limited supply of air, Paul frantically calls his family, his employer, and American military and political representatives, trying to remain calm as his chances of survival slip farther away with each passing minute. Buried has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. Moon
This movie is fantastic, vastly underrated and it is Sam Rockwell's best performance and he was robbed of an Academy award nomination as well as the entire film. For three long years, Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell) has dutifully harvested Helium 3 for Lunar, a company that claims it holds the key to solving humankind's energy crisis. As Sam's contract comes to an end, the lonely astronaut looks forward to returning to his wife and daughter down on Earth, where he will retire early and attempt to make up for lost time. His work on the Selene moon base has been enlightening -- the solitude helping him to reflect on the past and overcome some serious anger issues -- but the isolation is starting to make Sam uneasy. With only two weeks to go before he begins his journey back to Earth, Sam starts feeling strange: he's having inexplicable visions, and hearing impossible sounds. Then, when a routine extraction goes horribly awry, it becomes apparent that Lunar hasn't been entirely straightforward with Sam about their plans for replacing him. The new recruit seems strangely familiar, and before Sam returns to Earth, he will grapple with the realization that the life he has created may not be entirely his own. Up there, hundreds of thousands of miles from home, it appears that Sam's contract isn't the only thing about to expire. Moon has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what are some of your favorite films with limited casts and what do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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