A Glean movie guide
Short & Sharp
Big stories, small runtimes.
Feature-length films that respect your time by clocking in at 90 minutes or less.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Run Lola Run
A pulse-pounding race against time that uses its short runtime to maintain relentless momentum.
Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. She has 20 minutes to raise this amount and meet Manni. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola's run.
- 02
What We Do in the Shadows
This hilarious mockumentary perfectly captures the mundane, everyday struggles of vampire roommates.
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
- 03
Before Sunset
A masterclass in dialogue-driven storytelling that feels as intimate and fleeting as a real conversation.
Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.
- 04
Toy Story
A perfectly paced animated classic that packs humor, heart, and adventure into a tight runtime.
Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
- 05
Locke
A gripping, single-location experiment that proves you only need one car and one actor to build immense tension.
Ivan Locke has worked hard to craft a good life for himself. Tonight, that life will collapse around him. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul.
- 06
Primer
An incredibly dense and rewarding sci-fi puzzle that demands your full attention from start to finish.
A group of fledgling inventors discover a complex method to manipulate reality. At first, they successfully game the stock market with it, but the consequences of the invention start to catch up with them.
- 07
Frances Ha
A charming and authentic look at the messy, beautiful transition into adulthood in New York City.
An aspiring dancer moves to New York City and becomes caught up in a whirlwind of flighty fair-weather friends, diminishing fortunes and career setbacks.
- 08
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A visually stunning stop-motion masterpiece that is as whimsical as it is dark.
Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.
- 09
Following
Christopher Nolan’s lean, black-and-white debut is a masterclass in low-budget, high-stakes storytelling.
Bill, an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.
- 10
Stand by Me
A quintessential coming-of-age story that captures the fleeting nature of childhood friendships.
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.