19 Feature films with shortest production time, ranked

Filmmaking is an art like other creative avenues. While most movies take a long time to perfectly shoot and edit a movie, there are some ingenious filmmakers who have used their talent, resourcefulness, and creativity to put out a nuanced movie in a short amount of time. From Oscar-winning movies like Moonlight to experimental movies like Russian Ark, here are 19 movies—both mainstream and independent—that were made in a record amount of time.

19. Rocky – 28 Days

Directed by John G. Avildsen, this independent sports drama starring Sylvester Stallone, revolves around a small-time club fighter, Rocky (Stallone), who undergoes various personal struggles to get a chance at playing at the world heavyweight championship. The movie was made on a budget under $1 million dollars and is an iconic sports movie. The film was shockingly made in just 28 days.

18. Moonlight – 25 Days

Starring Trevante Rhodes and directed by Barry Jenkins, this coming-of-age drama movie won the Best Picture Award at the Oscars but was surprisingly made in only 25 Days. The impactful movie has an all-Black star cast and a Black director and revolves around a young black man’s struggles with identity, race, and life. The movie takes the viewers on a wonderful journey and is a compelling watch.

17. Birdman – 23 Days

Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu and starring Michael Keaton in the titular role, this dark comedy and drama revolves around a yesteryear star, Riggan (Keaton), who is best known for playing the eponymous character and struggles with deteriorating mental health as he tries to make a comeback. The movie is yet another example of an Oscar-winning Best Picture that was shot in just 23 days and has beautiful long takes that provide a look inside a tortured artist’s soul.

16. Tangerine – 22 Days

Starring Mya Taylor and directed by Sean Baker, this comedy-drama revolves around a transgender sex worker who finds out that her boyfriend and pimp are cheating on her. The critically acclaimed movie was uniquely shot on three iPhone 5s phones and has stunning cinematography. The film is set on Christmas Eve and was shot in just 22 days.

15. A Single Man – 21 Days

Based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this period romantic drama features Colin Firth and Julianne Moore and is directed by Tom Ford. The movie revolves around a depressed gay college professor who thinks about killing himself after his partner dies in an accident. But during the course of the day, he meets his students, colleagues, and best friend, who help him make a decision. The film is moving and was shot in just 21 days.

14. Halloween – 20 Days

Directed by John Carpenter and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, this iconic independent slasher movie centers around an aggressive mental patient, Michael Myers, who commits a murder and escapes from the institution and begins to haunt a babysitter (Curtis), and her friends. The movie is a famous horror movie and started the career of Curtis. Surprisingly, the film was just shot in 20 days and has long yet gripping takes.

13. Whiplash – 19 Days

Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, this acclaimed psychological drama directed by Damien Chazelle, revolves around an ambitious drummer (Teller) who joins a competitive music institute and begins to train under a demanding instructor (Simmons). The film explores the relationship between the two and between psychological exploration and thumping drum beats, the movie was shot in just 19 days.

12. Swingers – 18 Days

Directed by Doug Liman and starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and others, this buddy comedy movie revolves around a friend group of single and unemployed actors in Hollywood, California, and is set amidst the 1990s swing revival. The critical and commercial hit has beautiful cinematography and is an acclaimed independent movie that was shot in only 18 days.

11. Once – 17 Days

Starring Marketa Irglova, and Glen Hansard, and directed by John Carney, this Irish romantic musical drama revolves around two struggling musicians in Dublin. The two help each other put out the other’s music and begin to fall for each other. The movie has scenic backdrops and is a beautiful romance that was shot in just 17 days. Hansard and Irglova also produced songs for the movie.

10. Buried – 16 Days

Directed by Rodrigo Cortes and starring Ryan Reynolds, Robert Paterson, and others, this Spanish survival thriller is a claustrophobic nightmare as it focuses on an American truck driver in Iraq, Paul (Ryan), who is attacked and finds himself buried in a coffin. With limited tools like a phone, knife, and flashlight at his disposal, Paul must race against time to escape. The terrifying movie was shot in just 16 days.

9. Before Sunset – 15 Days

Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, this romance movie directed by Richard Linklater is one of the most realistic depictions of love. A sequel to Before Sunrise, it revolves around the two leads who meet each other again in Paris and rekindle their romance. The swooning and beautifully shot film has scenic views of the city as the protagonists wander through the streets and talk about life and love. The movie was shot in just 15 days.

8. Mass – 14 Days

An intense drama film directed by Fran Kranz and starring Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, and others, this movie revolves around a school shooting tragedy. Afterward, two sets of parents, one of the shooter and the other of the victim decide to meet, discuss, and attempt to move forward despite their trauma. The acclaimed movie handles a sensitive topic with nuance and was shot in just 14 days.

7. Phone Booth – 12 Days

Directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Collin Farrell, Katie Holmes, and others, this psychological thriller revolves around a publicist (Farrell), who unfortunately answers the call of a hidden sniper at a phone booth, who begins to order him around and puts his life in danger. The movie is fast-paced and feels anxious as the protagonist runs against time to save himself. This brevity is matched in the production as well as it was shot in only 12 days.

6. The Blair Witch Project – 8 Days

A movie that is a cornerstone of independent filmmaking and revolutionized the found-footage genre, this independent psychological horror movie directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, revolves around three students who explore the woods in Maryland to shoot a documentary about a local myth and begin to be hunted by an evil presence. The iconic film uses guerrilla techniques to build tension and cause jump scares and was shot in just 8 days.

5. Paranormal Activity – 7 Days

A movie that reinvigorated the found-footage genre, this supernatural horror movie is the first film in a long line of film series and is an iconic horror movie. Directed by Oren Peli, the film centers around a couple who install cameras at their house after they are haunted by a supernatural presence. The film was initially shot with $15,000 dollars before being given a bigger budget and was shot in just seven days.

4. Russian Ark – 4 Days

Directed by Alexander Sokurov, this experimental historical drama revolves around an unnamed protagonist who is actually a ghost and drifts through the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg and explores the history of Russian culture and society. The unique film was shot in a single, continuous take and was made on a budget of $2.5 million dollars. An example of innovative filmmaking, it was shot in just four days!

3. Little Shop of Horrors – 3 Days

Starring Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, and others, this horror comedy directed by Roger Corman, is a farce that centers around a florist’s assistant who grows a plant that feeds on human blood. The film was shot on a budget of $28,000 dollars and was shot in just three days. It is now widely considered a cult movie.

2. The Terror – 2 Days

Directed by Roger Corman again, this independent horror movie stars Jack Nicholson, who plays the role of a French officer seduced by a woman who is actually the devil. The movie was passed around among various directors until Corman came back to finish the movie he had created and shot it in just two days! The film got famous for its tumultuous backstory and is now a cult film.

1. Victoria – 4 Hours

Starring Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, and others, this German crime thriller directed by Sebastian Schipper holds the record for the movie with the shortest production time and was shot in just four hours! The film revolves around a Spanish woman (Costa), who encounters four men late at night and encounters a life-changing event. The movie was produced on a budget of $400,000 dollars and is a must-watch.