Movies

On the Clock: 10 Memorable Movies That Take Place Over 24 Hours (or Less)

With short, winter days upon us, TIME considers 10 movies that unfold over several hours and—in some examples—even minutes

All in a Day’s Work

By Wook KimDec. 19, 20120

Universal Pictures

When we drew up a preliminary list of films for this subject, we were struck not only by how many titles fit the criteria, but also by how many were genuinely good movies. Night of the Living Dead, Dazed and Confused, Glengarry Glen Ross, Halloween, Training Day, Rope, Mystery Train and A Hard Day’s Night to name just a few. (It Happened One Night, you should remember, actually unfolds over several nights—and days.)

We cut our list down to 10 movies (and still have some regrets about leaving off some genre pieces like Night of the Living Dead) and have presented them in descending order of time-interval depicted onscreen.

Next Do the Right Thing

Full List

On the Clock

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13 comments

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chrismo69

Dazed and Confused

JessicaBrown

Friday and Training day.

Ella

"The Breakfast Club" does NOT take place in September. The movie opens with the date on the bottom of the screen -- March 24, 1984. Why do I remember? That's the day my father died.

ziconater

Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas

AnthonyRossArt

American Graffiti, anyone?

may.sanicolas

Argh! One word: FRIDAY

AlbertE.Bannister

Question - does "Back to the Future" take place over one day? It's starts with Marty performing after school and ends the next morning.....

AlbertE.Bannister

Not impressed with the list - I would certainly include:

12 Angry Men - an alltime great.

I'd also include Stand by Me, Ferris Bueller and Clerks.

I'd drop Do the Right Thing, Magnolia, Before Sundet & After Hours.

Personally I's also replace My Dinner with Andre with Glengarry Glen Ross

JohnKreis

Where is "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"? (Otherwise a nice list.... there's some other fun ones you are missing though "Go" "500 Cigarettes" come quickly to mind.)