7 Movies Under 90 Minutes That Prove You Don't Need 3 Hours To Tell A Good Story
Three-hour character studies like Christopher Nolan's brilliant Oscar-winning Oppenheimer (2023) certainly have significance, but not every movie needs the runtime to tell a compelling story.
In fact, only a select few should be over two hours long, let alone three, so this idea of now trying to create large-scale films isn't exactly appealing when time and countless factors go into people visiting the movie theater. While it's our job as critics, it's certainly understandable when members of the general audience don't always want to commit.
Still, in the last few years, a number of shorter features have proven that you can tell a captivating and thoroughly thought-provoking story within 90 minutes, and that in and of itself is an art form, too. It takes great skill to manage it, and when done well, these are the movies people also end up revisiting frequently. From breathtaking horrors like A Quiet Place (2018) to coming-of-age comedies like Lady Bird, here are the best movies under 90 minutes, as well as where you can stream them on platforms such as Prime Video and more.
A Quiet Place is one of the most harrowing and achingly haunting films of the last decade. John Krasinski's directorial debut results in the type of feat that many don't accomplish with their first film, let alone their fifth, and that alone is an achievement. Simultaneously, the thematic showcase of survival and the love of a mother that shines through Emily Blunt's performance is something that's lived rent-free in my mind since I first watched it. How she never won an Oscar for her performance is still beyond me because everything we see is jaw-dropping.
There's also something to be said about how positively the film was received, to not only getting a sequel greenlit but a prequel film as well. Post-apocalyptic films might not be for everyone, but if there's one I always recommend as an example that understands the heart of humanity, it's A Quiet Place.
Flow is quiet, captivating, and brilliantly profound as it gently nudges us to question perception and everything that's in front of us. There's no human dialogue in the film, yet from start to finish, the breathtaking animation takes us through an odyssey of sorts. It enables us to feel things that we might not otherwise get a chance to, and it visually moves us from one frame to the next with thoughtful precision.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't always love silent movies because I find myself losing focus, but Flow does the opposite as it keeps us so invested that it's impossible to look away. And perhaps in large part it's because it features animals as opposed to humans, but the 90-minute gem packs so much that you could write novels on the themes present within. If you love cats and dogs and all animals, really, run, don't walk to watch Flow.
In every way where it matters, Steve feels like the type of movie that's three hours long, and it's not because the narrative drags, but because every second is so faultlessly filled with profound beats that it's astounding how much groundwork we get. A good script is always a strong tool for telling a captivating story, but when you also have an actor who's as sensational as Cillian Murphy, he can consistently add incredible layers too.
And that's exactly what makes the film work in its short runtime because the seamless marriage made through the screenplay and performances results in the kind of story that's awe-inspiring. Perfect for anyone who loves Dead Poets Society (1989), Steve leaves you with a number of emotions to sit with as it explores struggles in school and outside for the titular character as well.
Movies like My Old Ass aren't unique by nature, but there's an indescribable substance to them that's so deeply human and harrowing that you have to acknowledge the greatness in its simplicity. Megan Park's feature is a breath of fresh air as a coming-of-age drama that carefully explores grief, adolescence, wonder, and thought-provoking questions as characters are high on mushrooms.
Featuring stunning performances from both Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella, it's impossible to put into words what to expect because a large part of its charm are the uncertainties. It feels like a movie that's both of this time and one that has the same beats of nostalgia present in '90s gems like Now and Then (1995). It's sweet and heartbreaking, but simultaneously so wholesome, I can guarantee that the cathartic cry you'll have will be unlike anything else released in the last decade.
In another stunning exploration of humanity and all its complexities, Jesse Eisenberg delivers another directorial feat in A Real Pain like in his previous film, When You Finish Saving the World (2022). Often, filmmakers feel that they need to lengthen narratives when exploring parts of history, but sometimes the quiet and contained movies are what hit twice as hard. As two completely different cousins take a trip to Poland to honor their late grandmother and her experiences during the Holocaust, the movie shines as a brilliantly thoughtful comedy.
Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin make a fantastic team throughout as their banter adds levity to the more heartbreaking parts of the film, but it's how the film takes one trip and manages to make it deeply profound in the emotions both characters experience. The gripping narrative is then not only hugely evocative, but it leaves you with emotions to sit with that are wholly empathetic and raw.
As another coming-of-age film, Lady Bird isn't exactly unique, but it's still fully evocative in how relatable it manages to be as a search for identity. In the same way that there are countless films about wars, there's a space for movies that address simple people and their everyday lives during critical points of human experiences. Lady Bird is the latter, and like My Old Ass, it's an excellent one at that.
Perfect for anyone who also loved Greta Gerwig's Frances Ha (2013), everything about Lady Bird shines because of the depth and inherently human complexities Saoirse Ronan brings to the titular character. And even if it doesn't become an all-time favorite, it's still the type of movie worth watching to see how many layers are effectively explored in the short runtime.
While Belfast is just slightly over 90 minutes, adding on an extra eight, a list like this simply wouldn't be complete without it. There are countless films that serve as love letters to film and how they've influenced the directors during trying times in their lives, but I've never seen one do it as captivatingly as Kenneth Branagh's film. In addition, like My Old Ass and Lady Bird, it's also a type of coming-of-age story that's thoughtfully well done.
But Belfast is not only a love letter to filmmaking and family, but it's also an intimate and haunting look at The Troubles in Ireland. From various angles, the film carefully allows each character to shine in a manner where it never once feels like we're missing something, but instead, we can be in awe of the fact that it manages to pack such emotional punches from start to finish. The final shot is something that still haunts me every time I think about its significance.
