10 Notable Movies Featuring (Mostly) Two Actors
7. Persona
Ingmar Bergman's 1966 existential masterpiece might be the director's best film, an ahead-of-its-time drama in which a young nurse (Bibi Andersson) cares for a mute actress (Liv Ullmann) only to find her sense of self slowly evaporating.
Bergman's surreal ambiguity won't be for everyone, but Persona is a film that lives and dies on the strength of its two central performances.
There are a few brief, scattered scenes featuring other actors, but 90% of the movie is all about Andersson and Ullmann's characters as they become increasingly intertwined with one another.
Moreover, Bergman famously shot large portions of the movie in close-up, further heightening the already strong level of intimacy implied by a two-actor movie taking place in a confined location.
Again, it may be too impenetrable for some viewers, but if you can get on-board with Bergman's dreamlike vision, Persona is a richly rewarding, brilliantly acted ride.