The Best Movies Under 90 Minutes Available To Stream
Four great movies -- all of them 90 minutes or less. How's that for efficiency?
I always check the runtime of a movie before I start it. For some reason, there’s always a tinge of relief/excitement when I see a movie that is under an hour and a half. As much as I love epic, long movies (we’ll get into those next week), just the awareness that I am only committing 90 minutes or less to a movie is a wonderful feeling. If I’m not totally loving it after the first half hour, well, only an hour left. No harm done.
This week we are shouting out the best movies available to stream that are 90 minutes or less. The time commitment is low on these, but the enjoyment is as high as ever. Heck, you could watch all four this weekend in less than six hours. What else do you have going on?
Billy recommends…
She’s Gotta Have It (streaming on Netflix)
There are times to send yourself through film school to try and discover the brilliance of an era of film. 90s cinema has a unique feel that is short and specific, but once it is seen it is undeniable. She’s Gotta Have It is Spike Lee’s 1986 French New Wave-influenced feature debut that is maybe the pinnacle influence for 90s cinema.
The 90s feel cheap, loosely put together, and a time of constant experimenting. Lee uses his tiny budget to bring his unique voice to life, particularly in the scenes he interacts with our main character Nola. She is a young woman who is a puppet master pulling the strings of 3 men who want her attention solely on them. Her more casual approach to sex and relationships is unique to see from a female protagonist in film and for that is a huge transition into the 90s style.
That casual mentality is the driving energy behind this one. It leads to hard laughs and moving drama. Lee who seems like a perfectionist by trade creates movies that want to seem anything but perfect. Each of Nola’s side pieces are filled with insecurities that make them try-hards. One tries to woo her with his purity. The other with his humor. The last with his self proclaimed perfection. Nola is able to play these chumps with ease at first. Her persona seems like it would create an easy person to root against, but in actuality it makes you fall in love with her.
She’s Gotta Have It, like a lot of first movies from great directors, has a short runtime. Which is a great thing because their shortcomings (particularly a tough to watch scene in the second half) go by quickly, allowing the audience to focus on the brilliance and potential. Lee’s first feature film is a landmark influence for the 90s era of filmmaking to come.
Locke (streaming on Netflix)
Is it possible to have one of the best casts assembled in the 2010s and only one person is shown on screen? Locke makes a good case for it. Somehow a movie with one character on screen compiled a cast that has 1 Oscar win, 2 Oscar nominations, 2 Golden Globe wins, and 1 Emmy nomination.
Locke stars Tom Hardy playing Ivan Locke and the voices of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, and Andrew Scott. Locke receives a phone call that takes him away from his family and the most important day of his professional career. That event turns into an hour and a half car ride of rotating phone conversations that is exhilarating from beginning to end.
Before this movie Hardy had begun to cement himself as a global superstar, but Locke is a performance that cemented that status. Not because it made a ton of money or it is an amazing movie, but because it is him and only him bringing the emotion on screen. He portrays confusion, sadness, anxiety, and brief moments of levity all from the driver seat of his car. Locke is a unique concept with Hitchcockian vibes that allows Hardy to be a movie star. It is worth the very short commitment.
Drew recommends…
Paths of Glory (streaming on Amazon Prime)
Do a quick search for “best war movies” and you’ll find a list full of epic and thrilling recreations of battle: Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, The Great Escape, and on the list goes. These classics are classics for a reason, but almost all of them are well over two and a half hours. That’s what makes Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory so remarkable -- it’s just as much of a war movie classic and it clocks in at under an hour and a half.
Or should I say “anti-war” movie classic. Paths of Glory has a very sharp and clear point of view that is masterfully displayed on screen: War is absurd and man is brutal. These are themes that Kubrick would return to throughout his career, but this film is when he started to become the genius director we know of today.
The story unfolds during World War I as France is engaged in trench warfare with Germany. French generals order a suicidal attack on a German position that ends in French retreat. Embarrassed and outraged, the generals look to make an example of a few of their soldiers by bringing charges of cowardice. Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), the commanding officer during the attack, attempts to defend his men in a court martial and prevent their execution.
If watching this movie causes frustration or indignation, Kubrick wanted it that way. Despite the intelligence and integrity of Colonel Dax, the senseless military institution just seems to roll on unimpeded. Dax appeals to reason and emotion, but the blatant corruption and heartless cynicism of the army’s leaders rule the day. It’s a hard and unromanticized vision of what war does to humanity. This is usually done in an overtly violent way, but Paths of Glory reveals this message through its depiction of ludicrous bureaucracies and power-hungry officials.
Even if Kubrick’s film didn’t so eloquently deliver this anti-war spirit, Paths of Glory would still be noteworthy for its impressive craft. In just 88 minutes, he was able to pull off a gritty and realistic battle scene, a riveting courtroom drama, and give us a compelling lead character due to Kirk Douglas’ memorable work. Even before he turned 30, Kubrick had proven himself with this crisp and concise anti-war classic that stands the test of time over 50 years later.
The One I Love (streaming on Netflix)
This dark comedy-thriller is a prime example of clever and original storytelling on a micro-budget. Even though The One I Love essentially takes place in just two locations, it impressively lays out its intriguing science fiction-y premise early on and takes off from there.
(I’m going to be intentionally vague in this space, because it’s definitely best to watch The One I Love without knowing too much going in. There’s a twist in the first 20-30 minutes that sets the stage for the rest of the film. The trailer doesn’t give it away though, so go ahead and watch that to see if it looks like your kind of movie.)
Despite the low budget and short runtime, The One I Love is an absorbing and thought-provoking 90 minutes. The premise is this: Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elizabeth Moss) are on the brink of divorce when their therapist suggests they spend a weekend at a gorgeous vacation house. However, things quickly turn surreal, spurring them to take a hard look at their relationship and themselves.
Duplass and Moss are tremendous in the lead roles, giving captivating and multifaceted performances. They have to carry the entire movie, since the only other cast member is Ted Danson (in a very small role). In Ethan and Sophie, they create flawed and compelling characters that make up a relatable married couple.
The concept behind The One I Love isn’t totally logic-proof, but it’s a fascinating experience if you’re willing to go along with it. The film gives you plenty to think about from start to finish, particularly if you’re married or in a long-term relationship. In a compact 90 minutes, The One I Love manages to entertain and cause you to reflect on love, marriage, and your own relationships.
Links to get you through your quarantine
We’ve heard from several people that have watched Molly’s Game in the last week (here’s our recommendation, in case you missed it). If you’re looking for further reading on the true story behind the movie, here’s an excerpt from Molly Bloom’s memoir and here’s an article on the real celebrity stories involved in the movie.
American Psycho came out 20 years ago last week, so The Ringer wrote about the best Christian Bale performances. Read our newsletter on Bale here.