A Glean movie guide
The 90-Minute Masterclass
All killer, no filler.
High-impact stories that respect your time without sacrificing an ounce of quality.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Toy Story
A groundbreaking adventure that proves 81 minutes is all you need for a perfect, world-building story.
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.
- 02
Run Lola Run
A high-octane, experimental thriller that moves with relentless, breathless energy from start to finish.
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
Before Sunset
A masterclass in dialogue that captures a lifetime of longing and connection 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.
- 04
What We Do in the Shadows
A riotously funny mockumentary that breathes fresh, hilarious life into ancient vampire lore.
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
Stand by Me
A poignant and timeless coming-of-age journey that packs a massive emotional punch into a lean runtime.
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.
- 06
My Neighbor Totoro
A gentle, hand-drawn masterpiece that captures the pure wonder and magic of childhood discovery.
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
Airplane!
A relentless barrage of visual gags and puns that remains the gold standard for the parody genre.
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
- 08
Shiva Baby
A razor-sharp comedy of manners that expertly builds tension until it feels like a 77-minute panic attack.
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.
- 09
Paths of Glory
Stanley Kubrick’s lean, searing indictment of war remains one of cinema's most powerful and efficient dramas.
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
- 10
[REC]
An intense, first-person nightmare that stands as one of the most effective and terrifying horror films ever made.
A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
- 11
The Iron Giant
A beautifully animated tale of friendship and choice that is as intellectually smart as it is heart-wrenching.
In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.
- 12
Office Space
The definitive workplace comedy that perfectly skewers the absurdity and frustration of corporate life.
A depressed white-collar worker tries hypnotherapy, only to find himself in a perpetual state of devil-may-care bliss that prompts him to start living by his own rules, and hatch a hapless attempt to embezzle money from his soul-killing employers.