Nowadays, it seems like movies are getting longer, and free time to watch them is becoming scarcer. With recent box-office hits like “The Brutalist” (3hr 35 min), “A Complete Unknown” (2hr 20 min), “Wicked” (2hr 40 min) and “Gladiator II” (2hr 35 min) putting up soaring run-times, dedicating the time to enjoy a piece of cinema feels like a luxury many of us can’t afford anymore.Â
There’s certainly a need for long movies, and I’m a fan of a lengthy cinematic journey as much as anyone – but I often find myself starting a film only to have to pause it mid-way to do something else. You lose some of the story and momentum of the plot, and life gets in the way of the movie. With increasingly busy lives, who has the time to sit down and truly enjoy a two-hour (or longer) movie? The solution: the 90-minute movie.
With runtimes of around an hour and a half, these films are easier to make time for, delivering a satisfying, complete story in one sitting. They’re easy to fit in during a break from life, or to unwind after a long day. They’re a breath of fresh air in an era of excessively bloated run times, making movies more accessible – and enjoyable.
90-minute movies are sadly a lost art. They saw their golden age during the early 2000s, especially in terms of rom-coms and comedies. However, as Hollywood blockbusters got bigger budgets, movies got longer. Every second of a film carries a significant cost with it, and with fewer budget constraints, directors and producers can create incredibly extensive movies that previously would’ve bankrupt an entire production. The rise of streaming services also made the case for longer films, since audiences could pause halfway through and resume some other time. The success of franchises like Marvel has also led movies to get longer, with hits like “Avengers: Infinity War” (2hr 29 min) and “Avengers: Endgame” (3hr 1 min) smashing box office records and setting a new industry standard for movie run times.
Not only are 90-minute movies easier to find time for, but they also force more efficiency in the plot of a movie. When it doesn’t take forever to set up the plot and you are instead thrown right into the action, you’re more likely to keep watching and finish the film. It also results in concision and often makes for a better movie. If a filmmaker only has 90 minutes to tell their story, they must be much more intentional and purposeful with how they use it, rather than the ability to ramble and stall in a more dragged-out film. Every moment must be perfect, and that is perhaps one of the hallmarks of great moviemaking.
With shorter run-times, movies become easier to watch and rewatch, providing comfort and allowing those with packed schedules and fried attention spans to still find time to enjoy a good movie.Â
Some of my favorite movies are roughly an hour and a half in length. Recent masterpiece “A Real Pain,” written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Kieran Culkin (who’s received many awards already for his incredible performance), clocks in at exactly 90 minutes, and follows two polar opposite cousins as they tour Poland to honor their grandmother. What ensues is some of the most moving storytelling about family dynamics, tensions, and the struggles of life – I can’t recommend it enough.
Many of my favorite comedies also fit this bill. “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is an iconic sci-fi comedy from the 80s that I wish I could watch again for the first time, and “Borat” is just a must-see film – I’ve made so many of my friends watch it after they admitted they’d never heard of it before. Of course, no comedy list would be complete without the holy grail film that is “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.” Comedy really peaked with this movie. “Airplane” is another laugh out loud comedy from the 80s where you’ll truly never know what’s going to happen next. “Palm Springs” is one of the best modern rom-coms I’ve seen, and it stars Andy Samberg so it’s naturally hilarious. “Legally Blonde” is a classic and ever quotable – plus it features Jennifer Coolidge in one of her most iconic roles. “10 Things I Hate About You” is perhaps the best rom com of all time, or at least the 2000s, and is endlessly rewatchable simply to see Heath Ledger serenade Julia Stiles from the bleachers with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”
For a more cinematic pick, “Lady Bird” and “Rashomon” both are utterly astounding masterpieces that fall under (or at) the 90-minute mark. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” is an ode to burnt-out daughters everywhere – I’ve never felt more seen by a movie. “Rashomon,” from famed director Akira Kurosawa, is an action-packed exploration of justice and truth, explored masterfully through four different flashbacks of the same event.
There’s truly nothing more magical than a 90-minute movie. They’re easier to find time for and more enjoyable to watch – and there’s no shortage of amazing ones to pick from.Â