11 Remarkable Films Where Little Action Occurs

      Here are 11 remarkable films where not much transpires. Or does it? While there may be a lack of car chases, murders, sex scenes, or explosions, lives are subtly transformed.

      **Lost in Translation (2003)**

      Focus Features – Credit: C/O

      Newlywed Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and jaded married actor Bob (Bill Murray) connect at a Tokyo hotel, sharing conversations and karaoke. The atmosphere is both melancholic and beautifully radiant.

      We often wonder if they might leave their partners, yet are relieved when they don’t. Sofia Coppola’s *Lost in Translation* honors fleeting, meaningful interactions that may be lost forever, and perhaps it's better that way.

      In the end, Bob locates Charlotte in a crowd. They share a gaze, embrace, and he murmurs something inaudible. Their kiss feels entirely platonic. It’s intoxicating and ranks among the most alluring films we've ever experienced.

      **The Power of the Dog (2021)**

      Netflix

      Jane Campion’s drama appeared to be a strong contender for Best Picture in 2022, until CODA took the title in an unexpected, pandemic-impacted year.

      At first glance, it unfolds as a slow, heavy narrative about a widow (Kirsten Dunst), her kind suitor and later husband (Jesse Plemons), her sensitive, intellectual son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and her harsh brother-in-law (Benedict Cumberbatch).

      For much of the film, it seems we’re observing a poignant Western, possibly with a contemporary twist on the theme of “toxic masculinity.” Yet by the conclusion, we understand it has been a different kind of film from the start—one far more ruthless than we initially perceived. The genre shift is stark and impressive.

      **Dazed and Confused (1993)**

      Gramercy Pictures – Credit: C/O

      The epitome of a hangout film, *Dazed and Confused* tracks a group of high school students on graduation night as they cruise around and prepare for a party at the Moontower. There’s some fighting, bullying, flirting, and damaged mailboxes. Football player Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London) must choose whether to sign a drug abstention pledge.

      And that’s all there is. No deaths, no explosions, nor elaborate heists. Yet it radiates pure joy, launching the careers of Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey, and remains the ultimate hangout movie. Quentin Tarantino even named it his favorite film of the '90s.

      *Dazed and Confused* is one of several deceptively simple films by Richard Linklater, where ordinary days and nights turn into the most unforgettable moments of our lives.

      **Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)**

      Sony Pictures Releasing

      A slice-of-life narrative about real-life actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), her worn-down actor neighbor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), and Dalton’s friend-stuntman-assistant Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).

      This film gently explores three days of their lives — one scene features Sharon on a solo trip to the cinema — but Tarantino realizes he doesn’t need much action to propel the story…

      … Because we’re anxiously aware of the horrific fate awaiting the real Sharon Tate, waiting for it to unfold on screen. Terrified.

      Scattered moments of violence arise before the climactic finale as Cliff battles both Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Tex Watson (Austin Butler).

      And when the grim conclusion arrives… it’s not what we anticipated.

      **Before Sunset (2004)**

      Warner Independent Pictures

      Another Linklater film, and the sequel to the lovely *Before Sunrise*, which could easily fit on this list. Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, who co-wrote the film with Linklater and Kim Krizan) reunite in Paris nearly a decade after their night in Vienna during *Before Sunrise*.

      Jesse has penned a book about their night together, and he and Celine reminisce about what was and what can’t be. Or can it?

      The most significant moment in *Before Sunset* unfolds at the very end when, instead of taking an action, Jesse chooses not to act — an event that alters both his and Celine’s lives. This decision also sets the stage for the third film in the series, the captivating *Before Midnight*.

      **Last Days of Disco (1999)**

      Gramercy Pictures

      Writer-director Whit Stillman noted that while filming his 1994 movie *Barcelona*, a rare moment of joy occurred while shooting a disco scene. He pondered why he couldn’t create an entire film about young women reveling in nightlife and dancing, leading to *Last Days of Disco*.

      Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale