A list of the top 10 best one-person movies tells the narrative (usually) with a single actor. The success of such a movie depends on the collaboration of the director and a single actor. The actor in a one-person movie is supposed to perform in such a manner that keeps the audience engaged longer than an hour without getting them bored.
10. Silent Running
Silent Running is a 1972 post-apocalyptic science fiction movie. It is the first movie directed by Douglas Trumbull, starring Bruce Dern and Cliff Potts.
After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell maintains a greenhouse on a space station to preserve various plants for future generations. Assisted by three robots and a small human crew, Lowell rebels when he is ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions. Lowell and his robots are forced to do anything necessary to keep their invaluable greenery alive.
- Release date: March 10, 1972 (USA)
- Director: Douglas Trumbull
- Stars: Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint
- OST: Peter Schickele
- Budget: 1 million USD
- Box office: 79,181 million USD
9. Buried
Buried (2010) is a psychological thriller movie directed by Rodrigo Cortés and was written by Chris Sparling. Performed by Ryan Reynolds.
The story follows Paul Conroy, an American civilian working in Iraq. He finds himself buried in a coffin. with only a Zippo lighter, a pen, and a BlackBerry phone at hand.
- Release date: September 24, 2010 (USA)
- Director: Rodrigo Cortés
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds
- OST: Víctor Reyes
- Budget: 3 million USD
- Box office: 21.3 million USD
8. Moon
The story follows Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), a man who, as he reaches the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon, suffers a personal crisis.
- Release date: September 24, 2010 (USA)
- Director: Rodrigo Cortés
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds
- OST: Víctor Reyes
- Budget: 3 million USD
- Box office: 21.3 million USD
7. Wrecked
Wrecked is one of the best survival movies of all time created by Michael Greenspan.
The main character ends up in a shredded car wreck at the bottom of a cliff. Injured and stuck inside, with no recollection of how he got there or who he is, he must rely on his primary instincts to survive. The story reveals the inner struggles of the protagonist in the form of a survival drama picture.
- Release date: April 1, 2011 (USA)
- Director: Michael Greenspan
- Stars: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins
- OST: Michael Brook
- Box office: 8,020 million USD
6. Locke
Locke is a 2013 one-person drama film written and directed by Steven Knight. Tom Hardy’s performance makes you experience the thrill by himself only.
Ivan Locke is a successful, happily married construction manager. He gets a call from a girl with whom he had one nite-stand, While driving his way home. The girl informs him that she is about to give birth to his child.
- Release date: March 28, 2014 (Finland)
- Director: Steven Knight
- Stars: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson,
- Andrew Scott, Ben Daniels
- OST: Dickon Hinchliffe
- Budget: 2 million USD
- Box office: 5 million USD
5. The Shallows
The Shallows (2016) is a survival drama movie directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, starring Blake Lively.
In the film, Nancy is a medical student who travels to a sheltered beach in Mexico. She visits the same beach her mother visited when she was pregnant with her. When surfing, a huge white shark appears who threatens her, leaving her trapped on a rock far from the land.
- Release date: Initial release: June 21, 2016 (New York)
- Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
- Stars: Blake Lively
- OST: Marco Beltrami
- Budget: 17–25 million USD
- Box office: 119.1 million USD
4. gravity
Gravity is a sci-fi survival drama directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
During an outer space mission an astronaut Dr. Stone been hit by a high-speed space waste. As the situation becomes extreme, Dr.Stone is left alone to survive. During which this sci-fi drama reveals the dark side, fears, and inner struggles.
- Release date: October 3, 2013 (Georgia)
- Director: Alfonso Cuarón
- Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
- OST: Steven Price
- Budget:100–130 million USD
- Box office: 723.2 million USD
3. 127 Hours
127 hours (2010) is one person-survival movie based on real events, directed by Danny Boyle. James Franco’s remarkable performance has not been unnoticed by critics.
This is the story of a climber Aron Ralston who was trapped while traveling in the Utah Valley. He spends 127 hours fighting for his life.
- Initial release: September 4, 2010
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Based on: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
- Stars: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara
- OST: A. R. Rahman
- Budget:18 million USD
- Box office: 60.7 million USD
2. I am a legend
One of the best adaptations of Richard Matheson’s novel I am a legend (2007), Directed by Francis Lawrence.
The role of David Neville is one of the best post-apocalyptic movie performance of Will Smith. Regarding the fact that the whole movie relies on one person, we hardly see any other actors besides David Neville.
- Initial release: December 5, 2007 (Tokyo)
- Director: Francis Lawrence
- Based on: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, The Omega Man by John
- William
- Stars: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Dash Mihok
- OST: James Newton Howard
- Budget:159 million USD
- Box office: 585.3 million USD
1 Cast Away
The best collaboration of Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks.
The story follows Chuck Nolan, a FedEx employee who finds himself on the uninhabited Island after his cargo plane crashes, He needs to find food and shelter to survive and a way to get back to his life. This is the story of contemporary Robinson Crusoe without his only buddy Friday.
- Initial release: December 7, 2000 (USA)
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Stars: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy
- OST: Alan Silvestri
- Budget: 90 million USD
- Box office: 429.6 million USD
this is definitely my favorite film subgenre