10 Long Movies That Should Have Been Even Longer

Some long movies overstay their welcome, but there are a rare few which feel like they could be even longer. It’s often said that no good movie is too long, but whenever a movie’s runtime creeps over three hours, it can begin to test the patience of its audience. Only the very best movies can captivate an audience for so long and still leave them wanting more, thinking about the unanswered questions or mysterious characters who deserve more attention.

In some cases, a movie’s runtime becomes a contentious topic in the build-up to its release. We’ve seen this in recent years with movies like Avengers: Endgame and Oppenheimer, which are both more-or-less three hours long. Both of these movies quickly proved the doubters wrong, showing that their lengthy runtimes were entirely justified, and that they could have kept going for another 30 minutes without becoming tiresome.

10

The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Godfather Sequel Could Easily Have Been Broken Into Two Parts

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

10/10

8.3/10

The Godfather Part II Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Godfather Part II

Release Date

December 20, 1974

Runtime

202minutes

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers

Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino

Prequel(s)

The Godfather

Sequel(s)

The Godfather Part III

Cast

  • Headshot of Al Pacino

    Al Pacino

  • Headshot Of Robert De Niro In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Robert De Niro

  • Headshot Of James Caan

    James Caan

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The Godfather runs just under three hours, and The Godfather Part II blows past this threshold with a mammoth three-hour and 22-minute runtime. It’s the kind of movie that handily includes an intermission, which is increasingly rare these days. One reason why Part II is so much longer than the original is that it tells two stories side-by-side, with Michael Corleone’s continuing rise contrasted by his father’s early life after moving to New York from Italy.

Imagery-from-The-Godfather-Part-II-and-Avengers-Endgame

Related

10 3-Hour+ Movies That Don’t Feel Long At All

These movies have ludicrously long runtimes, but it doesn’t feel that way when their masterful storytelling makes it all go by in an instant.

Posts

1

The Godfather Part II is one of the best movies ever made, but it could just as easily have been made into two movies instead. It’s easy to imagine a modern studio wishing to cut the movie into a sequel focused on Michael and a prequel focused on Vito. Of course, The Godfather Part II is much better as it is, but it would be interesting to see how much detail Francis Ford Coppola would be tempted to add with a longer runtime.

9

Oppenheimer (2023)

Christopher Nolan’s Sweeping Biopic Maintains A Rapid Pace

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

9/10

18

9.2/10

Oppenheimer Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Oppenheimer

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Runtime

150 Minutes

Director

Christopher Nolan

Writers

Christopher Nolan

Cast

  • Headshot Of Cillian Murphy In The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Cillian Murphy

  • Headshot Of Emily Blunt

    Emily Blunt

  • Headshot Of Matt Damon In The 74th Berlin International Film

    Matt Damon

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Oppenheimer is arguably Christopher Nolan’s best movie yet, and it’s certainly his most ambitious, using techniques from his cerebral sci-fi thrillers to examine the life of one of the most divisive and influential figures of the 20th century. Oppenheimer is a biopic like no other, weaving its timelines into a knot that makes it hard to distinguish between the past and the future, the cause and the effect, the science and the politics.

Oppenheimer is arguably Christopher Nolan’s best movie yet, and it’s certainly his most ambitious.

Although Oppenheimer is Nolan’s longest movie, it feels like it could be even longer, since it keeps up such a rapid pace. The story bounces around between different periods of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life, never lingering in one moment for too long. There are so many interesting characters in Oppenheimer‘s ensemble cast who could get a lot more attention if the movie were stretched out further, and there are more chapters of the main character’s life worth exploring.

8

Titanic (1997)

James Cameron’s Epic Romance Could Spend More Time With Its Supporting Characters

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

10/10

15

9.1/10

Titanic poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Titanic

Release Date

December 19, 1997

Runtime

3h 14m

Director

James Cameron

Writers

James Cameron

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    David Warner

  • Headshot Of Kathy Bates In The CBS Fall Schedule Celebration At Paramount Studios

    Kathy Bates

  • Headshot Of Billy Zane In The premiere of 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1'

    Billy Zane

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Titanic became the highest-grossing movie of all time when it was first released, which is a remarkable achievement for a standalone movie that clocks in at three hours and 14 minutes. James Cameron’s flair for delivering jaw-dropping cinematic spectacle turns Titanic into a sumptuous period romance when it could easily have felt like a stuffy bore in the hands of another director.

James Cameron included many real passengers and crew from the ship as characters.

Although the long runtime is perfect for developing Jack and Rose’s slow-burn romance as organically as possible, a longer runtime could allow Titanic more room to explore some of the supporting characters. Cameron’s fascination with the story of the Titanic compelled him to recreate the ship as accurately as possible, and he even included many real passengers and crew from the ship as characters. Only a few of these characters get the attention that their stories deserve.

7

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

Quentin Tarantino Clearly Enjoys Spending Time In The ’60s

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9.5/10

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Release Date

July 26, 2019

Runtime

159 minutes

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Writers

Quentin Tarantino

Cast

  • Headshot Of Tim Roth

    Tim Roth

  • Headshot Of Margot Robbie In The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

    Margot Robbie

  • Headshot Of Mike Moh

    Mike Moh

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been described as Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to cinema, as it revels in the glamour of Hollywood in the 1960s. The story follows an actor struggling to adapt to a changing industry, with his Old Hollywood pedigree quickly falling out of fashion as new trends emerge at the dawn of New Hollywood. In the background of this story, the Manson family continues to grow in Los Angeles.

Tarantino seems to enjoy adding stylistic flourishes to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, like his remakes of classic movie scenes and his meandering side stories which barely affect the main plot. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood could be made longer without adding much to the plot. Tarantino creates such a vibrant and enjoyable atmosphere that it wouldn’t hurt to see some more vignettes of his nostalgic world.

6

Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire (2005)

Each Harry Potter Movie Makes Some Cuts To The Books

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

7/10

7.8/10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Release Date

November 18, 2005

Runtime

157 Minutes

Director

Mike Newell

Writers

Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling

Prequel(s)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Sequel(s)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Cast

  •  Headshot of Daniel Radcliffe In The London screening of 'The Lost City'

    Daniel Radcliffe

  • Headshot Of Emma Watson In The Kering Foundation Caring For Women Dinner

    Emma Watson

  • Headshot Of Rupert Grint

    Rupert Grint

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The Goblet of Fire is one of the longer Harry Potter movies, so it’s odd that it’s also one which cuts the most content that appears in the book. If The Goblet of Fire were stretched out, it could include the subplot about Rita Skeeter being an Animagus, or it could bring the Triwizard Cup’s maze to life in more detail, with all the obstacles from the book. Characters like Ludo Bagman and Winky don’t even appear in the movie.

movies-too-long

Related

13 Movies That Were Way Longer Than They Needed To Be

Mainstream movies are getting longer and longer, and while some of them justify their extensive running time, others overstay their welcome.

Posts

HBO’s Harry Potter TV show promises to be a more in-depth adaptation, with each season focusing on one of the books. This means that there’s a good chance that fans will finally be able to see all the missing book details from The Goblet of Fire on screen. Still, there are a lot of question marks hanging over the series, so a longer movie might have been preferable. For example, it will be difficult to find a cast as strong as the one from the movie franchise.

5

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

The Third Lord Of The Rings Movie Is The Longest

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

10/10

24

9.5/10

lord of the riings

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Release Date

December 17, 2003

Runtime

201 Minutes

Director

Peter Jackson

Writers

Peter Jackson

Prequel(s)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Franchise(s)

The Lord of the Rings

Cast

  • Headshot Of Elijah Wood

    Elijah Wood

  • Headshot Of Ian McKellen In The USA Rights Only

    Ian McKellen

  • headshot Of Liv Tyler

    Liv Tyler

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The first two movies in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy brush up against the three-hour mark, while Return of the King takes its time, adding an extra 21 minutes. Still, this mammoth runtime isn’t long enough for some fans. Ever since the initial success of the trilogy, there have been some fans who are adamant that watching the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies is the only way to experience them fully.

Casual fans can stick with the theatrical cut, but the extended edition is a necessity for some.

The extended edition of The Return of the King is a whopping four hours and 23 minutes long, which is much longer than the extended cuts of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. This extra runtime goes toward fleshing out some of the characters who don’t get enough time on screen, like Faramir and Éowyn, who get married and have children in the end. There are also some great moments for Gandalf in particular. Casual fans can stick with the theatrical cut, but the extended edition is a necessity for some.

4

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick’s Epic Spans All Of Time And Space

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

9/10

14

8.6/10

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

2001: A Space Odyssey

Release Date

April 3, 1968

Runtime

149 minutes

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Writers

Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Keir Dullea

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gary Lockwood

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    William Sylvester

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Stanley Kubrick’s movies have wildly varying runtimes, from the brisk comedy of Dr. Strangelove to the exhaustive historical drama of Barry Lyndon. 2001: A Space Odyssey isn’t his longest movie, but it still clocks in at 2 hours and 29 minutes. It feels like it could easily stretch to three hours, either by spending more time on board the spaceship with Dave or by expanding the story before he is even introduced.

2001: A Space Odyssey isn’t Kubrick’s longest movie, but it still clocks in at 2 hours and 29 minutes.

2001: A Space Odyssey broke new ground in the sci-fi genre, with lofty ambitions of charting humanity’s journey, starting from apes fighting each other in the dust and ending up in uncharted territory in the outer reaches of space and the darkest corners of human consciousness. 2001 should have a long runtime to match these ambitions, but it’s certainly not a disadvantage that it leaves its audience with so many unanswered questions, aching for just a little bit more.

3

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The Culmination Of The MCU’s Journey Has A Lot Of Heroes To Juggle

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

9/10

95

9.4/10

Avengers: Endgame Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Avengers: Endgame

Release Date

April 26, 2019

Runtime

181 Minutes

Director

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Writers

Keith Giffen, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jim Starlin, Joe Simon, Steve Englehart, Jack Kirby, Steve Gan, Bill Mantlo, Stephen McFeely, Christopher Markus

Cast

  • Headshot Of Robert Downey Jr. In The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

    Robert Downey Jr.

    Tony Stark / Iron Man

  • Headshot Of Chris Evans In The `The Sun`s Who Cares Wins Awards`

    Chris Evans

    Steve Rogers / Captain America

  • Headshot Of Mark Ruffalo In The 76th Annual DGA Awards

    Mark Ruffalo

    Bruce Banner / Hulk

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Avengers: Endgame needed to be at least three hours long. After years of build-up, Endgame was the culmination of everything that the biggest movie franchise in history had been working towards, juggling a ludicrous number of characters and storylines, and somehow knitting them together at just the right moment. With so many different heroes competing for the spotlight, Endgame could have been even longer.

With so many different heroes competing for the spotlight, Endgame could have been even longer.

Avengers: Endgame is an impressive feat of franchise storytelling. Considering the high expectations of fans and the number of moving parts, it could easily have been a disappointment. Instead, Endgame was a critical and commercial hit. Still, there could have been even more character development across the universe, more hard-hitting fight scenes, and more scenes of personable comedy. The epic saga deserves an epic payoff.

2

Heat (1995)

Michael Mann’s Crime Thriller Balances Two Brilliant Characters

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

10/10

9/10

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Heat

Release Date

December 15, 1995

Runtime

170 minutes

Director

Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann

Cast

  • Headshot of Al Pacino

    Al Pacino

  • Headshot Of Robert De Niro In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Robert De Niro

  • Headshot of Val Kilmer

    Val Kilmer

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Heat has a runtime of two hours and 50 minutes, and it never feels too long. This is partly because Michael Mann’s crime thriller splits its time between two characters, Robert De Niro’s daring thief and Al Pacino’s jaded detective. Both of these characters could be seen as either heroes or villains. Really, they’re both protagonists who are given equal weight despite their conflicting goals and philosophies.

Heat is one of the best heist movies ever, combining the two perspectives on either side of the law to show the similarities between them. A longer runtime would allow Mann to dig even further into his two dueling protagonists, or it could flesh out the world around them. Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore are just two of the supporting actors who could easily have bigger roles in an extended cut.

1

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Steven Spielberg’s War Movie Casts A Spell On Its Audience

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

ScreenRant logo

10/10

26

9.5/10

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Saving Private Ryan

Release Date

July 24, 1998

Runtime

169 minutes

Director

Steven Spielberg

Writers

Robert Rodat

Cast

  • Headshot Of Tom Sizemore

    Tom Sizemore

  • Headshot Of Adam Goldberg In The The Devil Los Angeles Premiere

    Adam Goldberg

  • Headshot Of Vin Diesel In The European Gala Event of Marvel Studios' 'Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol 3'

    Vin Diesel

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    See All Cast & Crew

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Saving Private Ryan is often cited as one of the best war movies ever, thanks in part to the incredibly immersive atmosphere that Steven Spielberg creates. His characters all feel relatable, and it’s interesting to watch them in the long stretches between violent battles. While a longer cut of Saving Private Ryan could give fans more battles to enjoy, it would also benefit from developing the soldiers even more.

Imagery from A Bridge Too Far and Full Metal Jacket

Related

10 Classic Epic War Movies That Are Still Impressive Today

Discover 10 of the best epic war movies that still hold up today. From Spartacus, to Full Metal Jacket and other classics such as A Bridge Too Far.

Posts

5

Of course, Steven Spielberg returned to the subject of the Second World War soon after Saving Private Ryan. His HBO miniseries Band of Brothers is the closest thing to an extended edition that fans could hope for. The Pacific and 2024’s Masters of the Air carry on in the same vein, showing the remarkable circumstances of the Second World War at a human level, and with exquisite production values.