We're starting off the New Year racing against the clock with movies that unfold over the course of a single day—or night. From sunup-to-sundown classics like Dog Day Afternoon, to 24-hour pressure cookers such as Sinners, to noir thrillers that take place fully at night like Panic Room, we break down how filmmakers make limited time feel limitless. We also discuss comedies that utilize this format—Ferris Bueller's Day Off  and The Hangover, as well as action films, including Judgment Night and Collateral.

Along the way, we ask why audiences are particularly drawn to stories about "surviving the night," how screenwriters raise the stakes with only hours to work with, and whether some genres pull off the “all in one day or one night” trick better than others.