While dialogue can be a powerful tool in cinema, there is something special about watching characters use actions to resolve conflicts. A simple yet more difficult way to immerse viewers is by making an action scene run longer than normal – no shaky camera, no quick cuts, just one long sequence so everything is appreciated and understood.
Typically requiring extensive rehearsals, long takes act as a dance between actors and crew as they navigate a carefully choreographed routine. From Hollywood to Asia, there have been many extended action scenes throughout cinema history. To narrow down the following list, only long action sequences without cuts, or ones edited to appear so, will count. With that in mind, here are the ten best.
Subway Fight - Hanna (2011)
Long takes can often be a way to build up tension and director Joe Wright (Atonement) does exactly that in his 2011 action thriller, Hanna. Hanna (Saoirse Ronan), a 15-year-old girl from Finland, has been trained to be an assassin by her ex-CIA father, Erik (Eric Bana). Feeling he is being tailed, Erik heads underground to a subway where he fights several men.
Unlike some long-take fight scenes, most of the sequence is dedicated to building tension rather than showcasing flashy combat. With the audience uneasy due to the hints that Erik is being followed, Wright culminates the tension with the two parties finally fighting. The camera stays wide and remains uninterrupted allowing the action to be fully understood.
HALO Jump - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Despite his age, Tom Cruise (Minority Report) keeps adding to his stunt accomplishments. In the sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible series, Cruise and Henry Cavill’s (Justice League) characters are tasked with retrieving dangerous plutonium cores. Wanting to enter Paris undetected, the two HALO jump into the city via aircraft.
The jump itself is thrilling and entertaining, but the behind-the-scenes work elevates it. After extensive training, Cruise himself jumped out of a real C-17 military plane from at least 25,000 ft repeatedly. Between training and filming, a staggering total of 106 jumps were done to get the footage required. For his work, Cruise became the first actor ever to capture a HALO jump in a film.
Bunker Scene - 1917 (2019)
It’s hard to pick from director Sam Mendes’ (Skyfall) seemingly one-take war epic, but one scene stands apart from others. With a mission to deliver an important message, WWI British soldiers Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) cross no man’s land to reach a German bunker. The two explore the underground barracks before a cave-in almost kills them.
While long takes are often filled with entertaining moments, the bunker sequence leans on fear for its strength. Because the camera doesn’t cut away, anxiety and claustrophobia build as the two explore the dimly-lit tight area. The tension climaxes when a rat springs a booby trap and turns the scene from a tense exploration to a daring action escape sequence.
Corridor Scene - Oldboy (2003)
Shot in one take, the corridor fight is one of the best-known scenes in director Park Chan-wook’s (The Handmaiden) Korean hit. After being imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years for unknown reasons, businessman Oh (Chon Min-sik) is released in an equally mysterious fashion. While investigating a prison, he encounters guards and fights them to escape.
Stylized like a side-scrolling video game, the tracking shot follows Oh as he fights his way up and down the corridor using weapons and his fists. In contrast to the polish of some long takes, there is some roughness to the sequence as weapons break and characters tire. Though it was recreated in a 2013 American remake and homaged in Netflix series Daredevil (2015), the corridor scene still stands on its own years later.
Battle Of New York Sequence - The Avengers (2012)
While not obviously one take, the extended battle sequence in the first Avengers team-up is still impressive. With Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) alien army attacking New York, the six superheroes work together to fend them off. In the middle of the climax is a single long take showcasing them fighting throughout the city.
The sequence is not only the film’s highlight but what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards since the first Iron Man (2008). Working like a relay race, each Avenger shines before handing the figurative baton onto the next. From Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) flying around to the hilarious pairing of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), the sequence is a significant moment in superhero film history.
Adonis Creed Vs. Leo Sporino - Creed (2015)
From Raging Bull (1980) to The Fighter (2010), boxing has been on the big screen for decades. But in just his second time in the director’s chair, Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) permanently moved the genre forward. Matching Apollo Creed’s son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) against local boxer Leo (Gabriel Rosado), the film’s most impressive scene is an intense five-minute fight between the two.
Smoothly jumping focus between the men, Coogler shows every exchange from the starting bell to Adonis’ KO victory. Featuring feints, clinching, and even referee breaks, the scene accurately features the grittier aspects of boxing with just one visceral take. The fight may have taken 12 attempts to capture, but it will forever be an influential benchmark for boxing fights in film.
Staircase Fight - The Protector (2005)
With an ambitious long take, the martial arts Thai hit deserves recognition. Kham (Tony Jaa) is a guard for the King of Thailand’s war elephants, which are eventually stolen. He suspects gangster Johnny (Johnny Tri Nguyen) has them and fights his way to the top of a multistory restaurant to speak to him.
Unlike typical long take sequences, the camera doesn’t always stay on one target as it occasionally shifts focus to showcase action elsewhere. Gradually moving up several flights of stairs, Jaa impressively navigates the extras, stuntmen, and props over an uninterrupted four minutes. The scene took eight attempts and a month of preparation to be captured, but it was well worth it.
Stairwell Fight - Atomic Blonde (2017)
An adaptation of a 2012 graphic novel, the Charlize Theron-led spy flick is arguably the closest to a female James Bond film yet. Set shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the film revolves around M16 agent Lorraine (Theron) as she hunts down a list containing the names of double agents. During the rescue of an important German officer, she fights several KGB men.
The impressive seven-minute sequence is brutal, realistic, and ultimately the brainchild of stuntman-turned-director David Leitch (John Wick). Starting in a stairwell and ending in an apartment, the camera captures Lorraine as she punches, shoots, and stabs her way through the sequence. Also, seeing her slowly deteriorate over time from injury and lack of energy is a nice touch.
Opening Sequence - Gravity (2013)
It’s ambitious to feature a long take, but opening with one makes a special statement. In director Alfonso Cuarón’s (Roma) space thriller, George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) play astronauts servicing a telescope in Earth orbit. A Russian strike on a nearby satellite causes debris to collide with their shuttle.
Starting with a beautiful shot of Earth, the 13-minute sequence slowly introduces the two before chaos ensues. Apart from being a visual treat, it’s notable for the behind-the-scenes efforts to produce it. The crew specifically designed equipment and meticulously researched space to accurately portray the zero-gravity scene. It’s no wonder it took months to design and years to shoot.
Rescue Sequence - Children Of Men (2006)
Despite Cuarón’s award-winning trip to space in 2013, his 2006 dystopian thriller is arguably his crown jewel. In the film, Theo (Clive Owens) is tasked with transporting the pregnant Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) in hopes of finding a solution to humanity’s infertility issue. The climax sees Theo attempt to save her during a downtown battle between terrorists and government soldiers.
The uninterrupted six-minute sequence focuses on Theo as he navigates the violent battle one area at a time. The rescue is impressive because of the long preparation time – notably five hours for every reshoot and 14 days overall – for it to work. There are several highlights, but the true unsung hero is Cuarón, who committed to making a meticulous and breathtaking long take.
