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Most feature-length movies have runtimes between 90 minutes and two hours, with relatively few outliers exceeding the 180-minute mark. Audience attention span is a major factor when evaluating the duration of a movie, but the only thing that really matters is whether a story can achieve closure in a given amount of time.
In some cases, films that take significantly more time to thoroughly cover their plotlines and character arcs don’t do so at the expense of narrative interest. On the contrary, they manage to hold their viewers’ attention all the way to the climactic scene and beyond. These movies might be mind-numbingly long in theory, but nobody really complains about it.
10 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) Is A Glorious Saga Filled With Innocence And Hope
All three movies in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy are exceptionally lengthy, with The Return Of The King running for around 200+ minutes. As a sequel, the story dives straight into the midst of action (after a brief exploration into Gollum’s origins), which is why many of its scenes feel neither drawn out nor irrelevant.
The Return Of The King is a magnificent production that deservedly earned audience adoration, critical acclamation, and a boatload of profits at the box office.
9 The Last Emperor (1987) Doesn’t Lose A Single Scene To Unnecessary Edits
Director Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor is a surprisingly sensitive depiction of Puyi, the last person to be crowned the emperor of China before the Communist takeover.
The Last Emperor recounts his life in almost sensuous detail, from his listless, lonely childhood to the grand parties of his youth, concluding with Puyi’s eventual incarceration and rehabilitation. The Last Emperor‘s 168-minute runtime doesn’t contain empty fillers or wasted edits, every frame is delicately crafted into the movie’s narrative tapestry.
8 The Godfather Part II (1974) Uses Atmospheric Tension To Keep Viewers Captivated
The Godfather Part II is one of Francis Ford Coppola’s greatest creations, which is saying something given the other films under the veteran director’s belt. 200 minutes of dramatic precision and character development don’t slow The Godfather Part II down as much as pack it with gripping dialogue, and an atmosphere so heavy with tension that it can be cut with a knife.
Early critics complained about The Godfather Part II being unnecessarily sluggish, but modern reassessment (by viewers and reviewers) reveals that the extended runtime actually works in its favor.
7 Avengers: Endgame (2019) Collates Dozens Of Plotlines With Dexterous Precision
The Infinity Saga spanned three phases, 11 years, and 22 movies, so it’s no surprise that the final segment, at 181 minutes, is the longest of the series.
Avengers: Endgame collates and streamlines dozens of plotlines, character arcs, and cataclysmic events into a single film with dexterous precision. More importantly, Endgame grants the MCU fandom a satisfying, albeit bittersweet, ending. Endgame provides a level of emotional closure that is incredibly difficult to attain in such a massive franchise.
6 Once Upon A Time In America (1984) Is An Epic Poem Of Violence And Greed
Sergio Leone is best known for his 1960s Spaghetti Westerns, but none of them are as long (or as controversial) as Once Upon A Time In America. The movie’s three versions ran for different durations, the Extended Cut at 251 minutes, the European Cut at 229 minutes, and the U.S. release at a presentable 139 minutes.
However, contemporary critics almost universally panned the abridged cut, calling it a farce in comparison with the European edition. Roger Ebert found the original Once Upon A Time In America to be “an epic poem of violence and greed,” while referring to the American cut as “an incomprehensible mess.”
5 Fiddler On The Roof (1971) Thrives Under The Lens Of Cinema
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, Fiddler On The Roof was a smash hit upon release, garnering critical accolades while simultaneously being a financial triumph.
Just under three hours in runtime, Norman Jewison’s firm hand and visionary direction are crystal clear in the movie’s explosive drama and memorable musical score. Fiddler On The Roof may not be “quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version,” but it nonetheless thrives under the lens of cinema.
4 Schindler’s List (1993) Is As Poignant And Relevant Now As Ever
Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg’s evocative, heartbreaking magnum opus, is widely acknowledged to be among the greatest films about the Holocaust and one of the best examples of cinematic mastery.
Although Schindler’s List is 195 minutes in length and contains numerous slow-paced scenes, the focus on the subject matter is so sharp and detailed that most viewers are simply unable to move their teary eyes away from the screen. Disregarding a few instances of negative criticism from academic sources, Schindler’s List is as poignant and relevant now as it was in 1993.
3 Gone With The Wind (1939) Is Still The Highest-Grossing Film Of All Time
Gone With The Wind was the highest-grossing film for a quarter-century after its release, and remains the highest-grossing movie of all time when adjusted for inflation (earning a whopping $3.7 billion as of 2021).
Success on this scale is no small feat, but it’s all the more impressive considering that Gone With The Wind‘s runtime is an outstanding 221 minutes. In addition, Gone With The Wind still holds the record for the longest to win Best Feature Film at the Academy Awards.
2 The Irishman (2019) Is One Of The Brightest Jewels In Scorsese’s Crown
The Irishman is generally considered to be one of the brightest jewels in Martin Scorsese’s directorial crown, with critics lauding it as “an epic gangster drama that earns its extended runtime.”
Although not every critic/viewer appreciated the extended duration, The Irishman loses none of its dramatic momentum despite its unhurried pace. That being said, there have been several memes, gently mocking the movie’s 209-minute runtime, springing up on the internet since The Irishman’s release.
1 Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013)
Blue Is The Warmest Color – a gentle film about a passionate relationship – received the distinguished Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Awards aside, Blue Is The Warmest Color doesn’t stop bathing its audience in its lush warmth for the entire 179-minute duration.
In fact, critic Robbie Collin stated that “the only problem with that running time is that [he] could have happily watched it for another seven [hours].” Blue Is The Warmest Color earned director Abdellatif Kechiche comparisons with powerhouse filmmakers like Wong Kar-Wai, praise that isn’t given lightly.
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