Filmmaking is an art form, and directors use countless tools and techniques to make scenes more exciting. It goes without saying that some powerful movie moments don’t need stylish camera work or editing flair to work. For example, Vincent Hanna’s (Al Pacino) conversation in the diner with Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) in Heat is an unforgettable exchange, even if it’s just talking. Still, some shot styles can enhance certain scenes and even make the audience feel like they are there.
One of those techniques is popular in the found footage genre. Those movies are often shot with static cameras around a location, or as if the audience is viewing events through a handheld camera. The viewer feels like they are part of the action, observing events firsthand. That found-footage style goes hand in hand with faux documentaries or mockumentaries, making even wild occurrences look and feel authentic.
Another technique that pulls the audience straight into the action is the one-shot action scene. These movie moments feature no jump cuts or jarring transitions. The camera sweeps across the action, and it’s a remarkable stylistic choice because viewers can see everything, with no way to hide errors. When done well, one-shot action scenes can be so incredible that they become a major highlight of the movie.
Whether you enjoy one-shot scenes for the unique spectacle or want to feel like you are at the heart of the action, here are some of the best one-shot action scenes.
8
Church Brawl – Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
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Kingsman: The Secret Service is an action-packed spy thriller full of stylish combat scenes and gadgets that wouldn’t feel out of place in Q Branch. One particular action sequence occurs in a church, with Harry Hart (Colin Firth) surrounded by patrons who suddenly turn violent.
Harry is forced to defend himself as a massive brawl ensues. He uses some firearms, but most of the combat is up close and personal. The combat is also quite violent and bloody at times, as Harry is forced to improvise when he runs out of bullets.
The Kingsman scene starts our list because the one-shot action is interrupted several times as we observe characters elsewhere. Nevertheless, the church action is impressive, and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird is an unbeatable soundtrack to accompany the carnage.
7
Prison Escape – Extraction 2 (2023)
The Extraction movies are busy, one-person-army action movies starring Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake. He’s an elite special forces agent turned mercenary, and both movies in the franchise boast impressive one-shot action scenes.
Extraction boasts an impressive one-shot scene which runs for almost 12 minutes. The prison escape scene in Extraction 2 may be shorter, but it’s intense and brutal, with so much going on everywhere you look.
Rake is attempting to escort his sister-in-law, Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili), across a prison courtyard during a riot. The pair is constantly attacked from all sides, and Rake uses a mix of hand-to-hand combat and weapons as prisoners and even guards with riot shields swarm. It’s a stylish and violent scene, and the camera angle makes the audience feel like they are there, surrounded by convicts.
6
Moroccan Motorcycle Chase – The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
The Adventures of Tintin may seem like an odd inclusion, as it’s an animated movie directed by Steven Spielberg. The motorcycle chase may not seem as much of a technical feat as others on the list, but it’s a great example of how effective a one-shot scene can be in a less-grounded setting.
Tintin and Captain Haddock are trying to retrieve a clue from a hawk as it flies through a built-up area in Morocco. The runaway bird is just one small part of the scene, as everything from soldiers to a tank dragging a building is after our heroes.
The chase is unique as the camera pans around the action from multiple angles. It’s also a long scene at roughly two minutes and thirty seconds. The environment and attention to detail are incredible, and the chase remains a spectacle even after multiple rewatches.
5
Car Chase – Children Of Men (2006)
Children of Men is a bleak thriller set in a dystopian future where women have become infertile. Clive Owen stars as Theo, a former activist pulled back into the fray when a woman becomes pregnant for the first time in years.
One remarkable scene places the audience at the center of the action as a car chase begins. Theo is riding in the backseat, and the driver notices a flaming car rolling down the hill and into the road. He slams on the brakes and reverses as people suddenly surround the vehicle from every direction.
The camera isn’t in a seat and pans around so we can see what’s going on from every angle. Much of the chase happens as the car drives backward, and it’s a chaotic, claustrophobic scene as Theo and his friends try to escape.
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Staircase Fight Scene – The Protector (2005)
Tony Jaa is a phenomenal martial artist, and even casual fans of fighting movies know Ong Bak. The Protector was released two years later, starring Jaa as Kham, on a quest to rescue a stolen elephant.
The 2005 movie makes the list for an incredible fight sequence in a multi-story hotel. Kham starts on the first floor, knocking henchmen down one at a time in an intense sequence that lasts almost four minutes.
The camera angles really help reinforce the idea that we’re following Kham up the stairs as an observer. At times, we don’t even see everything, as the camera hasn’t caught up with our hero as he ascends the building. The camera also follows people Kham throws from balconies, as if we are peering over the edge and watching them fall.
3
Stairwell Fight – Atomic Blonde (2017)
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Atomic Blonde is a surprisingly brutal spy thriller starring Charlize Theron as Lorraine. She’s an undercover MI6 agent on a mission in Berlin, and the movie makes the list for its stairwell fight scene that feels raw, gritty, and grounded.
Lorraine engages two opponents in the stairwell. After a brief gunfight, the three trade blows, and the camera follows them down the stairs. The fight is quite different from many others on this list because it’s so believable. There’s no music. Lorraine and her opponents are clearly tired and hurt, and it’s a battle for survival rather than a slick one-person army beatdown.
Lorraine isn’t invincible in Atomic Blonde. The stairwell fight takes its toll, and it’s an unglamorous brawl until only one person is left standing.
2
Corridor Fight – Oldboy (2003)
Oldboy is an exceptional South Korean conspiracy thriller starring Choi Min-sik as Oh Dae-su. He’s suddenly released from prison after 15 years inside and has just five days to find his captor.
The corridor fight is unforgettable as it’s filmed with a strange camera angle that resembles a video game. We see the encounter from the side, which makes it almost look 2D, as armed thugs approach from the front and behind.
The combat itself is messy and desperate. Oh Dae-su is a formidable fighter, but he takes a lot of punishment, even having a knife plunged into his back. It’s a phenomenal, gritty scene with uninterrupted action for roughly two and a half minutes.
1
Hospital Hallway Shootout – Hard Boiled (1992)
John Woo fans likely saw this recommendation coming, but the hospital shootout in Hard Boiled is iconic. Inspector Tequila (Chow Yun-Fat) and Alan (Tony Leung) storm a hospital overrun with armed criminals.
The duo is forced to approach down narrow corridors with almost no cover. Tequila has a shotgun, and the pair protect each other as they fight their way into the lobby. In the confusion, Alan believes he may have killed an officer as they enter an elevator, and it’s a powerful moment as Tequila tries to convince him otherwise.
The one-shot scenes on this list do an incredible job of convincing audiences that they are part of the action. The camera subtly bobs in Hard Boiled as if we’re watching through the eyes of someone along for the ride. We follow Tequila and Alan into a shootout on another floor before the scene ends, with the elevator only offering a brief respite between gunfights.
Hard Boiled is a classic John Woo action movie, showing off impressive gun-fu before stylish gun play even had a popular term. The 1992 movie is widely regarded as a masterpiece, and while the one-shot scene is a major highlight, it’s only one element that makes the film so special.
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