With movies like Top Gun: Maverick featuring large ensemble casts, it's sometimes refreshing to watch a movie that limits its cast to only a few actors--or one. Though they are rare, film history is occasionally dotted with excellent movies that are anchored by a solo performance from a lead actor.

From dramas like Cast Away, to lesser known sci-fi films like Moon, some films only need a single actor to do the job. While there may be a host of great single performance movies, users on Ranker took to the site to vote for their favorites. As with any Ranker list, opinions may change over time, and another great film might take the top spot.

Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.

The Noah (1975)

A man wearing a military helmet screams inside of fog from The Noah

Post-apocalyptic stories are usually about external conflicts and illustrate people's struggles against each other, but The Noah showed the crushing loneliness of a depopulated world. After a nuclear war wipes out all life on earth, the only surviving human builds a complicated fantasy world in his mind to stave off insanity.

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Single actor movies require a confident performer, and Robert Strauss was perfectly cast as Noah. He manages to impart the character with flashes of subtlety while also being appropriately over-the-top and theatrical. Though not as action-packed as some of the best films about nuclear warThe Noah is nevertheless a clever character study of the human psyche.

All Is Lost (2013)

Robert Redford looks on from All is Lost

Hollywood legend Robert Redford had already established himself as a force of nature both in front of and behind the camera when he starred in the one-man movie, All Is Lost. He plays a skilled sailor who finds himself in deep trouble when his small ship is damaged by a passing container ship.

Left to his own devices, the sailor battles the elements and his own internal struggles as the film's simple story plays out. The theme of human versus nature is as old as humanity itself, and it is rare to see such a modern film lean on older conventions. As a whole, All Is Lost has a timeless feel which is helped greatly by Redford's skillful performance.

Gravity (2013)

Sandra Bullock floats in space from Gravity

Though star Sandra Bullock shares the screen with George Clooney, the bulk of Gravity relies heavily on her performance alone. The film concerns a pair of astronauts who are stranded in space after rogue debris causes damage to their ship.

It's a testament to director Alfonso Cuarón that he was able to elicit such intense dramatic tension in a film that was almost entirely CGI. Gravity is a tense character study that plays out on a gigantic scale of outer space and it is recognized as one of the best movies of Bullock's career.

Locke (2013)

Tom Hardy as Locke in Locke

Cell phones have often been a challenge for filmmakers, and they generally throw a wrench in storytelling. However, Locke showed that they could be a useful tool if put in the correct hands. The film centers on a mild-mannered construction manager who receives a phone call that begins to unravel his carefully constructed life.

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Tom Hardy interacts with his co-stars only over the phone and is tasked with giving the audience a visual performance to match his emotions. Not only is there only one actor, but Hardy spends the entire film inside of a car which further limits what he can do. Despite the restrictions, Locke still manages to be a tense and gripping thriller that never gets dull.

Moon (2009)

Sam Rockwell standing with his arms crossed in Moon.

One of the most difficult aspects of a single-actor film is figuring out how a character becomes isolated in the story. Moon envisioned a clever solution to that problem, and brilliantly blended science fiction and mystery. An astronaut works alone at a lunar harvesting plant where his only companion is an A.I. An accident towards the end of his tenure leads him to question his own sanity and his place in the universe.

Moon's is interesting enough to keep the audience occupied, and Sam Rockwell's masterful performance helps put it over the top. The viewer gets wrapped up in the mystery and hardly ever notices that Rockwell is the only actor appearing on screen for most of the film.

Life Of Pi (2012)

Still from Life of Pi (2012) - An Indian teenage finds a way to survive in a lifeboat that is adrift in the middle of nowhere.

Advancements in CGI have allowed for thrilling stories to be told, as the technology alone can create entire new worlds. Life of Pi is the story of a young man who finds himself stranded at sea after an accident. While on his journey home he forms an unlikely friendship with a fearsome tiger.

Generally considered one of director Ang Lee's best movies, the real beauty of Life of Pi is derived from its stunning visuals. The story is somewhat simplistic, but it is elevated by a strong performance and the help of phenomenal cinematography and CGI.

Buried (2010)

Paul buried alive with a lighter on in Buried

As its title implies, Buried plays off of the classic fear of small spaces and the irrational fear of being buried alive. A U.S. truck driver in Iraq is attacked and awakens to find that he has been buried alive with only the benefit of a lighter and a cell phone.

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Ryan Reynolds sheds his usually comedic persona in favor of a likable and dramatic performance. Interacting with his co-stars via phone calls, Reynolds' performance is limited and it is up to him to carry the movie. The plot unravels in such a clever way that the audience never tires of the single setting and Reynolds' charismatic performance is enough of a hook to keep the film moving.

127 Hours (2010)

James Franco trapped underneath a boulder in 127 Hours

Recounting the harrowing true story, 127 Hours is about Aron Ralston, a seasoned mountain climber who goes on a solo canyoneering expedition in Utah. While on his journey, he finds himself trapped between two rocks and must resort to desperate measures to survive.

Taking place over the five days of his entrapment, the film uses flashbacks to give the story some breathing room. Despite this, a bulk of the film is carried by James Franco's performance, and his isolation is a large part of the drama. Though it isn't a horror movie, 127 Hours is a movie that manages to instill a sense of claustrophobia and is truly terrifying in its own right.

I Am Legend (2007)

Robert holding a gun in a field in I Am Legend.

I Am Legend gave Will Smith a chance to really show the world what he was capable of as an actor. Years after a plague has wiped out humanity and turned people into bloodthirsty mutants, a scientist hopes to find a cure.

With nothing but his canine companion to keep him company, Smith still manages to have enough star power to anchor the film. The presence of a dangerous enemy means that Smith has something to work with and he isn't entirely left to his own devices. Also, the plot moves forward with such a deliberate pace that the story never gets stale.

Cast Away (2000)

Chuck counts down the days he has been stranded in Cast Away

In Cast Away, renowned actor Tom Hanks lived up to his vaunted reputation. He plays a logistics manager for FedEx who spends several years of his life on a deserted island after his plane crashes into the sea.

Hanks embodies his character's transformation both physically and emotionally as the movie progresses. The small events of his life on the island are blown up to epic proportions, and the film even has audiences growing attached to a volleyball. It is hard to believe that Cast Away would be such a memorable piece of cinema if it didn't have Hanks in the lead role.

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