A Glean movie guide
Short & Sweet: Best Under 90 Minutes
Maximum impact, minimum runtime.
Masterpieces that prove you don't need three hours to tell a great story.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Before Sunset
A walk-and-talk romance that captures a lifetime of longing in a single afternoon.
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.
- 02
Run Lola Run
A high-octane, experimental thriller that never lets its foot off the gas.
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.
- 03
What We Do in the Shadows
A hilariously dry mockumentary that breathes fresh life into vampire tropes.
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
- 04
Toy Story
The groundbreaking animation that started it all, told with perfect pacing and heart.
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
Airplane!
A relentless barrage of visual gags and puns that remains the gold standard for parody.
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
- 06
My Neighbor Totoro
A gentle, magical escape into childhood wonder from the masters at Studio Ghibli.
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
- 07
Shiva Baby
An expertly crafted, claustrophobic comedy of errors that feels like a ticking time bomb.
College student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva - with her parents, ex-girlfriend and family friends also in attendance.
- 08
Petite Maman
A quiet, beautiful fairy tale about grief and connection that says so much in very little time.
After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods. Instantly forming a connection with this mysterious new friend, Nelly embarks on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps her come to terms with this newfound loss.
- 09
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
A lean, visceral horror classic that relies on atmosphere and raw intensity.
Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way, they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.
- 10
Primer
A complex, mind-bending time travel puzzle that respects the audience's intelligence.
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.
- 11
Paths of Glory
A devastatingly efficient war drama that packs a massive emotional punch.
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
- 12
Perfect Blue
A haunting psychological thriller that blurs the line between reality and nightmare.
Rising pop star Mima quits singing to pursue a career as an actress. After she takes up a role on a popular detective show, her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia.