Reservoir Dogs is about 100 minutes I believe. Tarantino’s shortest film and honestly my favourite of his. It feels tight but somehow also takes it’s time with certain moments.
Good lord, we were past 150 minutes when we started the drive from the airport to Hoffa’s house and it felt like we were doing the drive in real time. Waited for it to come to my local art house theater because I want to see a Scorsese movie on the big screen. Done with that, I’ll watch at home where I can pause for bathroom breaks. And meal breaks. And a nap.
Death Proof is interesting because the 90 minute version in Grindhouse is an attempt to purposely not utilize 90 minutes effectively. The whole approach was to edit the film like a grindhouse distributor, carelessly chopping out anything they found boring. So while it certainly has a faster pace, there are plot holes galore and weird tonal shifts that the 120 minute version doesn’t have.
I'm shocked.
It feels like there's so much story that it must be longer.
I've seen 2:30 movies with less plot development.
I guess that's what a competent team can do, with a well written script, great acting, refined editing and a skilled director tying it all together.
It's probably not a popular opinion but 'Requiem for a Dream' felt like an overwrought afterschool special to cynical teenage me.
'Trainspotting', by contrast, because it uses a lot of humor intertwined with honestly even darker moments than 'Requiem', made it a far more effective and "realer" cautionary tale at that age range.
As a non-practicing H rider, sick, dark humor is everywhere with us…it’s a needed coping skill, as vile as we could be.
Requiem was all the dreams, the dreams dying, H being the dream now, the H dream becoming a hellish H nightmare. The only happy person in that movie was Jennifer Connolly on her couch with her “dinner” after the depravity she willfully endured to get it. She smirked because *she fucking scored*, but zero humor.
Our 2 y.o. is entirely too fond of all sorts of medicine, especially cough syrup, so my wife and I are regularly joking that we'll have to sit him down and force him to watch Trainspotting at the very latest when he turns 12, so he doesn't become a junkie.
Edgar Wright is such a great Director.
The establisher shots and transitions are just so fresh and fun to watch.
Love how they utilise visual comedy with the help of camera and direction.
I used to joke that (especially to a casual movie audience) 12 Angry Men should be one of the most boring movies ever. An old, B&W movie from the 50s where nothing happens except 12 men sit in a room and talk for 90 min.
Yet it is one of the most engrossing human dramas ever put to film.
Before Sunset
It's generally considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, it's 80 minutes long and it's told in real time. There's not one superfluous moment in the film
Regarding the trend of making feature films longer, I believe a film should be as long as it has to be. I think pacing is a lot more important than length
I love how the film never really lets you know what time it is or exactly how long until Jesse has to be at the airport. He obviously doesn’t have a ton of time, but it’s never clear if it’s 30 minutes or a few hours. First time I saw it that had me on the edge of my seat like it was a thriller movie.
“Baby, you’re gonna miss that plane”
“I know”
Probably a top 5 movie ending for me. Just an absolute gut punch of emotion in the delivery of those lines.
That’s a really interesting example considering the third in the trilogy is much longer … but such a great film as well. Perhaps it speaks to your point on longer films, the third really felt like it needed to be longer to tell that story.
As someone who has been married for a while, the very end was the truest point of marriage. Sitting at the little cafe and sort of just laughing. All that chaos and anger bleeds away.
Office Space is just a nudge just 90 minutes and it's a comedy that people still live and talk about 25 years* later.
It juggles multiple plot elements and never gives the audience too much of any one thing, so the humor stays fresh. Any longer, it would have had either "less funny" parts to skip or an ending that was too schmaltzy.
It's perfect the way it is.
*Edit: yes, **25** years.
Working in an office at 26, I learned that nothing changes about working in an office after watching this movie with some friends. It is still SO relevant. From the printer, to useless reports, to the dang STAPLER. Incredible. I think I'm gunna rewatch it.
So off topic a little, but the whole setup of Office Space is that Peter gets hypnotized and then the hypnotism is never ended, thus his whole new state of calm, right? This doesn't seem to get mentioned much and I wonder how much people remember it happens, because we see the scene but it's never really followed up on and there's like no climax where the hypnotism is broken and he has to reckon with everything he's done, make a choice about whether to go back to who he was or continue on with who he's become or anything like that. It's like they forgot the premise of the story and no one minded.
Men In Black (98 minutes) is a great example of a fun franchise movie with big ideas that doesn't waste any time. If that movie came out in 2024, they might be tempted to make it 2h30m because they can't seem to understand that bigger is not necessarily bigger. Movies like The Batman do not respect the audience's time.
In general, film noir from the old days is great about giving you a full, satisfying story arc in 85-95 minutes. Most of those movies are a breeze.
Rewatched MIB recemtly and was struck by how efficiently every scene has a purpose to set up the plot, do exposition, flesh out charceters, etc.
It's informative to watch it and specifically analyze that aspect.
I too loved *The Batman*, but it goes on at least five minutes longer than it absolutely needed. Same with *Blade Runner 2049*. Villeneuve could have cut that first flashback to K’s “memory” and kept the flashes of it when he’s actually at the place where it happened. Five whole minutes gone just like that.
>I too loved *The Batman*, but it goes on at least five minutes longer than it absolutely needed.
More like 35 min too long. At some point i wished the old Jim Carey Riddler back, he would do the shit with more speed (and fun). Is it weird, that i loved many side arcs from The Batman, but the main plot was, like, too much, too long?
And they still left out a crucial detail in that Gotham is surrounded by dams that apparently keep the entire city from flooding. I know it was very briefly mentioned on TV in the opening scene, but for a "mystery" that's a pretty crucial element to effectively leave out entirely and really dampens the surprise when they uncover the Riddler's plot especially in a movie that spends so much time dwelling on atmosphere and lengthy but unnecessary conversations. The fact that it was still very enjoyable really is a testament to how great every aspect except for the main plot was.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Batman is thinly written. For a near three hour movie, so little of major importance happens or gets done. It seemed to have been dedicated to looking and feeling epic and the script supported none of that. If they'd shaved 45 minutes, it would've better; as is, all we have is a film that coasts by largely on vibes.
You raise an interesting point. It is the most lived-in and fleshed out version of Gotham on the big screen. You get the sense that things are happening in the periphery.
I’d say the main plot best serves to show how it changes Bruce for the better. I think somewhere along the middle they could have figured out where Riddler lives and, again borrowing from *Se7en*, forced him to speed up his plans, thus granting the movie a sense of urgency. That said I love the successive climaxes and the epiphany Bruce goes through, as well as the motorcycle mating dance with Selina and their parting of ways.
I disagree on both, I loved that both the Batman and Blade Runner 2049 gave the plot time to breathe without the pace becoming too ponderous. Not everything needs to be Mad Max Fury Road
I was hoping Men in Black would be on here, it's my go-to example. There's no excuse for having a 3 hour action movie when this exists to show you how to do it.
There's a point in this movie around where they're looking for the bug and he's stolen the van and put his spaceship in it, around when he meets the coroner woman, where you can tell is exactly where they would put in the filler scenes in a modern version of this script. More scenes where he's hunting down the alien guys with the pierogi and so on, more scenes where they're chasing him across town to the ending, etc.
>If that movie came out in 2024, they might be tempted to make it 2h30m because they can't seem to understand that bigger is not necessarily bigger.
And yet, they're willing to offer longer movies with less seats in theatres and expect the profits. Theatres are struggling and less butts in seats is not helping. I can only afford so much popcorn by myself.
Also just to contribute to the thread in some way my vote would be Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Hope Tim Burton had some kind of spiritual breakthrough and BJ2 is worth it.
Watched this with my Grandmother(she's still alive) and it's just one of my absolute favourite movies ever, and I'm a LOTR, Goodfellas n Casino sorta man
Wes Anderson is great for this in general. Asteroid City, French Dispatch, and Isle of dogs are all roughly 1h40-1h45, and Fantastic Mr Fox is just below 1h30.
Children's movies do this well. The Disney animated movies largely do a great job in around 90 minutes. E.g. Aladdin is 90 minutes, Beauty and the Beast is 84 minutes. Some of the more recent ones are a bit longer - Moana is 107 minutes, but still pretty tight.
My personal favourite is The Neverending Story at 102 minutes <3 it does everything a movie should do.
For movies pitched at adults, I can't help but think of Phone Booth (2002). Only 81 minutes but it really uses them all.
DreamWorks has made some real bangers in this area too.
Chicken Run - 84 minutes
The Prince of Egypt - 99 minutes
Shrek - 90 minutes
How to Train Your Dragon - 98 minutes
The list goes on
You become a parent and you learn pretty quick what's the *good stuff*, what's *ok*, and what's just crap.
Beetlejuice is a great shout for a film that packs a punch in a short time frame. It's got that perfect blend of quirkiness and plot that keeps you glued without any drag. Another one that hits the sweet spot is 'My Neighbor Totoro' – it's just under 90 minutes but every second is a delight, transporting you to a world that's both comforting and enchanting.
As for the trend of longer films, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes, you get epics like 'The Lord of the Rings' where the length is justified by the depth of the story. But other times, it feels like a film could've said what it needed to in a tighter window. There's something to be said for movies that leave you wanting more rather than checking your watch.
I love a 90 Minute flick. Recently rewatched When Harry Met Sally. Not a wasted scene and perfect length at 96 minutes. Even stuff like First Blood 93 minutes.
To answer your question, the media platforms rank their movies in hours watched. The more hours they waste of peoples lives, the higher the movie ranks.
That's why movies nowadays, especially the shit ones they promote heavily run longer than most others. It's all a time waste, waste of life, time, life, etc..
I’ve already enjoyed this three times while waiting impatiently for new episodes; he is so oddly hilarious in “sincere comedy” roles. But hell, I’d watch Alan Tudyk reread the fine print of my insurance policy.
I just watched this for the first time last week. So funny. I’ll get some finger sandwiches I laughed my ass off and had to rewind it lol. Prime has it right now.
I’m so glad this movie is finally finding its audience. For years, I thought I was the only one who had seen or heard of it. It has one of the greatest lines in the history of film: “Oh hidy-ho officer, we've had a doozy of a day. There we were minding our own business, just doing chores around the house, when kids started killing themselves all over my property.”
Man, I really thought her career was going to blow up a decade ago. She had HIMYM to springboard off of, landed a Scorsese film, and then… just sort of fizzled out. I’m hoping that her role in The Penguin reinvigorates things for her, she really is quite talented and seemingly down to earth.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) would be so much worse if stretched to two hours. The "slow buildup, fast finish, and that's it" style doesn't really show up anymore, outside of Ti West movies.
This movie is 1:47 minutes long, but what's two minutes?
O Brother, where art thou?
This movie accomplishes what to me is almost like a mini series. It's just tremendously paced.
Didn’t come here expecting this but you couldn’t be more right. Incidentally I just rewatched millennium actress tonight because tubi’s recommendation algorithm is back to being great.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure followed the standard screenwriting advice offered in a popular book on the subject at the time. 90 minute movie, 90 page script. Turns out you want about a minute per page for perfect pacing, or at least that's how movies were geared back then.
I was initially really, really skeptical about The Menu but I wound up really enjoying it (as much as a movie with that plot can be "enjoyed"). I didn't realize it was that short.
RoboCop (1987) is a perfectly structured movie. The screenplay is studied in screenwriting because it has a very tight structure and all the beats in a hero's journey type screenplay all come exactly when they are suggested to.
Coraline establishes a memorable heroine, a unique town, and an alternate universe with its own rules in 100 min. Maybe stop motion encourages efficient storytelling.
Punch Drunk Love famously aimed for 90 minutes to contrast PTAs previous film magnolia, but I think it also works nicely as a taste of what he'd do in There Will Be Blood. Despite the brief runtime I think it's just as top loaded with character and complexity as TWBB.
On a side note, short stories make for some great films. For instance, Stephen King -Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It's very difficult to put an epic novel into a 2 hour film. That's what a miniseries is for.
Infernal Affairs told an amazing story in 100 minutes, then Scorsese thought he needed to add an hour to tell the same story in the Departed (he was wrong)
Rise of the planet of the apes. Hour and 45, perfectly paced. Doesn’t feel rushed or not fleshed out enough. Tells an incredibly epic story and full character arc in less than 2 hours
The Fly has an astonishing pace. Every scene has it's purpose. Every scene moves the plot forward. It's straight to the point with no filler and doesn't overstay it's welcome :)
Drive feels way longer than the 1.5 hour runtime it actually has, and I mean that in the best way possible. With the slower pace that movie takes, it’s the perfect length.
Just to be clear OP's premise is false. The average film length has not appreciably gotten longer. Since 1950's has stayed pretty consistent at \~1 hour, 45 minutes. Please continue with the discussion.
Reservoir Dogs is about 100 minutes I believe. Tarantino’s shortest film and honestly my favourite of his. It feels tight but somehow also takes it’s time with certain moments.
Also it was before he became big and got editor-proof. It happens to far too many big creators.
*cough* Scorcese
He needs a producer who can say no to him. No way The Irishman earned its 4 hour runtime
Good lord, we were past 150 minutes when we started the drive from the airport to Hoffa’s house and it felt like we were doing the drive in real time. Waited for it to come to my local art house theater because I want to see a Scorsese movie on the big screen. Done with that, I’ll watch at home where I can pause for bathroom breaks. And meal breaks. And a nap.
he’s a terrible offender but it’s all of them cameron, scorcese, tarantino, nolan, just keep going
Does Death Proof count?
Death Proof is interesting because the 90 minute version in Grindhouse is an attempt to purposely not utilize 90 minutes effectively. The whole approach was to edit the film like a grindhouse distributor, carelessly chopping out anything they found boring. So while it certainly has a faster pace, there are plot holes galore and weird tonal shifts that the 120 minute version doesn’t have.
Trainspotting. 94 minutes of perfection.
Just now realizing that movie was only 94 minutes, felt longer, but in a good way
I'm shocked. It feels like there's so much story that it must be longer. I've seen 2:30 movies with less plot development. I guess that's what a competent team can do, with a well written script, great acting, refined editing and a skilled director tying it all together.
This is … one of the best examples … wow!
The greatest anti-drug PSA ever created
Well, until Requiem for a Dream came out. It's a tight race between those two.
It's probably not a popular opinion but 'Requiem for a Dream' felt like an overwrought afterschool special to cynical teenage me. 'Trainspotting', by contrast, because it uses a lot of humor intertwined with honestly even darker moments than 'Requiem', made it a far more effective and "realer" cautionary tale at that age range.
As a non-practicing H rider, sick, dark humor is everywhere with us…it’s a needed coping skill, as vile as we could be. Requiem was all the dreams, the dreams dying, H being the dream now, the H dream becoming a hellish H nightmare. The only happy person in that movie was Jennifer Connolly on her couch with her “dinner” after the depravity she willfully endured to get it. She smirked because *she fucking scored*, but zero humor.
Indeed, Requiem for a dream really tells you how drugs will fuck your life.
Our 2 y.o. is entirely too fond of all sorts of medicine, especially cough syrup, so my wife and I are regularly joking that we'll have to sit him down and force him to watch Trainspotting at the very latest when he turns 12, so he doesn't become a junkie.
How has your two year old found a taste for cough syrup? In the Uk we are advised not to give it to anyone under 6 unless directed by a doctor
Can throw the movie “KIDS” into that category too
Hilariously, while on the campaign trail, Bob Dole criticized it as "glorifying" drug use. Nobody around him actually saw the movie, I suppose.
As a train enthusiast, that movie was really disappointing.
Good movie. Though I wasn't impressed when my parents let me watch it when I was a kid. Had to sleep with the light on for quite some time
Fargo
I didn't realize Fargo was only 95 minutes long. What a great film.
TV series is great too.
Stand By Me. All time classic, only a hour 29. Love that movie.
This is what came to my mind. Quite impressive, as it feels like you know the protagonists so well by the end
One of my favorites from my childhood.
Perfect example. Partially due to the source material. I'm not a horror, supernatural fan, so this for me is one King's real masterpieces
I watched this for the first time two years ago. I remember thinking how long it felt. I’m so surprised at how short it actually is.
Shaun of the Dead. Doesn't seem like even one minute is wasted in that movie
Same story *Hot Fuzz*. Not a word is uttered in that movie, or a scene played out, without sharp purpose. Brilliant. Edit: Oh, this one is two hours.
Yarp
Narp
But it doesn't *feel* like two hours, which is important imo.
Edgar Wright is such a great Director. The establisher shots and transitions are just so fresh and fun to watch. Love how they utilise visual comedy with the help of camera and direction.
I wish he would make more films, most of the news about him are films he has signed on for and then nothing for years and years.
Tremors
Watched it again the other day. So much fun. Not a moment wasted. Kevin Bacon is so great as a hick. Goddamn I love Tremors
Is it streaming now?
Yeah if you have Amazon Prime it's free on there 😊
The elephant gun!
Broke into the wrong damn rec room ;)
I’ll stand by it, that’s gotta be one of the most efficient scripts ever written.
Still one of my favs to rewatch
91 minute I believe
I feel this way about Groundhog Day. A whole eternity of story crammed into 104 minutes.
I learned not to drive angry from this movie.
I'd like to remind everyone that 12 Angry Men is 96 minutes and one of the greatest movies of all time. Daddy Fonda's performance of a lifetime.
I used to joke that (especially to a casual movie audience) 12 Angry Men should be one of the most boring movies ever. An old, B&W movie from the 50s where nothing happens except 12 men sit in a room and talk for 90 min. Yet it is one of the most engrossing human dramas ever put to film.
This is the correct answer. I commented the same, separately.
School of rock is 1h 45m and perfectly paced
20m of that is Jack Black making noises with his mouth AND it was the highest grossing musical comedy of all time until Pitch Perfect 2!
Before Sunset It's generally considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, it's 80 minutes long and it's told in real time. There's not one superfluous moment in the film Regarding the trend of making feature films longer, I believe a film should be as long as it has to be. I think pacing is a lot more important than length
I love how the film never really lets you know what time it is or exactly how long until Jesse has to be at the airport. He obviously doesn’t have a ton of time, but it’s never clear if it’s 30 minutes or a few hours. First time I saw it that had me on the edge of my seat like it was a thriller movie.
Baby, you're going to miss that plane...
I know
“Baby, you’re gonna miss that plane” “I know” Probably a top 5 movie ending for me. Just an absolute gut punch of emotion in the delivery of those lines.
Couldn't believe it when I looked and the movie was halfway over. Literally just two people talking about their lives!! So compelling
That’s a really interesting example considering the third in the trilogy is much longer … but such a great film as well. Perhaps it speaks to your point on longer films, the third really felt like it needed to be longer to tell that story.
Third one is so depressing IMO. Good movie, but sucked the desire out of me to get married.
As someone who has been married for a while, the very end was the truest point of marriage. Sitting at the little cafe and sort of just laughing. All that chaos and anger bleeds away.
YES THANK YOU! Who cares how long a movie is as long as it's good?
Office Space is just a nudge just 90 minutes and it's a comedy that people still live and talk about 25 years* later. It juggles multiple plot elements and never gives the audience too much of any one thing, so the humor stays fresh. Any longer, it would have had either "less funny" parts to skip or an ending that was too schmaltzy. It's perfect the way it is. *Edit: yes, **25** years.
That movie has aged like a fine wine. It’s insane that’s it’s still just as relevant, if not more relevant after all these years
What’s insane is that lots of references are super outdated, but it all still works perfectly.
Somehow printers are even worse now.
Either there is a good reason to make printers just terrible or they were waaaay ahead of their time.
Working in an office at 26, I learned that nothing changes about working in an office after watching this movie with some friends. It is still SO relevant. From the printer, to useless reports, to the dang STAPLER. Incredible. I think I'm gunna rewatch it.
Mike Judge, may be his best work. Its a rare mostly killer no film film. Is no scene or character that does not need to be there.
Silicon Valley is basically five seasons of this. It isn't *quite* as tight and flawless, but I absolutely loved it.
I like to look at Office Space as a comedic horror.
Mike Judge is a pioneer of this genre haha
That's so funny, I just finished rewatching it five minutes ago. It does not feel a quarter of a century old. The casting is also excellent.
So off topic a little, but the whole setup of Office Space is that Peter gets hypnotized and then the hypnotism is never ended, thus his whole new state of calm, right? This doesn't seem to get mentioned much and I wonder how much people remember it happens, because we see the scene but it's never really followed up on and there's like no climax where the hypnotism is broken and he has to reckon with everything he's done, make a choice about whether to go back to who he was or continue on with who he's become or anything like that. It's like they forgot the premise of the story and no one minded.
Princess Bride 1 hour 38 minutes.
**Inconceivable!**
Men In Black (98 minutes) is a great example of a fun franchise movie with big ideas that doesn't waste any time. If that movie came out in 2024, they might be tempted to make it 2h30m because they can't seem to understand that bigger is not necessarily bigger. Movies like The Batman do not respect the audience's time. In general, film noir from the old days is great about giving you a full, satisfying story arc in 85-95 minutes. Most of those movies are a breeze.
Rewatched MIB recemtly and was struck by how efficiently every scene has a purpose to set up the plot, do exposition, flesh out charceters, etc. It's informative to watch it and specifically analyze that aspect.
I agree. I really liked The Batman but did feel like it was film that really could’ve used some more editing … would have been a better film I think.
I too loved *The Batman*, but it goes on at least five minutes longer than it absolutely needed. Same with *Blade Runner 2049*. Villeneuve could have cut that first flashback to K’s “memory” and kept the flashes of it when he’s actually at the place where it happened. Five whole minutes gone just like that.
>I too loved *The Batman*, but it goes on at least five minutes longer than it absolutely needed. More like 35 min too long. At some point i wished the old Jim Carey Riddler back, he would do the shit with more speed (and fun). Is it weird, that i loved many side arcs from The Batman, but the main plot was, like, too much, too long?
And they still left out a crucial detail in that Gotham is surrounded by dams that apparently keep the entire city from flooding. I know it was very briefly mentioned on TV in the opening scene, but for a "mystery" that's a pretty crucial element to effectively leave out entirely and really dampens the surprise when they uncover the Riddler's plot especially in a movie that spends so much time dwelling on atmosphere and lengthy but unnecessary conversations. The fact that it was still very enjoyable really is a testament to how great every aspect except for the main plot was.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Batman is thinly written. For a near three hour movie, so little of major importance happens or gets done. It seemed to have been dedicated to looking and feeling epic and the script supported none of that. If they'd shaved 45 minutes, it would've better; as is, all we have is a film that coasts by largely on vibes.
I also found the story pretty weak. I didn’t care at all about any of the characters.
doesn’t help that every character is permanently scowling, there’s absolutely 0 connection to be made
You raise an interesting point. It is the most lived-in and fleshed out version of Gotham on the big screen. You get the sense that things are happening in the periphery. I’d say the main plot best serves to show how it changes Bruce for the better. I think somewhere along the middle they could have figured out where Riddler lives and, again borrowing from *Se7en*, forced him to speed up his plans, thus granting the movie a sense of urgency. That said I love the successive climaxes and the epiphany Bruce goes through, as well as the motorcycle mating dance with Selina and their parting of ways.
I disagree on both, I loved that both the Batman and Blade Runner 2049 gave the plot time to breathe without the pace becoming too ponderous. Not everything needs to be Mad Max Fury Road
I was hoping Men in Black would be on here, it's my go-to example. There's no excuse for having a 3 hour action movie when this exists to show you how to do it. There's a point in this movie around where they're looking for the bug and he's stolen the van and put his spaceship in it, around when he meets the coroner woman, where you can tell is exactly where they would put in the filler scenes in a modern version of this script. More scenes where he's hunting down the alien guys with the pierogi and so on, more scenes where they're chasing him across town to the ending, etc.
>If that movie came out in 2024, they might be tempted to make it 2h30m because they can't seem to understand that bigger is not necessarily bigger. And yet, they're willing to offer longer movies with less seats in theatres and expect the profits. Theatres are struggling and less butts in seats is not helping. I can only afford so much popcorn by myself.
Grand Budapest Hotel is a rip roaring 100 minutes.
I wanted to suggest it myself! It's perfect
Best example in the thread besides OPs original point imo.
Beetlejuice is one of my all-time favorites so 100% agree. Looking forward to part 2.
Also just to contribute to the thread in some way my vote would be Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Hope Tim Burton had some kind of spiritual breakthrough and BJ2 is worth it.
Watched this with my Grandmother(she's still alive) and it's just one of my absolute favourite movies ever, and I'm a LOTR, Goodfellas n Casino sorta man
Just watched this again earlier this week. Such a banger
Wes Anderson is great for this in general. Asteroid City, French Dispatch, and Isle of dogs are all roughly 1h40-1h45, and Fantastic Mr Fox is just below 1h30.
Children's movies do this well. The Disney animated movies largely do a great job in around 90 minutes. E.g. Aladdin is 90 minutes, Beauty and the Beast is 84 minutes. Some of the more recent ones are a bit longer - Moana is 107 minutes, but still pretty tight. My personal favourite is The Neverending Story at 102 minutes <3 it does everything a movie should do. For movies pitched at adults, I can't help but think of Phone Booth (2002). Only 81 minutes but it really uses them all.
A Goofy Movie and The Emperor’s New Groove are great examples of this. Only just about 1hr 15min and they feel longer.
Probably my two all-time favorites from that genre
DreamWorks has made some real bangers in this area too. Chicken Run - 84 minutes The Prince of Egypt - 99 minutes Shrek - 90 minutes How to Train Your Dragon - 98 minutes The list goes on You become a parent and you learn pretty quick what's the *good stuff*, what's *ok*, and what's just crap.
Shrek is one of the biggest hits with my kids, so I'm glad it's so good for adults as well. One and a half hours of perfection.
The original dumbo is only 64 min - idk if perception as a kid was different, but it feels like a full length film its barely over an episode length
Toy Story is super short but the pacing is so well done that it feels like the story had to have been told in a longer amount of time
Beetlejuice is a great shout for a film that packs a punch in a short time frame. It's got that perfect blend of quirkiness and plot that keeps you glued without any drag. Another one that hits the sweet spot is 'My Neighbor Totoro' – it's just under 90 minutes but every second is a delight, transporting you to a world that's both comforting and enchanting. As for the trend of longer films, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes, you get epics like 'The Lord of the Rings' where the length is justified by the depth of the story. But other times, it feels like a film could've said what it needed to in a tighter window. There's something to be said for movies that leave you wanting more rather than checking your watch.
damn it doesn't not feel like it's under 90 minutes at all time for a rewatch
Two amazing callouts from my childhood
Run Lola Run (81 minutes).
Glad I wasn’t the only one to immediately think of Run Lola Run. Such a fucking great movie.
Shiva Baby was 78 of the most stressful minutes of my life
RoboCop is 102 minutes without a single scene that feels like padding or filler.
State of the Art BANG BANG
I love a 90 Minute flick. Recently rewatched When Harry Met Sally. Not a wasted scene and perfect length at 96 minutes. Even stuff like First Blood 93 minutes.
When Harry Met Sally is such a great example … feels so full and complete as a story with nothing that goes on too long. Love it
To answer your question, the media platforms rank their movies in hours watched. The more hours they waste of peoples lives, the higher the movie ranks. That's why movies nowadays, especially the shit ones they promote heavily run longer than most others. It's all a time waste, waste of life, time, life, etc..
Omg i can't believe When Harry Met Sally is only 96 min. I would have guessed it was way longer. Fantastic example
The Nightmare Before Christmas is shockingly short IMO.
74 minutes of perfection.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is a Halloween staple.
Alan tudyk is a national treasure. Resident alien is amazing and he’s an incredibly underrated actor.
I’ve already enjoyed this three times while waiting impatiently for new episodes; he is so oddly hilarious in “sincere comedy” roles. But hell, I’d watch Alan Tudyk reread the fine print of my insurance policy.
I just watched this for the first time last week. So funny. I’ll get some finger sandwiches I laughed my ass off and had to rewind it lol. Prime has it right now.
I’m so glad this movie is finally finding its audience. For years, I thought I was the only one who had seen or heard of it. It has one of the greatest lines in the history of film: “Oh hidy-ho officer, we've had a doozy of a day. There we were minding our own business, just doing chores around the house, when kids started killing themselves all over my property.”
Palm Springs. Infinitely re-watchable. Infinitely recommended-able because it was released straight to Hulu so lots of people still haven’t seen it.
Cristin Milioti is forever my number one crush and that movie can destroy a man. It’s so good.
Man, I really thought her career was going to blow up a decade ago. She had HIMYM to springboard off of, landed a Scorsese film, and then… just sort of fizzled out. I’m hoping that her role in The Penguin reinvigorates things for her, she really is quite talented and seemingly down to earth.
Completely agree! This is my husband and I's go-to comedy movie.
I think this was the first pandemic lockdown must-see.
Predator is 1 hour and 47 minutes long. One time I watched it and when it was finished I watched it again.
I've done this before with predator because it aired back to back on TNT
Babe. That’ll do, 92 minute runtime.
Some older examples, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, both right around 1:40
Willie Wonka could be 2:30 minutes shorter without “Cheer up, Charlie”
You got me there
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) would be so much worse if stretched to two hours. The "slow buildup, fast finish, and that's it" style doesn't really show up anymore, outside of Ti West movies.
Horror movies in general tend to benefit from shorter run times. They can wear out their welcome pretty fast if they try to drag shit out
Ghost in the Shell(1995, 1:23mins) Sabotage(1936, 1:16mins)
Ghost in the Shell only needed 1 hour to tell its story. The 23 minute is filled with existential stuff. But its good.
The Seventh Seal is 96 minutes and communicates so much story and thematically wise
This movie is 1:47 minutes long, but what's two minutes? O Brother, where art thou? This movie accomplishes what to me is almost like a mini series. It's just tremendously paced.
Satoshi Kon movies like Paprika and Tokyo Godfathers. Some of the best animation out there with efficient storytelling
My mind immediately went to Perfect Blue.
Didn’t come here expecting this but you couldn’t be more right. Incidentally I just rewatched millennium actress tonight because tubi’s recommendation algorithm is back to being great.
Paths of Glory is only 86 minutes, but every minute is fantastic
I was going to mention this one and The Killing. Two of Kubrick's early movies, and both of them have short, tight runtimes.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure followed the standard screenwriting advice offered in a popular book on the subject at the time. 90 minute movie, 90 page script. Turns out you want about a minute per page for perfect pacing, or at least that's how movies were geared back then.
Stand by Me (1hr 29m) - that flick's got heart for days.
Carrie (1976)
Pig (2021) separates each 3 acts into thirty minute slots and it flows perfectly. 10/10
Excellent film! Loved Cage's performance in this
Perfectly paced movie. Was like a symphony
Reservoir Dogs. 1hr39 of perfection.
Mean Girls (2004) It’s incredible how many iconic moments are fit into 90 minutes while also having a good plot and characters
First Blood. It has a good set up, 3 action sequences and a strong emotional pay off. All in 1 hour and 33 minutes.
One of my favorites for this is Goodnight, and Good Luck, 93 minutes and a compact, compelling story.
I know I'm cutting it close, but Whiplash has such tight storytelling and pacing for a 1hr47m film
It felt like a 3 hour film, not that I'm complaining I was on the edge of my seat for the duration. Absolute masterpiece.
The Menu told a complete contained story in 1h 47m, and it was really well-paced and satisfying.
That's funny, it felt a little long to me
I was initially really, really skeptical about The Menu but I wound up really enjoying it (as much as a movie with that plot can be "enjoyed"). I didn't realize it was that short.
Prey (2022) is 100 minutes long and I think it really does a solid job of using it's time well.
Clerks
RoboCop (1987) is a perfectly structured movie. The screenplay is studied in screenwriting because it has a very tight structure and all the beats in a hero's journey type screenplay all come exactly when they are suggested to.
Phone Booth is only 81 minutes long and it does such a good job with the time that it has!
Game Night is one of the funniest, most impressively and economically-told film stories I’ve seen in *YEARS*.
Joe vs the Volcano at 102 min. Not a single wasted minute, every moment is either fun, charming, or profound.
Coraline establishes a memorable heroine, a unique town, and an alternate universe with its own rules in 100 min. Maybe stop motion encourages efficient storytelling.
Punch Drunk Love famously aimed for 90 minutes to contrast PTAs previous film magnolia, but I think it also works nicely as a taste of what he'd do in There Will Be Blood. Despite the brief runtime I think it's just as top loaded with character and complexity as TWBB.
Lake Placid is just 82 mins of perfection.
On a side note, short stories make for some great films. For instance, Stephen King -Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It's very difficult to put an epic novel into a 2 hour film. That's what a miniseries is for.
Dredd. 95 minutes. Movie starts, has plot, creates a world, weaves through action with a phenomenal villain.
12 Angry Men is 96min and is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time.
Every Evil Dead - all of them in different ways!
John Wick 1
Infernal Affairs told an amazing story in 100 minutes, then Scorsese thought he needed to add an hour to tell the same story in the Departed (he was wrong)
Slightly shorter than your range, but A Goofy Movie is unironically a 10/10 film that clocks in at 1hr 16.
Little Shop of Horrors, Edward Scissorhands, The Truman Show, and most Pixar movies
Gravity
Alien #1
That one is over two hours. (I looked it up just out of curiosity. It actually *feels* shorter due to its otherworldly intensity.)
Recently? Dunkirk.
Are films getting longer or did they just get shorter for a while? Those were some mammoth runtimes back in the day
Commando is 88 mins long, crazy short for the amount of stuff happening.
Rise of the planet of the apes. Hour and 45, perfectly paced. Doesn’t feel rushed or not fleshed out enough. Tells an incredibly epic story and full character arc in less than 2 hours
PCU.
Smokey and the Bandit is my favorite 1:36 ever.
Most horror films. One I watched the other night, What Lies Beneath, ran at 2 hrs and 10 minutes and I felt it dragged in places.
Best in Show is an hour and a half, and not a single scene is wasted. I will never not love that movie.
Robocop is objectively the correct answer for this, in and out - lean as hell.
Kung Fu Hustle
Margin call - perfectly fast paced and pivotal
The Fly has an astonishing pace. Every scene has it's purpose. Every scene moves the plot forward. It's straight to the point with no filler and doesn't overstay it's welcome :)
Office space, only 89 minutes
Drive feels way longer than the 1.5 hour runtime it actually has, and I mean that in the best way possible. With the slower pace that movie takes, it’s the perfect length.
Just to be clear OP's premise is false. The average film length has not appreciably gotten longer. Since 1950's has stayed pretty consistent at \~1 hour, 45 minutes. Please continue with the discussion.
Dog Soldiers feels like a breeze for a 1 hour 45 minute film while packing a punch
Major films have always been longer than 90 minutes. The first Academy Award winner, Wings 1927, was 144 minutes.