Movies with a Minimal Cast
Some movies center on a tight drama involving a very minimal amount of characters (three, two, or even just one). They forego large casts, and that small core pretty much have all the speaking and acting parts. Some of these movies might have larger casts than just that core, but they are either "extras" in one small scene, or voice-only (offscreen). The overwhelming majority of the time and narrative of these films depicts only that minimal core interacting. These films are usually intense character studies, shown in a very small-group (or pair, or singular) dynamic.
Which one of these films of that style makes use of it in a way you like best?
Discuss here
Which one of these films of that style makes use of it in a way you like best?
Discuss here
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27 titles
- DirectorLouis MalleStarsAndre GregoryWallace ShawnJean LenauerTwo old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsLeon NiemczykJolanta UmeckaZygmunt MalanowiczA couple pick up a hitchhiker on the way to their yacht. The husband invites the young man to come along for their day's sailing. As the voyage progresses, the antagonism between the two men grows. A violent confrontation is inevitable.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsPatrick WilsonElliot PageSandra OhHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonGeorge SegalA bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.suggested by ElMaruecan82
- DirectorSteve BinderPeter H. HuntStarsJames WhitmoreOne-man show about the presidency of Harry S. Truman.suggested by ElMaruecan82
- DirectorOren PeliStarsKatie FeatherstonMicah SloatMark FredrichsAfter moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.suggested by Simba63
- DirectorNacho VigalondoStarsKarra ElejaldeCandela FernándezBárbara GoenagaA man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.suggested by Simba63
- DirectorMichael Lindsay-HoggStarsBarry McGovernJohnny MurphyAlan StanfordTwo tramps wait for a man named Godot, but instead meet a pompous man and his stooped-over slave.suggested by dan_dassow
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsSpalding GraySam WaterstonIra WheelerSpalding Gray discusses his participation in the film The Killing Fields (1984) and the background story about the troubles of Cambodia.suggested by rubyfruit76
- DirectorTommy Lee JonesStarsSamuel L. JacksonTommy Lee JonesThrough a chance encounter, two men of opposing ideologies deliberate spiritual, philosophical, and profound matters in a New York City apartment.suggested by rubyfruit76
- DirectorMichael StevensStarsLaurence FishburnePrior to his appointment to United States Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall worked as a lawyer for the NAACP. This one man play tells the story of his role in the civil rights movement and the people that influenced him.suggested by rubyfruit76
- DirectorPaul BogartStarsHal HolbrookRecreating the one-man show he starred in on Broadway, 'Hal Holbrook' portrays Mark Twain as a 70-year old humorist who skewers politicians, newspapermen and so-called patriots in this 90 minute monologue. Holbrook adapted Twain's own words for a commentary on slavery, religion and politics, mixing the satire with comic yarns about life on the Mississippi and a very effective ghost story. The show's highlight are the lengthy passages from "Huckleberry Finn".suggested by dan_dassow
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsMichael CaineJude LawHarold PinterOn his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsLaurence OlivierMichael CaineAlec CawthorneA man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsSigourney WeaverBen KingsleyStuart WilsonA political activist is convinced that her guest is a man who once tortured her for the government.suggested by Max1975
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.suggested by Max1975
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsSam RockwellKevin SpaceyDominique McElligottAstronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJodie FosterKate WinsletChristoph WaltzTwo pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.suggested by Max1975
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.suggested by Max1975
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsBibi AnderssonLiv UllmannMargaretha KrookA nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.suggested by ElMaruecan82
- DirectorJohn SwanbeckStarsKevin SpaceyDanny DeVitoPeter FacinelliTwo veteran salesmen dissect a sales pitch to a particular client, through their young protégé.suggested by cartman_1337
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsRobert RedfordAfter a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.suggested by cartman_1337
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeRobert Sean LeonardUma ThurmanThree old high school friends meet in a Michigan motel room to dissect painful memories from their past.suggested by kobe_q
- DirectorCarlos Marques-MarcetStarsNatalia TenaDavid VerdaguerSirius FlatzAlex moves to Los Angeles for a new job; Sergi stays in Barcelona. They love each other, but maintaining a relationship through technology proves challenging.suggested by Pencho15
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsNatalie PortmanJude LawClive OwenThe relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.suggested by B_sides_B
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsWillem DafoeCharlotte GainsbourgStorm Acheche SahlstrømA grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
- DirectorDouglas TrumbullStarsBruce DernCliff PottsRon RifkinIn a future where all flora is extinct on Earth, an astronaut is given orders to destroy the last of Earth's botany, kept in a greenhouse aboard a spacecraft.