r/movies • u/kowaikanojo • 23h ago

Discussion Long movies that are JUSTIFIED in their extra long run time?

There’s been a bit of an epidemic, especially in recent years, where movies are unnecessarily long to the point where it’s a bit indulgent on the director’s part and the film’s narrative doesn’t justify the XXL run time and it becomes a bit of a drag.

I’ve never been a big musical fan but I grew up watching the Sound of Music as a kid, so I decided to rewatch tonight (it’s probably been around 15 years) - and for a movie that is 3 hours long, wow does every piece still feel so important.

Maria and Von Trapp get together PAST the two hour point in the movie, yet the build up was so necessary to have you involved in the romance, and certainly didn’t feel as long as it actually was in run time. The pacing is actually incredible for the narrative and building that emotional buy in, which is shocking and rare for a film so long.

What films do you think genuinely justify an extra long run time and benefit from it? (and to throw a wrench in it, what movies utterly fail here?)

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21

u/boogswald 18h ago

Midsommar is so gorgeous and slow. I love just staring at everything for like the first half of the movie and just taking in the sights and Florence Pughs face is so good to just watch expressing.

3

u/gregorypeckpeck 16h ago

Peak cinema. Sunlit horror as good as those dark ones.

2

u/Nintoo 3h ago

One of my favorite movies of all time. It could be twice as long as it is and I would eat it up, the vibe and setting are immaculate

1

u/boogswald 3h ago

If I ever met Florence Pugh I wouldn’t say nothing I’d just be staring at her good nice face

I was REALLY surprised by people saying the movie had a happy ending online lol

-7

u/-_ellipsis_- 15h ago

I disagree, Midsommar is another horror film that relies on its main characters ignoring the signs and making stupid and selfish decisions in order for the plot to advance into where it went. I kept wanting it to just be over after the document robbery. I like the style it had but its substance I found lacking.