8 Brilliant Uses Of The Long Take In Movies & TV Shows

A contemporary action film that probably doesn’t need this introduction, John Wick simultaneously managed to revitalise Keanu Reeves’ career while delivering a pacey revenge thriller that stepped way outside of what audiences had come to expect from the genre. Rather than rely on the usual epileptic, shaky-cam, 100 cuts per minute fare, stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski has proven there is another way, a better way.

Though primarily the product of budgetary constraints – requiring the film to be shot on a single camera – rather than the clear vision and intention of producing a shift in the status quo, John Wick nevertheless delivers on perfectly executed, showstopping, single-cut action sequences. This is, in no small part, due to the stunt choreographing competency of the film’s director and production team, paired with Keanu Reeves’ pure dedication and willingness to go that step further in the name of cinemagoers’ unbridled viewing pleasure.

Where we are used to seeing the likes of Liam Neeson and Jason Statham chopped into a thousand pieces, John Wick instead makes a smooth, seamless and perfectionist art of keeping the perspective tethered to Reeves’ every move. While its sequences are minuscule when compared to some of the other entries on this list, John Wick is still worthy of its place in the ranks, driving a cold, well-timed knife into the heart of every scene, while it torches the action movie rulebook.