12 Great Films with Minimal Action

      Here are 12 remarkable films where not much occurs. Or does it?

      While you won't find many car chases, murders, sex scenes, or explosions, lives undergo quiet transformations.

      **Lost in Translation (2003)**

      Focus Features – Credit: C/O

      Newlywed Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and weary married actor Bob (Bill Murray) meet at a hotel in Tokyo, sharing conversations and karaoke sessions. The film encapsulates a sense of melancholy and breathtaking beauty.

      We often ponder the possibility of them leaving their spouses — and yet, there's an underlying gratitude that they don’t. Sofia Coppola’s *Lost in Translation* is a tribute to intense, fleeting interactions that we might never experience again and perhaps shouldn’t.

      In the end, Bob encounters Charlotte in a bustling crowd, they exchange knowing gazes, embrace, and he whispers something inaudible. Their kiss feels entirely platonic; they share a bond of friendship.

      **The Power of the Dog (2021)**

      Netflix

      Jane Campion’s drama appeared to be a strong contender for Best Picture in 2022 before CODA took the award in a unique Covid-affected year.

      On the surface, it tells a slow, heavy story involving a widow (Kirsten Dunst), her kind suitor and eventual spouse (Jesse Plemons), her sensitive, intellectual son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and her harsh brother-in-law (Benedict Cumberbatch).

      For a significant part of the film, it seems we are witnessing a nuanced Western, possibly addressing the contemporary theme of “toxic masculinity.” However, as we near the conclusion, we realize the film has always been something different and more merciless than we anticipated. It shifts genres cleverly, earning our respect.

      **Dazed and Confused (1993)**

      Gramercy Pictures – Credit: C/O

      The quintessential hangout film, *Dazed and Confused* revolves around a group of high school students on graduation night as they drive around, planning to attend a party at the Moontower. There's some fighting, bullying, flirting, and even a bit of mailbox vandalism. Football star Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London) must choose whether to sign a pledge against drug use.

      And that’s the extent of the action. No fatalities, no explosions, no grand heists. Yet it's pure joy, propelling the careers of Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey, and is hailed as the ultimate hangout film. Quentin Tarantino has called it his favorite movie from the 90s.

      *Dazed and Confused* is one of several deceptively simple films by Richard Linklater, where ordinary days and nights turn out to be the most unforgettable.

      And, speaking of Tarantino…

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

      Sony Pictures Releasing

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

      The narrative takes us through a leisurely three days in their lives — one such moment features Sharon on a solo trip to the cinema — but writer-director Quentin Tarantino knows how to keep the plot progressing…

      …because we are on tenterhooks, acutely aware of the tragic fate awaiting the real Sharon Tate. We anticipate the grim events as they unfold on screen, horrified.

      There are brief instances of violence prior to the climactic finale, as Cliff confronts both Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Tex Watson (Austin Butler).

      When the somber ending finally arrives… it’s not at all as we expected.

      **Perfect Days (2023)**

      Koji Yakusho and Arisa Nakano in *Perfect Days*. DCM

      The latest addition to our list, *Perfect Days* follows a Tokyo bathroom attendant named Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho) as he navigates his uncomplicated days, buoyed by mixtapes, good books, and his passion for photography.

      This intriguing, captivating film celebrates making the best of a seemingly simple life. People who enter his world seem poised to transform it, but he finds solace in his routines.

      Its impressive credentials include a premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and won both the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Best Actor Award for Yakusho. It was also nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

      **Before Sunset (2004)**

      Warner Independent Pictures

      Another Linklater film and a sequel to his charming *Before Sunrise*, which could also feature on this list. Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, who co-wrote the script with Linklater and Kim Krizan) reunite