10 Great Films That Take Place In A Single Location

One of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, Rear Window follows a man who's temporarily in a wheelchair after breaking his leg. The view outside his window allows him to see into several of his neighbors' apartments, so he passes the time by staring off into the distance. But based on what he sees, he soon becomes convinced one of his neighbors has committed a murder.

Though you see into the courtyard and into the other apartments, everything in the film is shot from Jeff's room. You only see what he sees. That just adds to the suspense, and you're desperately trying to get a good look at what's going on, yet Hitchcock wisely never cuts across the courtyard to get a better view of the action.

The whole thing is about voyeurism, and just like you get a thrill from watching murder dramas play out on television and in the movies, Jeff gets that excitement watching them from his apartment. It's a compelling murder mystery and an interesting character study all wrapped up in one, and despite being told from the perspective of a guy sitting in a chair for an hour and a half, it's never once boring.