8 Genuine Movie Masterpieces You Can Watch In Under 90 Minutes

While most movies tend to go over 90 minutes, especially when it comes to live-action entries, there are many films under that runtime that can be classified as masterpieces of their genres, and these eight films are part of this select group. Runtimes are not always a make-or-break case when it comes to movies.

Sure, plot-heavy films with many characters that build on past releases, such as Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, merit going near or over the three-hour mark. However, not all movies need to be that long, as keeping to a tighter runtime can help cut out the fluff, keep character arcs engaging, the pacing on point, and at times, even save enough of the budget for necessary set pieces.

Based on all of those elements, there are some movies that either clock in at 90 minutes or below it that can be classified as masterpieces. They come in both animation and live-action, with different genres making it onto the list, including horror, sci-fi, superhero, comedy, and more. As such, there is no set formula for a successful movie under 90 minutes, but these eight films under that length have shown that, through different creative choices, it is possible to make the most out of a shorter runtime.

8

Toy Story (1995)

Runtime: 81 Minutes

Toy Story is one of the essential animated movies to watch at least once, as it sets up one of the biggest and most emotional movie franchises of all time, which continues to this day, as Toy Story 5 brought the gang back together on June 19. The original Toy Story introduced the concept of toys coming to life when humans are not looking.

The animated movie succeeds by setting up the legendary bond between Tom Hanks’ cowboy Woody and Tim Allen’s Space Ranger known as Buzz Lightyear, who start the story at odds, but end up developing an understanding and caring for one another. Toy Story is a movie for the whole family, and it is a technical pioneer, being the first movie in history to be made entirely by computer-generated animation, starting the age of 3D animation.

7

Rashomon (1950)

Runtime: 88 Minutes

Akira Kurosawa is one of the most iconic directors of all time, with his creative input still reverberating across the movie industry to this day. Rashomon changed the way many movies told stories through its creative way of tackling a simple premise. A samurai is murdered in a forest and different characters give their contrasting testimonies as to what happened, questioning the existence of an objective truth.

As the bandit, the samurai’s wife, the ghost of the samurai through a medium, and a woodcutter describe their versions of how the death came to be and the role that the alleged assault on the woman played in her husband’s death, viewers are left to choose which “truth” is the one they believe in. Kurosawa also brilliantly turned the forest into an intense setting with sweeping tracking shots that elevated the psychological aspect of the thriller. The movie birthed the “Rashomon Effect,” when eyewitnesses’ accounts of a story are not held as the objective truth and contrast.

6

Cloverfield (2008)

Runtime: 85 Minutes

Cloverfield comes with a talented crew behind the scenes, being produced by Star Wars franchise’s J. J. Abrams from a script by Netflix Daredevil creator Drew Goddard and directed by The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. Cloverfield is a sci-fi horror movie about an alien invasion on Earth, following survivors in New York City desperately trying to escape monsters, and it makes full use of the genre’s found footage category.

Cloverfield is a horror masterpiece due to how visceral it is, taking a grotty and grounded approach to sci-fi horror that makes it feel like viewers are following characters through a disastrous event that feels tangible to the real world, despite the fact that giant and smaller monsters are present. It evokes 9/11 trauma in a way that does not feel cheap, but rather impactful and unforgettable.

5

Before Sunset (2004)

Runtime: 80 Minutes

Before Sunset is the only movie in the emotionally resonant Before romance trilogy directed by Richard Linklater to clock in under 90 minutes, and it promises to make all hopeless romantics soon with its approach to a grounded and nuanced connection between two people of different worlds. 9 years after they met and fell in love in Before Sunrise, Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Céline find each other again.

In a world where blockbusters and action-packed event movies take most of the available big screens around the world, Before Sunset is proof that a conversation between two characters made of realistic and poignant dialogue, and enacted by two actors with sizzling chemistry, can be just as explosive as projects that are spectacle-based, just in a different way. Set in a romantic Paris backdrop, Before Sunset is a deep exploration of human connection with an authentic lens, making it a must-watch.

4

A Quiet Place (2018)

Runtime: 90 Minutes

A Quiet Place is the movie that started one of the most exciting recent horror franchises, being co-written, directed, and starred by The Office alum John Krasinski. A Quiet Place uses sound, or the absence of it, to create a cinematic experience like few others, as the movie’s alien monsters are drawn to sound, which means that any time a character talks or even whispers, touches an object that makes a noise, or something similar happens, the viewer instinctively holds their breath.

A Quiet Place might be an inherently dark movie, but it comes with a message of hope and a strong family unit right at its core, and despite its short runtime, viewers are quickly made to worry about what happens with the Abbotts as they navigate a hostile world filled with creatures that try to kill them. The few lines of dialogue also put the spotlight on actors like Krasinski and Emily Blunt, who deliver a masterclass in microexpressions and body language to portray a hauntingly beautiful love story amid the horror.

3

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)

Runtime: 76 Minutes

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm might be an animated movie in a DC franchise that has released several live-action Batman films, many of which have been extremely popular, but the 1993 animation continues to be one of the Dark Knight’s most enticing projects to date. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was directed by the creators of the seminal Batman: The Animated Series, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and written by Paul Dini and others.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a superhero movie filled with exciting twists that touches on a core aspect of DC’s Dark Knight that has not been thoroughly explored in live-action, his detective skills. The Batman movie also succeeds in adapting a non-linear mystery, a burning romance, and the Joker’s origin within a tight runtime that never feels rushed, which is nearly a miracle when looking at the ever-growing superhero landscape. Finally, it stars the definitive Batman and Joker voice actors, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.

2

The Lion King (1994)

Runtime: 88 Minutes

The Lion King is one of the biggest animated movies of all time, having recently gotten a live-action remake and a prequel, which just goes to show how popular the 1994 film remains to this day. The Lion King is a masterpiece due to its captivating story, which features major deaths, shocking twists, and Simba’s journey to becoming king, all set to the tune of classic songs like “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”

Voiced by industry legend James Earl Jones, Mufasa’s death served as many young kids’ first encounter with grief, and The Lion King tackles the topic in such a profound way that it has left a lasting impact on generations of viewers. This is a movie to laugh, cry, and cheer.

1

Airplane! (1980)

Runtime: 87 Minutes

Finally, Leslie Nielsen is one of the most skilled actors the comedy genre has ever seen, and Airplane! is a true genre masterpiece. It is a parody of disaster movies that is all about surreal humor, following the few passengers and crew members of an airplane where nearly everyone gets food poisoning as they try to land the plane. With the film’s iconic use of deadpan humor, it opened the door for many classic genre entries, as well as to Nielsen’s deep dive into comedy, forging one of the genre’s brightest stars.