When Size Doesn't Matter: 5 Minimalist Movies with Super Immersive Plots

We're all used to blockbusters and other impressive big-budget productions. And often they turn out great. But that doesn't mean movies that don't have a lot of locations or multiple storylines are bad. These five are ample proof.

Hard Candy (2005, 7.0 on IMDb)

Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Starring Patrick Wilson and Elliot Page, the film centers on the unsettling relationship between thirty-two-year-old photographer Jeff and fourteen-year-old Hayley, who meet online and begin a provocative chat. Only things turn out differently than you might have guessed from the premise. And even though most of the movie takes place in Jeff's place and only involves the two characters, you won't be able to take a break during the movie.

Buried (2010, 7.0 on IMDb)

Available on: Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

This survival thriller stars Ryan Reynolds as Paul Conroy, an American truck driver in Iraq who wakes up in a dark, confined space after being attacked. Barely able to move, Paul soon realizes that he is in a coffin, buried alive. The movie mostly provides a view of the coffin from the inside, but it perfectly conveys Paul's struggle to survive.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, 7.2 on IMDb)

Available on: Paramount+, Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Set mostly in a dark bunker, this psychological thriller tells the story of Michelle, a young woman from New Orleans who survives a car accident and wakes up locked in the bunker. The bunker's owner, Howard, claims that the world outside has been rendered uninhabitable by a chemical attack. Although the movie doesn't have a lot of plot variety, it keeps you on the edge of your seat as you follow Michelle's journey.

The Outfit (2022, 7.2 on IMDb)

Available on: Max, Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Although Graham Moore's psychological crime drama boasts an ensemble cast including Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O'Brian and others, it is a fairly minimalist production, following Leonard Burling, an English tailor in Chicago, and taking place primarily in his shop. One evening, the son of a powerful mobster and his bodyguard, pursued by armed rivals, take refuge in Leonard's shop and cause him many problems.

The Man from Earth (2007, 7.8 on IMDb)

Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Written by Jerome Bixby as his magnum opus, this sci-fi drama follows an impromptu farewell party thrown by his colleagues for Professor John Oldman. Shocked by his sudden departure, they begin to question his motives, and he gradually reveals that he is immortal and has lived for over 14,000 years, witnessing many key events in human history. As he tells many stories from his long life, he faces a wall of disbelief on their behalf.