Roger Ebert famously said, “No good movie is too long, and no bad movie is too short.” Despite some people’s claims that movies are too long, some of cinema’s most beloved films have runtimes over three hours. Titanic, Lawrence of Arabia, Seven Samurai, Avengers: Endgame, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King are a few that come to mind. However, there are plenty of great films that are well under three hours. In fact, many can tell a gripping story in less than half the time.
A short movie isn’t necessarily a bad thing or a sign of poor quality. Sure, some movies are short because a studio cut them to shreds to squeeze in as many showtimes as possible. But many fantastic films tell effective and complete stories in under 90 minutes. If you don’t have a lot of time and want a quick movie to watch, or you want to see compelling storytelling in a compressed time frame, these great films are worth your time.
‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)
85 Minutes
Evil Dead II might be the ultimate Sam Raimi film. A sequel (and remake) of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II amps up the gore while also heightening the film with a sense of unhinged, zany slapstick. Rather than being concerned with scaring audiences, the movie is the cinematic equivalent of going through a great haunted house, filled with blood and carnage. The story is told with the comedic sensibility of a Looney Tunes cartoon. Evil Dead II is always a great viewing experience and makes the most out of its runtime.
‘Tangerine’ (2015)
88 Minutes
Directed by Academy Award-winning director Sean Baker, Tangerine follows two transgender sex workers on Christmas Eve in Hollywood. Tangerine drew a lot of attention at the time of its release for being a microbudget film shot entirely on an iPhone 5s, which helps play into the film’s stylized aesthetic of the viewer being a fly on the wall observing events intimately but from a distance. The runtime perfectly allows for big, explosive arguments to give way to quiet, character-centric moments of introspection in this slice-of-life film about voices that often go overlooked.
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
85 Minutes
The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a holiday classic, and it’s easily one of the most merchandised movies in Disney’s library. That’s funny considering that when the movie was released, it was released under Touchstone Pictures due to concerns it would be too frightening for children.
Filled with fantastic characters and iconic songs, The Nightmare Before Christmas doesn’t waste a single second of screen time and manages to tell a jam-packed story in less than an hour and a half. While not technically part of the Disney Renaissance, it captured the spirit of imagination that made Disney’s 1990s animation slate so magnificent.
‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)
81 Minutes
When it comes to iconic horror films, The Blair Witch Project stands alongside the likes of Dracula, Psycho, and Halloween in terms of game-changing films. While the microbudget film about a group of documentary filmmakers who get lost in the woods searching out an ancient folk tale didn’t start the found-footage genre, it certainly perfected it. It also helped create a genre that exploded in the 2010s with titles like Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, and Chronicle.
The short runtime for The Blair Witch Project helps sell the illusion that what the audience is watching is truly the lost tape of an old camcorder. Even 27 years removed from the film’s release and from the viral marketing around it, known to be fake, it’s still just as terrifying.
‘Fruitvale Station’ (2013)
85 Minutes
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners made waves as the most-nominated film in Academy Award history, with the filmmaker finally earning an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Anyone who saw his debut film, Fruitvale Station, knew this was a regeneration that had been a long time coming.
Fruitvale Station stars Michael B. Jordan in his first collaboration with Coogler as Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed in Oakland, California, by police officer Johannes Mehserle. Fruitvale Station chronicles the last day of Grant’s life in a bittersweet slice-of-life that shows how an ordinary day can tragically be cut short. An emotional look at the life of one young man and a microcosm of an unjust police system, Fruitvale Station is a powerful debut for Coogler, who is easily one of the greatest living filmmakers.
‘Before Sunset’ (2004)
80 Minutes
The second chapter in Richard Linklater’s excellent Before trilogy, Before Sunset reunited Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) in Paris after they last saw one another nine years ago. At 80 minutes, Before Sunset unfolds in real time, which is a dramatic necessity as it’s essentially a countdown until Jesse needs to depart to catch his plane.
Like the characters, the audience becomes so wrapped up in these characters’ conversation that the looming threat of time is always on the horizon. The expression “time flies when you are having fun” is at the heart of Before Sunset, and like any good moment spent with great company, it was over far too fast, but it was worth every second.
‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)
89 Minutes
At 89 minutes, Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies has a runtime just one minute under the wire. Set in Kobe shortly after the U.S. Army Air Forces bombed the region, the film follows two orphaned siblings who desperately struggle to survive during the Pacific War’s final months.
Grave of the Fireflies has been correctly hailed as a masterpiece. Gorgeously animated and emotionally complex, Grave of the Fireflies tackles the horrors of war through the eyes of children and has one of the saddest endings ever. It’s a short but emotional watch that will require a box of tissues.
‘Toy Story’ (1995)
81 Minutes
Toy Story is one of those groundbreaking movies like Star Wars or The Matrix, where its impact often overshadows how great the individual movie is, particularly with the sequels that followed. However, over 30 years later, the original Toy Story is a fantastic movie and shows why it put Pixar on the map.
Woody and Buzz Lightyear are two of cinema’s best characters, perfectly brought to life by the voice talents of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. While it’s hilarious, it also hints at the emotional maturity that would come in later Pixar entries. It’s amazing how much Toy Story fits into its 81-minute runtime, and it’s easy to understand how it launched one of the greatest film franchises of all time.
‘Paths of Glory’ (1957)
88 Minutes
Before Stanley Kubrick made three-hour epics like Spartacus or Barry Lyndon, he made one of his shortest yet equally great films: Paths of Glory. While The Killing could have easily been on this list, we wanted to spread the love around and choose the 1957 anti-war film. Starring Kirk Douglas, Paths of Glory follows a commanding officer in World War I who defends his French troops from court-martial after they refuse to do a suicide mission.
Paths of Glory was controversial at the time of its release; it was banned in France for 18 years due to its depiction of the French military, and was even banned on US military bases for years. Now, it’s considered one of the greatest anti-war movies ever. Given its emotional weight, its 88-minute runtime feels all the more impressive.
‘Rashômon’ (1950)
88 Minutes
Even if you haven’t seen Akira Kurosawa’s Rashômon, you’re likely aware of its influence. The movie follows several characters who describe how a samurai was murdered in a forest, highlighting how everyone’s perspective shapes their own interpretation of the event. It led to a plot device called The Rashomon Effect, where various characters provide subjective, alternative, and contradictory versions of the same incident. You can see this in movies like The Last Duel and in episodes of TV shows including Avatar: The Last Airbender and King of the Hill.
Rashômon won the Golden Lion at the 12th Annual Venice Film Festival, and the Best Foreign Language Film (now Best International Film) at the 24th Academy Awards, and its pedigree has only grown over time to become one of the most influential films in cinema history. It’s amazing to think that one of the most important films in history takes less time to watch than the average episode of Stranger Things Season 5.
Was your favorite movie under 90 minutes on the list? Which one would you add? Let us know in the comments!
Source link
Add Comment