The movie is still one of the best equalizers, but there is an increasing level of excess that continues to creep into the movie. At tight 90-minute films, feature films themselves are becoming increasingly rare, and in an age dominated by franchise fare and genre epics, movies over three hours are increasingly common.
There were nearly three hours of Batman movies in 2022 alone, Damien Chazelle’s Babylonand James Cameron’s Avatar: Path of Water. There are already rumors that the third installment of Cameron’s sci-fi series will be cut to nine hours. Audiences have clearly grown accustomed to lengthy cinematic experiences. Still, there are some particularly extreme films (apart from documentaries and experimental films) that truly push the boundaries of traditional runtimes.
439 minutes; 7 hours 19 minutes
Some of the most remarkable stories highlight the indomitable will of one soul and the difference they can make. satan tango is a Hungarian film over seven hours long and based on the novel of the same name steeped in real-life tragedy.
A humble farm on the brink of closure sees its future potential robbed when a former colleague, presumed dead, returns with great audacity. It’s a melancholy meditation on loss that lurks in these circumstances, ending on a doomsday note only amplified by grisly black-and-white cinematography.
9/10 Melancholia analyzes the lengths people go to break their habits
450 minutes; 7 hours 30 minutes
2008 melancholia Not to be confused with Lars von Trier’s film of the same name, From the Philippines is a powerful meditation on change, split into three sections and an epilogue that ties them all together. melancholia is seven and a half hours long, so each of the three sections could qualify as its own movie under different circumstances.
Each section follows a tormented soul who seeks to overcome bad habits and achieve inner peace through various forms of unconventional remedies. It’s an incredible look at both the pros and cons of reinvention as well as the mundane.
8/10 Works and days (Tayoko Shiojiri of Shioya Basin) are delicate snapshots of life
480 minutes; 8 hours
A fairly recent movie out of Japan in 2020, works and days is eight hours focused on the details experienced by Tayoko, an elderly farmer in the Shioya region. works and days is divided into five chapters, and is just as interested in Tayoko’s inactivity as she is when she’s busy.
By doing so, works and days A candid look at not only the life of this woman, but the region itself 14 months later. This period sees attractive highs and lows.
7/10 A Lullaby to a Sad Mystery Celebrates the Life and Achievements of a Revolutionary
485 minutes; 8 hours 5 minutes
Laz Diaz is an acclaimed Filipino filmmaker, 2016’s A lullaby to a sad mystery Surprisingly, one of his most polarizing projects, a phenomenal film. At just over eight hours, Diaz’s film attempts to unravel the mystery of 19th-century Filipino revolutionary Andres Bonifacio.
It has dreamlike fantasy elements A lullaby to a sad mystery It eschews the typical narrative in favor of a more fairytale and expressionist deconstruction of this icon. A lullaby to a sad mystery Despite its arduous length, it managed to do well at the Berlin International Film Festival.
6/10 Heremias: (Volume 1: The Legend of the Lizard Princess) highlights the despair of mankind
519 minutes; 8 hours 39 minutes
Heremias: (Book One: Legend of The Lizard Princess) It’s the most unruly crime road drama on this side of . Fear and Loathing in Las VegasHeremias is a poor farmer who, away from better judgment, finds himself involved with a group of criminals. When the innocent girl Helena becomes the victim of his destructive actions, Heremias begins to regret his actions.
Heremias has gained new sympathy from this painful experience and is ready to atone for his sins. Despite being nine hours long, Heremias It ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. Originally, there were plans for a sequel. Heremias: Book Two – Legend of the Invisible Islandthey remain incomplete.
5/10 Death in the Land of Encantos is the gloomy homecoming of a lost soul
538 minutes; 8 hours 58 minutes
not to be confused with disney Encantomovies that can be viewed more than 5 times in the time it takes to watch one Death in the Land of EncantosAt nearly nine hours, the film delicately allows Filipino poet Benjamin to return to his hometown of Padang and bring an end to his complicated relationship with this country, its people, and its past.
Death in the Land of Encantos It almost feels like a funeral elegy. Benjamin slowly approaches his death, but not before reconciling with these revelatory stepping stones from his life.
4/10 Filipino Family Evolution Uses Precise Tragedy to Reflect Greater Loss
593 minutes; 9 hours 53 minutes
The Philippines has been responsible for some of the longest-running movies of all time, and has a compelling relationship with feature-length stories that can handle the full weight of the experience.In another entry by Laz Diaz, A lullaby to a sad mystery, Evolution of the Filipino Family Stay true to its name.
At nearly 10 hours, this epic painstakingly details the possible death and rebirth of a simple farming community. While Diaz’s painstaking efforts focus on specifics, these struggles serve as metaphors for her fifteen-plus years of authoritarian strife in the Philippines from the 1970s to her ’80s. I’m here.
3/10 Out 1 casts a wide net over many unconventional and confused characters
775 minutes; 12 hours 55 minutes
Out 1 A masterpiece of interconnected narrative, the film’s nearly 13-hour runtime follows a host of unscrupulous individuals at a crossroads following the civil unrest in 1960s France. Imposters and other high-level personalities are showcased in his eight different chapters, all the length of the feature film itself.
Out 1 Brilliant use of the power of time to turn a concept into a character in its own right. ever since Out 1 A condensed 4-hour version that exists independently of the rest of the story, Out 1: Specterare also available.
2/10 La Flor indulges in genre experimentation through six quirky tales
803 minutes 13 hours 23 minutes
La Flor Using the same four actresses and presenting six chapters that seem to be linked only through recurring themes of rebellion and legacy, the line between narrative and experimental films blurs. While some of ‘s stories are played candidly, some play with the chronology and engage in meta-experiments that make it feel like the film’s performers are turning their backs on the director and audience.
La Flor Over 13 hours a feat. But the movie’s chapters are very playful, covering everything from supernatural mummy attacks to potions of eternal youth.
1/10 The Innocence/We Will Make A Cinema proves the universal power of filmmaking
1265 minutes; 21 hours 5 minutes
Innocencealso known as we build a cinema, is the ultimate binge, taking almost a day for one viewing. Currently holding the title of longest running non-experimental film in history, The Innocence harnesses the power of filmmaking to explore the hopes, dreams and identities of a hopeless nation in the volatile aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War. is supporting
People from all walks of life are thriving as they struggle to make sense of an uncertain tomorrow. Even if it’s far more optimistic than the past you’ve decided. Hopefully Kevin Feige doesn’t decide to take inspiration from his Ashraf Shishir, the filmmaker, when it comes to the film’s runtime. Avengers: Secret Wars.
