10 More Incredible Movie Scenes Shot In A Single Take
8. Alone In The Care Home - Help
Marc Munden's deeply underrated TV movie follows care worker Sarah (Jodie Comer,) who struggles to look after residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Sarah works a late shift alone, she finds one resident, Kenny, struggling to breathe. With limited resources and no staff to turn to, Sarah is forced to ask a dementia-riddled patient, Tony, to assist her.
Sarah's desperation and panic is conveyed in real-time, since this scene is shown in an unbroken 26-minute shot, which makes it far more heart-wrenching. According to Comer, everything in the scene required meticulous planning, including the pace of her walk so she was in sync with the camera.
Interestingly, this scene wasn't originally intended to be shot in a single take. Munden stated -
"From very early on in the rehearsals, Jodie was so real and raw and natural in that part that I realised we could just look at her for 30 minutes and it would be the drama."
Although it's a powerful moment, it's also unbearable to watch, since the audience feels like they are in that room with Sarah, powerless to help the ailing residents.