Has anybody noticed that movies these days seem to be getting longer and longer? Films like Oppenheimer clock in at three hours, and The Brutalist passes the 180-minute mark. Now more than ever, audiences are having to control their bladders and feel their backsides go numb from sitting for so long. The truth is, these epic runtimes can be daunting for some, and not everyone can dedicate that much time to watching something.
The good news, however, is that there are plenty of films under ninety minutes long that are just as entertaining. There are numerous other short movies (that aren’t quite short films) audiences can choose from when they want to make the most of the limited time they have through a rewarding viewing experience lasting less than 90 minutes. The best 90-minute movies are perfect if you feel like watching something short that won’t take up too much of your day. Sometimes the shorter, the better!
35
‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ (2005)
85 minutes
Wallace & Gromit are the iconic British duo who appear in a number of claymation shorts from Aardman. First debuting in 1989, the cheese-loving inventor and his intelligent dog made their feature film debut in 2005’s Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. When a large and ravaging beast threatens the town’s Giant Vegetable competition, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit must track it down.
Winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is an absolute hoot from start to finish. It manages to pack plenty of action, mystery, and humor into its swift runtime and is a brilliant example of Aardman’s detailed and lovingly crafted stop-motion animation. With its sharp wit, it is a perfect pick for both kids and adults, who will be equally entertained.
34
‘Petite Maman’ (2021)
72 minutes
From Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma, Petite Maman is a tender and touching portrait of childhood and wonder. Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) is an eight-year-old girl who is helping her mother clean out her childhood home in the wake of her grandmother’s death. One day, Nelly meets and befriends Marion (Gabrielle Sanz), another girl her age, out in the surrounding woods.
Petite Maman is the definition of short and sweet, using magical realism to tell its story, as it is revealed that the girl whom Nelly meets is actually her mother as a child. At only an hour and twelve minutes, it offers a slow-burn tale with poignant themes surrounding growing up, imagination, and loss. It is gentle in every sense and makes for a relaxed watch while also being very moving.
33
‘Shiva Baby’ (2020)
77 minutes
Shiva Baby may only be an hour and seventeen minutes in length, but it packs so much tension into such a short period and makes for quite the anxiety-inducing watch. While attending a Jewish funeral with her parents, college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) runs into both her sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari) and ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon). Forced to navigate her choices, identity, and overbearing relatives, it quickly becomes an afternoon of chaos.
Set in an overcrowded house, Shiva Baby has a claustrophobic atmosphere that is nightmarish, and the fast-paced dialogue and overlapping conversations (think Uncut Gems) ground the film in realism. The viewer is directly placed in Danielle’s head, and her point of view is utterly stressful. Shiva Baby is also darkly funny and features the breakout performance of the excellent Sennott, who is now one of Hollywood’s rising stars.
32
‘Ice Age’ (2002)
81 minutes
The Ice Age movies are among some of the most popular animated movies of all time, and while it has spawned many sequels, the first one still remains the best. The film follows serious mammoth Manny (Ray Romano), silly sloth Sid (John Leguizamo), and cunning sabertooth tiger Diego (Denis Leary), who set out to return a human baby to his father as the world is on the brink of an ice age.
It’s a prehistoric road trip movie perfect for the entire family, and it packs lots of heart and laughs into its short runtime. The film works so well thanks to the humor and chemistry between Manny, Sid, and Diego, who couldn’t be more different. It also marks the beginning of Squirrel Scrat’s (Chris Wedge) quest to find his beloved acorn, which continues in the rest of the films to come. Despite some outdated animation, it still holds up.
31
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)
82 minutes
Mockumentaries brilliantly satirize the very serious documentary genre, and one of the most famous mockumentary films of all time is Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap. Starring a number of huge ‘80s comedy names such as Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Fran Drescher, the film follows director Marty DiBergi (Reiner), a diehard fan of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap. He documents their comeback tour, with hilarious results.
Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the band members, This Is Spinal Tap shamelessly pokes fun at the rock and roll industry, as well as the personalities and egos of its musicians. It is endlessly quotable, ridiculous, and over-the-top, revealing more truths about the music industry in less than ninety minutes than most music biopics. Not even for a second does it take itself seriously, which is why it is so great. Turn it up to volume eleven.
30
‘Hot Rod’ (2007)
88 minutes
The Lonely Island’s first feature film, Hot Rod, is an hour and twenty-eight minutes of laughs, ridiculousness, absurdity, and, funnily enough, heart. An underrated comedy gem from the 2000s, Andy Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a self-proclaimed stuntman who craves his horrible stepfather’s respect.
Rod prepares for the biggest stunt of his life in order to raise money for his stepfather’s surgery – jumping over fifteen school buses. Yep, it’s as wild and over the top as it sounds. Samberg brings his signature comedy style to the role, and the film is an instant mood-lifter. Audiences who aren’t fans of typical stoner comedies oughta steer clear of this one, though, as it veers into so-bad-it’s-good territory.
29
‘Attack the Block’ (2011)
88 minutes
Before his big break as Finn in Star Wars, John Boyega starred in a much lower-budget sci-fi film – Attack the Block. The movie follows a gang of teens who fight to protect their block from an alien invasion, and is executive-produced by Edgar Wright.
At an hour and twenty-eight minutes, Attack the Block is a refreshing genre-bending piece, with witty British comedy and lots of thrills. Its style and fast pace make for an incredibly exciting watch, and it has all the ingredients to become a potential cult classic in the future. Boyega’s potential is obvious in his portrayal of the bold Moses, whose arc is surprisingly transformative as he takes charge of the group trying to survive the invasion.
28
‘Once’ (2007)
86 minutes
Once is an Irish modern-day musical that follows a busker and immigrant, who meet and connect through songwriting and music, and fall in love. It will also be the most beautiful and heartwarming hour and twenty-six minutes of viewers’ lives. Just be warned that Once is a heart-wrenching romance movie that may make audiences cry.
Despite being a scripted work of fiction, the film is shot like a home video, low budget and grainy, which adds authenticity to the story. The movie also features an incredible soundtrack of original songs, written and composed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who are also the stars of the film.
27
‘The Guilty’ (2018)
85 minutes
Audiences are most likely familiar with the 2021 US remake of The Guilty starring Jake Gyllenhaal, but the original Danish film from 2018 is ten times more intense, and the version viewers should pay attention to. Set completely in one location across an hour and twenty-five minutes, the film follows a police officer who receives an emergency call on duty from a woman he soon realizes has been kidnapped.
The hour-and-a-half movie’s tight and tense screenplay makes for an emotional roller coaster, and will have you on the edge of your seat. The Guilty portrays a high-stress situation in a notoriously stressful workplace and invites the viewers to imagine what decisions they would have made if they were in the same seat.
26
‘Rye Lane’ (2023)
82 minutes
Rye Lane is a critically acclaimed indie hit that proves rom-coms are far from dead. Set in South London, the film follows Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah), two strangers going through bad breakups who spend an eventful day together and bond over their shared pain. While following familiar rom-com tropes, the film still manages to feel fresh in its execution.
Jonsson and Oparah have delightful chemistry as Dom and Yas, who are extremely likable characters. It also stands out thanks to its distinctive setting, sharp editing, vibrant visuals, and clever script. It benefits from its short runtime, managing to pack a punch and leave an impression. While Rye Lane is fairly simple, the filmmaking choices made elevate it to something more.