Is Long-Form Storytelling Making Movies Feel Too Slow?

[Maya]

Moat of us are into 80 minutes runtimes for movies. However, the recent releases stretch past two hours even for simple plots. Do you think the longer runtimes actually help build richer worlds, or do they drain the pacing? Which films do you think is very good despite being very long, and which long movie made you feel dragged out? How do you decide whether a long movie is worth watching?

 

[You]

Honestly a lot of modern movies are way too long for no reason. Like simple action movies don't need to be 2.5 hours. Lord of the Rings earned its runtime because the world-building was essential. But I've sat through so many recent blockbusters that could've cut 30 minutes easily. I usually check reviews to see if people mention pacing issues before committing to a 3-hour movie. If it drags it's just exhausting.

 

[Nomad]

It depends on how the movie is actually made. I did not feel Harry Potter movies or Lord of The Ring movies long. I also did not find Avatar movies too long. However some movies certainly feel slow and boring if they are very long. It depends on how the story is explored.

 

[eLdavis]

Normally longer runtime gives more room for better plot progression, and character development, but it is so unfortunate that we now have longer run time but crappy stories.