10 Best Movies That Play Out In Real Time
4. 1917
Sam Mendes' Oscar-winning recent WWI epic 1917 is one of the most technically astonishing films ever made, a gut-wrenching exercise in sustained suspense brought to life by a single-take, real time framing which adds immeasurably to its visceral thrall.
Following two young soldiers (a brilliant George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) as they attempt to deliver a message to prevent massive friendly casualties, 1917 sticks with its two leads all the way through their anxiety-inducing journey, in turn ensuring that audiences never have any downtime to relax.
Though the film does have a single time skip in the middle when MacKay's character is knocked unconscious, the overall execution is so mind-bogglingly impressive and so effective in making you feel there with these characters that it's easy to forgive - if it needs forgiving at all.
Given the absurd logistical complexity of executing a real time war film, with takes being digitally blended together to resemble a near-seamless whole, 1917 truly is one of blockbuster cinema's great accomplishments.