There’s only so much time in a day, and so sometimes, devoting two or more hours to a movie just isn’t an option. This is before factoring in things like TV shows that are usually broken into more digestible episodes ranging from 20 to 60 minutes. It might be easier still to unwind by watching a series of short YouTube videos each a handful of minutes long, or even zone out to a podcast that you can start and stop at any time.
However, there may be times when you want to watch a movie, but find time is still an issue. Thankfully, there are plenty of feature films out there that can help here. These kinds of movies don't qualify as short films, because they all exceed an hour in length, and the most common cut-off points between a feature film and a short film are 40 or 60 minutes in length. So they’re essentially short feature films, all falling between 60 and 80 minutes. Despite their short runtimes, they all make each minute count, and deliver satisfying watches to scratch any movie-related itch for anyone who’s pressed for time.
'Before Sunset' (2004)
The second film in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy clocks in at just under 80 minutes, and is the shortest of the three (and it'll stay that way, because it looks like there won't be a fourth). The middle chapter in the years-spanning story of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy), Before Sunset finds them unexpectedly reunited after going their separate ways nine years earlier. Pressed for time, they only have one hour they can spend together, which the film shows in real-time.
While it might be better to watch Before Sunset before Before Sunrise (that's a mouthful), it is nevertheless remarkable what the film achieves in just 80 minutes. The two characters recap the last nine years of their lives to each other, before wondering whether they should stay in touch, constantly fighting against the clock and spending every last second they can together. Thanks to the real-time aspect, it’s very easy to become engrossed and engaged with the situation they find themselves in, and their tendency to walk while they talk means there’s plenty of great Paris scenery to take in as well.
'Shiva Baby' (2020)
Shiva Baby is an entertaining and surprisingly tense comedy-drama, meaning that viewers will feel every second of the film’s tight 78-minute runtime. Depicting a young woman’s uncomfortable and unending awkward run-ins with her relatives and acquaintances at a family Shiva (comparable to a wake or funeral), Shiva Baby is almost as much of a thriller as it is a dramedy.
By focusing on one family event, Shiva Baby does a remarkable job at placing viewers in the shoes of the film’s protagonist, Danielle. For better or worse, viewers will feel like they’re there in the moment, and the claustrophobic setting and eccentric characters make for a wonderfully squirmy and briskly-paced film.
'Kedi' (2016)
Kedi is a simple and charming slice-of-life documentary. “Kedi” is the Turkish word for “cat”, and that’s exactly what this 79-minute film focuses on, so it’s a perfect watch for cat lovers.
Kedi sheds light on the surprisingly large population of street cats that live in Istanbul, as well as the locals who live there, and how they interact with the cats in their daily lives. There’s not much plot, so to speak, but there are charming characters (both feline and human), and it’s uniquely shot, often doing a great job of letting viewers see things from a cat’s point of view.
'The Invisible Man' (1933)
Many old horror and monster movies clock in at under 80 minutes, such as a handful of films that focus on Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolf Man, among others. But the original The Invisible Man is one of the best, and holds up extremely well for a movie that’s nearly 90 years old.
Cutting right to the chase and wasting no time in its 71 minutes, The Invisible Man is about a scientist who’s been made invisible by an experiment gone wrong, as he goes about trying to undo what’s happened to him. Along the way, he causes plenty of chaos that only an invisible person could, making for a very funny and entertaining old sci-fi film, with effects that often hold up quite well.
'Angst' (1983)
Angst is a terrifying and unnerving horror film. The premise – about a serial killer who relentlessly pursues and torments a family – is simple, but the presentation is anything but.
Angst utilizes some creative and disconcerting camerawork, editing, and music to get the most terror it possibly can out of its premise. It succeeds with flying colors, and it might even potentially be too horrifying for most. It stands as an example of how a horror movie doesn’t always need elaborate special effects, a complex premise, or anything more than a 75-minute runtime to horrify viewers.
'The General' (1926)
Arguably the best-known feature film by the legendary actor-director-writer-stuntman Buster Keaton, The General is about an engineer fighting to rescue both his train and the girl he loves when they’re both taken away during the American Civil War.
It’s remarkable that The General is as old as it is, because so much of the action and slapstick comedy holds up incredibly well. The pacing is consistently quick at 79 minutes, and many daring stunts and sequences of destruction pulled off here remain extremely impressive to this day.
'Bad Black' (2016)
Bad Black comes from Wakaliwood, an independent film studio in Uganda known for their relentless and often very funny low-budget action films. While their 2010 film Who Killed Captain Alex might be more well-known thanks to its trailer going viral many years ago, Bad Black takes everything from its predecessor and improves on it.
Summarizing the plot is difficult, but most importantly, in 72 minutes it contains a bank heist, a car chase, shootouts, fistfights, a prison break, a training montage, a courtroom sequence, a hilarious narrator who comments on and reacts to the film as it plays, and a 6-year-old kid named Wesley Snipes who has super strength. It needs to be seen to be believed, and is an overall amazingly entertaining low-budget action-comedy.
'Man With a Movie Camera' (1929)
A revolutionary film for the documentary genre, Man With a Movie Camera depicts life in the Soviet Union back in the late 1920s. Director Dziga Vertov films streetscapes, buildings, and people, letting the images speak for themselves.
In its 68 minutes, it may not have much of a narrative, but its filmmaking techniques are remarkable. Beyond it being interesting to see how life was almost 100 years ago, the creative camera angles and editing techniques ensure Man With a Movie Camera still feels bold and unique over 90 years after its release.
'It’s Such a Beautiful Day' (2012)
Clocking in at just 62 minutes, It’s Such a Beautiful Day is essentially a compilation trilogy of short films by Don Hertzfeldt. It tells the story of a lonely and troubled man, Bill, who deals with life’s various ups and downs (mostly downs), as well as a mysterious medical condition afflicting him.
It’s Such a Beautiful Day does more in an hour than most films could do in two or three. Its simple yet striking animation, use of music, and mix of surreal humor with soul-crushing drama make it an expertly constructed emotional rollercoaster, and arguably one of the best animated films of the past decade.
'Armored Car Robbery' (1950)
There’s a whole sub-genre of film-noir crime dramas from the 1940s and 50s that are no-nonsense and deliver fast-paced, lean, satisfying crime stories. Armored Car Robbery might be one of the best among them.
It gives a viewer exactly what they’d want from a movie called Armored Car Robbery. It’s all told in 67 minutes, so no time is wasted. There’s an armored car robbery. During it, some things inevitably go wrong. There are consequences. And that’s all there is, and all Armored Car Robbery needs. For any viewers in the mood for a good old-fashioned heist movie, look no further than this.