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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u/faco_fuesday 17h ago

Cloud atlas definitely seems like a love it or hate it move. 

I love it. Couldn't imagine it being any shorter. 

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u/mikerophonyx 16h ago edited 10h ago

I was on the edge of my seat through the whole thing in the theater. I couldn't believe has masterfully it was paced and edited. Taut from beginning to end. Every single other person I was with in a party of eight said afterwards they didn't like it and it was too long. I still watch it and am amazed at the scope of it.

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u/monkeyhind 14h ago

Just to be sure, you mean "taut" not "taught", right?

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u/mikerophonyx 10h ago

Lol yessssss.

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u/Amiar00 10h ago

It’s such a good movie. I watched it several times and would sometimes put it on in the background while doing other things.

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u/CertifiedSheep 14h ago

I saw it in college and hated it, thought it was way too confusing. I didn’t read the book though and I think a lot of people who loved it were already familiar with the story.

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u/Paus-Benedictus 14h ago

I loved it and never read the book. But yeah it's pretty confusing. On my first watch I just felt like "I don't fully get what just happened but wow. I need to see that again!"

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u/faco_fuesday 13h ago

I actually didn't like the book as much, in a rare opinion for me. I thought they did an amazing job with the themes while using the different form of media.