A Glean movie guide
Short & Sweet: Great Movies Under 90 Minutes
Maximum impact, minimum runtime.
Big stories, small time commitments—perfect for a full cinematic experience in a flash.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Run Lola Run
A high-octane, visual sprint that redefined the thriller genre with its relentless energy.
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
Toy Story
The groundbreaking animation that proved a perfect story doesn't need a long runtime to become a classic.
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.
- 03
Airplane!
A legendary spoof that packs more jokes into 88 minutes than most comedies manage in two hours.
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
- 04
Before Sunset
A breathtaking romantic drama that captures a lifetime of emotion in a single, real-time 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.
- 05
Phone Booth
A claustrophobic, high-concept thriller that keeps the tension at a breaking point from start to finish.
A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.
- 06
What We Do in the Shadows
A hilariously dry mockumentary that breathes fresh, comedic life into vampire mythology.
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
- 07
High Noon
A masterclass in suspense that uses a real-time countdown to deliver one of cinema's greatest finales.
Will Kane, the sheriff of a small town in New Mexico, learns a notorious outlaw he put in jail has been freed, and will be arriving on the noon train. Knowing the outlaw and his gang are coming to kill him, Kane is determined to stand his ground, so he attempts to gather a posse from among the local townspeople.
- 08
Host
An incredibly efficient horror film that delivers more scares in under an hour than most do in double the time.
Six friends hire a medium to hold a séance via Zoom during lockdown — but they get far more than they bargained for as things quickly go wrong. When an evil spirit starts invading their homes, they begin to realise they might not survive the night.
- 09
My Neighbor Totoro
A gentle and imaginative masterpiece that captures the magic of childhood in a lean, beautiful package.
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.
- 10
Shiva Baby
A brilliantly uncomfortable comedy that turns a family gathering into a high-stakes, claustrophobic event.
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.
- 11
Ghost in the Shell
A visually stunning and philosophical sci-fi landmark that moves with incredible narrative precision.
In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.
- 12
Paths of Glory
A lean and devastating anti-war masterpiece that remains one of Stanley Kubrick’s most powerful works.
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.