10 More Incredible Movie Scenes Shot In A Single Take
1. The Entire Movie - Victoria
Like Boiling Point, Sebastian Schipper's crime thriller occurs in real-time from beginning to end.
Unlike Boiling Point, Victoria doesn't take place in a single building. Instead, it involves multiple sets and complex scenarios, including breakdancing, piano playing, shootouts, on-foot chases, and a fist fight, each of which must've been a nightmare to pull off on the first take.
There's also a moment where lead actress Laia Costa stands on the back of a bicycle one-handed while another actor cycles it for 90 seconds. If anything went wrong or Costa fell off, it could've ruined the take.
Speaking of which, Schipper encouraged the actors to improvise as much as possible to cover up potential mistakes. In a way, this decision saved the movie. While driving, the titular character takes a wrong turn, causing the rest of the characters to freak out.
However, this wasn't scripted. Laia Costa took a wrong turn for real, compelling the cast to genuinely flip out, assuming she screwed up the shot. Fortunately, they stayed in character and improvised a scene of them getting lost, which works in the story's favour.
Victoria may not be the only single-take movie, but it might very well be the most ambitious.