Always Short — When 90 Minutes is Enough

Ten great movies that won’t take up your entire evening

I’ve always been a fan of short movies. My ideal runtime is one hour and thirty-three minutes: exactly the length of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, one of my all-time favourite comedies.

Of course, tastes differ. Some people love sprawling epics like Schindler’s List, Seven Samurai, or The Godfather. And of course, some stories need length. You couldn’t fit The Lord of the Rings into 90 minutes (though you probably could The Hobbit). It would be like trying to cram a roast dinner into a lunchbox.

But then there are those movies that feel far too long. Movies like Avatar, Babylon, and The Irishman feel more like overstuffed turkeys than cinematic feasts.

Part of my bias towards shorter movies is my own temperament. I’m a fidgeter. I can’t sit still. When I lived in Bristol (UK), I’d often go to the cinema with my friend Adam. But before buying tickets, he’d always check the runtime, and if it was a long one, ask me, “Are you sure you can handle this?”

But it’s not just that. I think there’s a real artistry in crafting a tight, satisfying 80-90 minute film. To use a food analogy again: it’s like getting served a satisfying meal that fits on one plate. No starters. No desserts. No coffee. Just the main course and a fine bottle of wine.

Why not?

For much of cinema history, short movies weren’t just a creative choice. They were practical. Cinema owners preferred films around 80 to 90 minutes so they could pack in as many showings as possible in one day.

My mother once told me that in the late 50s, she’d sometimes wander into a theatre and accidentally catch the ending of the movie she had come to see, as they were shown on a continuous loop.

Longer films only started becoming mainstream in the 60s and 70s with epics such as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Cleopatra, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

This was mainly due to the rise of TV. Movie producers realised they had to offer something bigger and better, and so went for longer, bolder, and more visually impressive films.

I enjoy long flicks, just like I enjoy long novels (I’m currently wading through Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, all 289,000 words of it). But there is something deeply satisfying about watching a 90-minute film (or thereabouts) that feels longer.

Below are ten films that do just that.

Zombieland (2009) 1hr 28 mins

I’ve never been a huge fan of zombie movies. They’re usually predictable, excessively violent, and drenched in gore.

Furthermore, no one ever explains where zombies actually came from in the first place. This probably explains why there have been so many movies about them — you can’t kill them off!

Since George A. Romero made Night of the Living Dead in 1968 (regarded as the origin of the modern Zombie flick), there have been no fewer than 700 zombie films made.

I do love Romero’s zombie trilogy, though. Especially the second one, Dawn of the Dead (1979), which is more of a parody than pure horror.

This is why I enjoyed Zombieland. Because, like Dawn of the Dead, it’s highly amusing while still delivering the frights. Granted, it’s not as wild or brilliantly absurd as Romero’s classic, but it’s definitely a worthy addition to the genre.

And short!

Licorice Pizza (2021) 1hr 33 mins

I’m quite fussy when it comes to pizzas. I’m strictly an olive, mozzarella, and parmesan guy. Maybe a bit of ham if I’m feeling adventurous or non-vegetarian. Otherwise, I keep them simple.

Which was why the title of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth film didn’t sound that appetising.

But as I found out, it has nothing to do with pizza. The term licorice pizza was a slang term for vinyl records, as well as a record store chain across Southern California in the 70s and 80s.

While the movie isn’t about the Licorice Pizza chain, it’s set in the same era, and music plays an important role. In essence, it’s a love story between a 15-year-old boy and a woman in her early twenties. A story that some critics argued glamorised underage relationships.

Which was absurd. It’s not a film about teenage lust or moral boundaries. It’s about growing up. About flirting, playing, remembering that strange, uncertain thrill of youth.

And best of all, Anderson manages to pack it all into just over an hour and a half.

Stand by Me (1986) 1hr 29mins

I remember this movie not because of its plot (four kids walking along a railway track to see a dead body), but because it reminds me of my own childhood.

I watched this while at boarding school in the 80s, and while the setting was completely different (like totally), I related to the reflective coming-of-age tale about friendship, loss, and memory.

Rob Reiner’s movie works because it understands something most coming-of-age films miss: that our memories when we are young are clearer than at any other time in our lives. That we are only young once and for a very short period of time.

Who can forget Gordie Lachance’s line at the end of the movie, narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, as his older self.

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve.”

So true.

Office Space (1999) 1hr 28 mins

I’ve written about Mike Judge’s Office Space before, because it’s one of those rare comedies that everyone likes. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a single person who doesn’t.

That’s because almost everyone at some point has worked in an office. Or if not an office, some other petty, soulless institution full of pointless tasks and meaningless bosses.

It’s a movie about work. A movie about obnoxious managers, gossip, monotony, fear of getting sacked, printers, commuting, and the nine-to-five. A movie that is not just relatable, but genuinely funny.

And at 88 minutes, it’s as long as it needs to be.

Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996) 1hr 21 mins

It’s easy to dismiss Beavis and Butt-Head as a show made for the mindless MTV generation who wanted nothing more than to eat pizza, smoke weed and watch music videos.

This is why it’s so brilliant.

People thought they were watching a show about two absolute losers. When, in truth, they were watching a show about themselves. And by extension, the hollow, dysfunctional culture America had become.

I remember a well-known British TV critic back in the ‘90s who confessed that, despite every reason to hate the show, he couldn’t stop laughing. He finally concluded that it was just funny. No hidden Machiavellian, Orwellian, or Kafkaesque layers. Just pure, stupid fun.

If you’re not familiar with the show (also a Mike Judge creation), it follows two idiotic teenagers (Beavis and Butthead) on sordid adventures usually involving vandalism, abusing someone, or trying to “score chicks.”

When the movie version came along, I was sceptical. Could the insanity be stretched to a full-length film? Beavis and Butthead’s main charm is how irritating they are. Did I really want to see this for a whole 80 minutes?

And yet, like the series, the movie works. JUST! It’s not comedy at its finest (see my last entry for that), but the stupidity is smart and at 81 minutes, it ain’t going to ruin your day. It may even make it better.

Huh!

Frances Ha (2012) 1hr 26 mins

I saw this in a cinema in Lyon, France, when it came out. Most movies here are dubbed into French, and while I speak French, I can’t stand dubbed movies. Luckily, I managed to catch a VOST (version originale sous titrée).

I was glad. Some movies aren’t altered that much by dubbing — they’re crap anyway. But this would have been a travesty to watch it dubbed, as Greta Gerwig is superb playing Francis Ha. A 27-year-old aspiring dancer living in New York, who seems to blunder from one mishap to the next.

Shot in crisp black-and-white, the movie captures the uncertainty of being stuck between youth and adulthood. What it’s like to be awkward, normal and human.

It’s a small but heartfelt film that feels genuine. Like going to a beat-up restaurant and having the best meal of your life. A movie that celebrates life as it should be.

A beautiful mess.

Airplane! (1980) 1hr 28mins

Watching Airplane! today and you might wonder how it was ever made, as it pretty much offends every section of society.

But taking all that aside, and considering this was made right at the end of the 70s, when comedy was perhaps at its crudest, it’s a brilliant spoof.

The movie powers along at a relentless pace with its constant stream of gags, one-liners, mini sketches, and set pieces that don’t let up until the end. A movie that seems to have a hundred different things going on in the background, and where the plot almost seems irrelevant.

Furthermore, they squeezed it into 88 minutes. Which is perfect when it comes on late at night, and even though you were tired and wanted to go to bed, it’s short enough to stay up, watch it, and laugh.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 1hr 26 mins

What an amazing concept. A mockumentary about four vampire flatmates — Viago, Deacon, Vladislav, and Petyr — in Wellington, New Zealand, bumbling their way through modern life.

Why didn’t I think of that? I’ve lived with enough people who didn’t get up until teatime, and who I thought were vampires.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately) directors and writers Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement (who also starred in it) got their first. Serving up a great comedy, depicting four full-grown vampires arguing over the perils of modern life.

It’s v. funny. But it’s also a reflection on friendship, loneliness, and the absurdities of life (immortal or otherwise). A movie about how we muddle through, no matter how old we are.

Clerks (1994) 1hr 31mins

Ever worked in a convenience shop before? I have. Ever done a really mundane, draining job that demands zero attention and makes you wonder why you were born? I have.

As I wrote about in my last movie piece, 1994 was a great year for movies: Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, Speed, True Lies, Interview with the Vampire, Dumb and Dumber, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Pulp Fiction.

But how about Clerks?

Why not? It’s a great movie, especially as it only cost $27,575, and was financed using credit cards by director Kevin Smith. Forrest Gump cost $55 million.

At 91 minutes, I’ll admit, it’s probably a bit long. However, when I first watched it when it came out on VHS, I was a stoned student, so I didn’t really care. Or even the fact that it was filmed in black and white. Did I notice?

It’s about a single day in the lives of Dante Hicks, a convenience store clerk, and Randal Graves, his best friend who works at the video rental store next door.

There’s no grand drama or epic journeys (it’s almost entirely shot in the store), and focuses on the usual mundane conversations about life: complaining customers, girlfriend, movies, comics, sex.

Then at the end of the day, they realise not much has changed.

But then again, what does?

A Shot in the Dark (1964) 1hr 42 mins

Slightly over my 90-minute limit, but I had to include Blake Edwards’ second Pink Panther instalment, mainly because it’s one of my favourite comedies.

Adapted from the 1960 French comedy, L’Idiote, by Marcel Achard, A Shot in the Dark swaps this sharp, sophisticated mystery for a whirlwind of slapstick absurdity by inserting Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) into it.

And it works brilliantly because, as in all the Pink Panther movies, the comedy lies in Clouseau’s unwavering self-belief that he is a genius. Despite the pitfalls and blunders, he never doubts himself for a minute. There’s never a knowing wink to the audience to say I got it wrong.

This is the genius of Sellers — his precision. Every stumble, trip, or awkward gesture is executed with perfect comic timing. His clumsiness never looks forced, which makes every blunder even funnier. Even his exaggerated French accent becomes a comic instrument.

Peter Sellers starred in five Pink Panther movies, with two additional films made after his death in 1980 using deleted footage. And while he eventually resented the character that made him famous — and rich — Clouseau was never more brilliant than in A Shot in the Dark.

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Enjoyed this piece. How about Always Watchable — Movies That Never Fail. Click here. Or Not Always Watchable — Classic Movies That Bore Me to Death. Click here.

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