Short Cuts: The 18 Best Movies Under 90 Minutes

Sometimes you just want to watch a movie without it taking up your entire night. Maybe you have other plans later, your attention span is just not feeling it, or you’re like me, and you really value your sleep. If I try to start a 2.5-hour movie at midnight, I’m making it 30 minutes in, tops.
Luckily, there are plenty of great movies that don’t need two-plus hours to tell a good story. (No shade to Christopher Nolan.) Here are some of the best movies under 90 minutes.

1. “Toy Story” (1995) — 81 min.

In its short runtime, this movie successfully introduces iconic characters, tells a beautiful story about friendship, and makes us all terrified of that baby head with robot spider legs. I recently rewatched it for the first time in years with my son, and I can confirm it still holds up and hits just as hard as an adult.

2. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009) — 87 min.

This movie is basically 87 minutes of immaculate fall vibes, tiny sweaters, and a fox having an identity crisis while committing crimes. It’s visually impressive and way fun, and the dry humor is so good. And, to top it all off, the voice cast is extremely stacked. Imagine telling your friends you’re putting on a movie starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and Willem Dafoe, then watching their faces when they realize they’re all stop-motion woodland creatures.

3. “A Goofy Movie” (1995) — 78 min.

Combine a road trip movie with a father-son story and slap on an absolute banger of a soundtrack, and you get “A Goofy Movie”. On top of all that, it’s also a genuinely sweet story. As this is the second time I’ve recommended this movie in one of my articles, consider this my application to Disney to become their official “A Goofy Movie” spokesperson.

4. “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) — 78 min.

“The Emperor’s New Groove” wastes absolutely no time getting to the good stuff. Kuzco gets turned into a llama, Yzma plots his downfall, there are fourth-wall breaks with play-by-plays, and, of course, there’s Kronk. As I’m writing this, I’m remembering that it also got a sequel and an entire spinoff series, unless I somehow invented both in a fever dream. Honestly, based on the first movie, either option seems possible.

This may be a bold claim, but I’d say it’s one of Disney’s funniest movies. It’s just as entertaining for adults as it is for kids, and it’s definitely worth watching, or rewatching if you haven’t seen it in a while.

5. “Stand by Me” (1986) — 89 min.

“Stand by Me” is one of the only movies on this list that doesn’t feel as short as it is, but in a good way. It’s nostalgic, funny, sad, and at times pretty dark. Basically, it’s the perfect movie for anyone who misses being a kid but also remembers that being a kid was sometimes terrible. My personal favorite quote: “If I could only have one food for the rest of my life? That’s easy. Pez. Cherry-flavored Pez. No question about it.” (Side note: Rest in peace, Rob Reiner. He really was one of the greats.)

6. “Before Sunset” (2004) — 80 min.

It may be hard to believe that a movie about two people walking around Paris for 80 minutes is interesting, but just trust me on this one. “Before Sunset” takes place nine years after “Before Sunrise,” (if you haven’t seen that one, and you do have the time, consider starting there) with Jesse and Celine meeting again and spending an afternoon walking and talking. Their chemistry is absolutely off the charts, the dialogue feels so real, and the fact that the entire movie unfolds almost in real time is one of the things that I think makes it the most special.

7. “Rope” (1948) — 80 min.

If you’re looking for a short movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a great choice. Alfred Hitchcock isn’t known as the “Master of Suspense” for nothing.

The plot is pretty simple: two men host a dinner party with the body of a man they murdered hidden in the apartment. The fun part (if you can call it that) is watching them try to hide it while their guests sit just feet away from the evidence.

Hitchcock also designed the movie to look like it’s one continuous shot, which makes the whole thing feel like you’re in the apartment with them. It’s the perfect introduction to Hitchcock if you’ve never seen any of his films.

8. “Paths of Glory” (1957) — 88 min.

“Paths of Glory” is proof that you don’t need a three-hour runtime to make a great war movie.

I wouldn’t say this movie is, as I like to call it, your typical “guys with guns” war movie. The movie centers heavily on whether soldiers should be punished for failing an essentially impossible mission. It quickly becomes less about what happens on the battlefield and more about the people making decisions far away from it.

It’s not exactly a lighthearted movie night pick, but it’s definitely worth the watch. And the final scene is unforgettable.

9. “Airplane!” (1980) — 88 min.

I’m pretty sure you could pause this movie at almost any moment and find a joke happening somewhere in the frame. The plot involves — actually, I don’t even remember the plot fully because it’s almost an afterthought. It’s mostly just an excuse to throw in joke after joke for 88 minutes. This movie repeatedly answers the question, “Okay, but what if we made this even dumber?” (but like, in a good way).

10. “Office Space” (1999) — 89 min.

If you’ve ever sat at your desk staring at your computer and thought, “What if I just stopped doing this?” this may be the movie for you.

It follows an unhappy office employee who decides he’s done caring about his job and eventually gets caught up in a scheme to steal money from his company. This one’s a good pick because it’s easy to watch, funny, and, if you’ve ever wanted to take a baseball bat to a printer, relatable.

11. “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014) — 86 min.

“What We Do in the Shadows” is basically “New Girl” but if the roommates were centuries-old vampires. It’s a mockumentary that shows that modern day vampires have all the usual roommate problems, except they occasionally also drink someone’s blood. If you end up loving the movie, the TV show is absolutely worth watching too.

12. “Run Lola Run” (1998) — 80 min.

The best way I can describe “Run Lola Run” is that it’s kinda like a fun panic attack. Lola has 20 minutes to get enough money to save her boyfriend, and it follows different versions of what happens depending on the little choices she makes along the way. It’s fast-paced and unique. After you finish it, you might immediately want to go back and watch it again to see how all the little details change (which, with a runtime of only 80 minutes, you can reasonably do).

13. “Hush” (2016) — 82 min.

If you’re looking for a horror movie that gets straight to the point, this is a great pick. The main character is a deaf writer living alone in an isolated house when a masked killer appears outside her window. Since she can’t hear him coming, the usual horror-movie rules don’t apply, which majorly heightens the tension. The good thing about this one being so short is that there’s very little filler, just a woman trying to survive the night while someone outside tries to make sure she doesn’t.

14. “Carnival of Souls” (1962) — 78 min.

“Carnival of Souls” feels like the result of someone who had a nightmare and decided to write it down before they forgot what happened, and then made that into a movie.

After surviving a mysterious car accident, Mary starts seeing a strange figure following her and becomes increasingly drawn to an abandoned carnival. The whole movie has this eerie, dreamlike quality that makes it feel like something is wrong even when you can’t quite figure out what. It’s also a good pick if, like me, you’re not a huge horror fan but still want to watch something creepy. There’s no major commitment here, just mostly unsettling vibes.

15. “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) — 83 min.

If I’m being honest, this movie is definitely not the one I’d put on if I wanted to relax before bed. But if we’re talking about movies under 90 minutes, it’s hard to leave it off the list, since it’s maybe one of the most influential horror movies ever made.

The plot centers around a group of friends who end up at a remote farmhouse and encounter Leatherface and his deeply disturbing family. That’s really all you need to know going in.

It actually has much more psychological horror than you might expect based on the title. (It is not, in fact, just 83 minutes of chainsaw massacres.) It’s also pretty impressive considering it was made on a small budget.

16. “The Evil Dead” (1981) — 85 min.

A group of friends go to a cabin in the woods, find a mysterious book, and decide to read from it. I don’t want to blame the characters for what happens next, but I do feel like we need to have a conversation about reading mysterious books you find in creepy cabins.

It’s definitely horror, but it also has a goofiness to it that makes it more fun than your typical “cabin in the woods” movie. It also teaches the important life lesson that if a book starts whispering evil things at you, maybe don’t finish the chapter.

17. “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988) — 86 min.

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a beautifully animated movie with a fantastic score and great vibes. Not a whole lot technically happens, but that’s partially what makes it so good. Two sisters move to the countryside and discover creatures living in the nearby forest, including Totoro, who may become your next character obsession.

This movie is basically the cinematic equivalent of a cup of hot tea on a rainy day. There are no major stakes or complicated plot twists, just a sweet story about two girls exploring their new home and having a genuinely lovely time.

18. “Locke” (2013) — 85 min.

“Locke” is a movie starring Tom Hardy, and almost the entire thing takes place inside a car. That’s basically all you need to know.

He plays a construction manager who drives from Birmingham to London while making a series of phone calls that all have a major impact on his life. I actually rewatched this one before putting it on this list, and it definitely still holds up.

It’s a pretty impressive example of what a great actor and script can do when you strip almost everything else away. It’s also an easy pick when you want something a little more serious without committing to a three-hour drama.

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