It’s impossible to ignore the current Hollywood trend of bloated film times. Jimmy Kimmel even made a joke about it during the 96th Academy Awards: movies are becoming longer and longer, and it’s becoming more and more frustrating. We shouldn’t have to plan bathroom breaks around moments we deem “downtime” while in the theater.
Sadly, the days of a quick 90-ish minute movie seem to be over. Long films can be enjoyable and are over in the blink of an eye. Other times, however, they tend to drag on forever and forever, especially if it’s a bad movie.
Sometimes, a good movie is brought down by poor pacing or bad acting, which brings things to a screeching halt. Whatever the reason, here are 15 movies that just feel way too long.
1. Australia
The 2008 film stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Its premise is an epic drama directed by Baz Luhrmann that occurs during major events in Australia leading up to and during World War II.
One common critique is that it feels like an enjoyable movie takes place, but it’s only the first act. This one literally feels like it will never end.
2. Pearl Harbor
The 2001 Michael Bay film had all the hype leading up to its summer release. An all-star cast and major historical event made it feel like this movie couldn’t fail. Despite succeeding at the box office, though, Pearl Harbor was a dud with critics.
3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
I don’t care how good a movie is; if it’s four hours, it absolutely will drag on too long.
The long-awaited Snyder Cut of the Justice League movie was finally released in 2021, much to the joy of fans. However, even its biggest supporters struggle with the run time.
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Off the success of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, fans were excited to see The Hobbit adapted into a movie. Unfortunately, studio executives got greedy and stretched the book across three movies instead of the original two. The result is three poorly paced-films that seem like they’ll never end.
5. Peter Jackson’s King Kong
Speaking of Peter Jackson, someone needs to tell him that every movie he makes doesn’t need to be three hours long. One hour in, and we’re not even on the island yet. Two hours in, and we’re still on the island. Every character doesn’t need a lengthy backstory!
6. Eternals
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled following the release of Endgame. Eternals is the perfect example of this. The film tries to up the ante, but unfortunately, it falls flat, according to many.
7. Black Adam
Superhero fatigue is stretching across the entire genre. Despite Dwayne Johnson making his much-anticipated debut in the genre, fans regard the adaptation of Black Adam as a miss.
8. The Irishman
Martin Scorcese may be one of the greatest directors of all time, but let’s be honest: The Irishman is an hour longer than needed. As great as the cast, headlined by Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci, work together, we can only be so patient.
9. Blade Runner 2049
As impressive as the Blade Runner sequel is, it’s another movie that tests our patience. One moviegoer comments that they felt like the story was about to wrap up before realizing Harrison Ford had yet to show up.
10. The Many Saints of Newark
We were excited about a new Sopranos movie but were incredibly disappointed with the result. Sometimes, it’s good to leave things where they belong: the past.
11. The Dark Knight Rises
The finale to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy hasn’t aged as well as the other two films. One big issue is that things feel like they come to a screeching halt halfway through, causing moviegoers to check their watches and see how much time is left.
12. Avatar The Way Of Water
The Avatar films have a legion of loyal followers. Those fans agree that a solid two-hour action movie can be found here. Unfortunately, James Cameron added far too much bloat to the film.
13. It Chapter Two
2017’s It took the world by storm, featuring unforgettable performances by the child cast and had people impatiently waiting for the conclusion to the story.
Yet, despite an impressive cast, 2019’s It Chapter Two drags on for far too long. It doesn’t help that the sequel is 34 minutes longer than the first movie.
14. Batman v Superman
Another Batman film appears on the list, but this one’s for a different reason. While The Dark Knight Rises struggles with a poor second act, the entirety of Dawn of Justice lasts for far too long. There is too much set-up and backstory for a fight scene that’s over before it even begins.
15. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
The 2019 Quentin Tarantino homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood has a runtime of 161 minutes. If you remove the Sharon Tate storyline, which is enjoyable but ultimately inconsequential to the film, the movie’s length becomes far more manageable.
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