A Glean movie guide
Short & Sweet: Great Movies Under 90 Minutes
All killer, no filler.
Big impact, small time commitment—cinematic gems that respect your schedule.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Run Lola Run
A high-octane thriller that moves at a relentless, breathless pace.
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
Before Sunset
A beautifully intimate romance that unfolds in near real-time.
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.
- 03
Toy Story
The groundbreaking classic that proved heart and humor don't need a long 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.
- 04
What We Do in the Shadows
A hilarious mockumentary that finds endless wit in the lives of modern vampires.
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
- 05
Following
Christopher Nolan’s lean noir debut is a sharp, twisty thriller clocking in at 70 minutes.
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.
- 06
Airplane!
A legendary parody packed with more jokes per minute than almost any other comedy.
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
- 07
Perfect Blue
A haunting psychological thriller that blurs the line between reality and dreams.
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.
- 08
Stand by Me
A quintessential coming-of-age story that captures the weight of childhood friendship.
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.
- 09
Primer
A mind-bending sci-fi puzzle that demands your full attention for every second.
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.
- 10
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A visually iconic stop-motion masterpiece that blends holiday whimsy with gothic charm.
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.
- 11
Fruitvale Station
A powerful, deeply moving drama that packs an immense emotional punch.
Oakland, California. Young Afro-American Oscar Grant crosses paths with family members, friends, enemies and strangers before facing his fate on the platform at Fruitvale Station, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.
- 12
Zombieland
A stylish and energetic horror-comedy that balances gore with genuine charm.
Columbus has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.