The Best Movies That Are Super Long

Hollywood movies typically run about 1.5 to 2 hours. The patented three act structure unfolds onscreen and the credits roll before backs begin to ache and minds begin to wonder. But sometimes two hours is not enough and this list has them all. These are the best movies that are super long.

All the films on this list run at least 2 hours and 20 minutes. Most of them are even longer than that and some of them are twice as long as the average movie. Why would a filmmaker keep someone glued to the screen for over three hours with a really long movie? Not every great movie is packaged with a simple beginning, middle, and an end. Epic stories need to percolate and their characters need more room to develop.

Imagine The Godfather without the legendary opening wedding scene. That sequence alone lasts over thirty minutes, and it has very little to do with moving the story forward. Instead, it’s basically thirty minutes of director Francis Ford Coppola introducing the audience to the Corleone family.

Several films on this list run over three hours. Think that’s too long? Check out their Rotten Tomatoes scores - every single one of them received an outstanding rating. When a person sees Schindler’s List or Lawrence of Arabia for the first time, they do not walk away from the experience worried that they’ve spent too long looking at a movie screen. Sure, some movies with long running times could afford a clip or two in the editing room. But you won’t find any of those movies on this list.

These good films warrant and demand your full attention, no matter how long they are. Be sure to upvote for your favorite long movies to watch, those with an epic runtime.