10 Best Movies that Are At Least Three Hours Long, Ranked According To IMDb
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, three-hour movies were common. Lengthy epics about ancient Rome, the Space Race, and famous historical figures were common, complete with an intermission and a lengthy introduction. Long movies fell out of fashion for a while but experienced a revival when streaming services and superhero franchise films brought them back. The expression "Netflix and chill" has been expanded to include Amazon, Disney, and others, and it's easier to get through a long movie on a familiar couch.
With the extended amounts of time people are spending binge-watching their favorite shows on streaming services, it's a good time to take a look at great movies that will keep you entertained for a whole afternoon. In this case, at least three whole hours. Don't fear the lengthy film. The fact is, if a movie is good, it doesn't matter how long it is.
10 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World - 7.5
Whereas long movies are known for their legendary tales and moments of quiet gravitas, this comedy breaks that mold. It's got some great shots too, showing off the countryside and far-flung places between the Midwest and California, but the laughs come hard and fast so the audience will barely notice. The cast is a virtual "who's who" of 1960s comedy and Hollywood stars, and moves quickly through a variety of misadventures and wacky escapades that illustrate the crazy things people do for money. It has a G rating, which is great since even the kids will have no trouble sitting through three hours and thirty minutes of this mad, mad, mad movie.
9 Malcolm X - 7.7
Spike Lee's film about a controversial civil right leader was controversial itself, and it's just as important to watch it today as the year when it was made, so settle in for three hours and 22 minutes of unvarnished American history. The script is based on a book by Alex Haley, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, to whom the movie is dedicated. It's a biographical epic that follows a young Malcolm Little as his father is murdered by the KKK, he falls into a life of crime as a young adult, then discovers the writings of Elijah Muhammad and becomes a member of the Nation of Islam.
8 The Right Stuff - 7.8
Movies about astronauts are usually about dramatic launches, awesome orbits, and exciting landings. The Right Stuff is more about what goes on behind the scenes. It takes the audience through the grueling and seemingly ridiculous process of vetting, training, and certifying an astronaut. Viewers will walk away from this with a new appreciation of what the human body can endure, starting with sitting through a run-time of three hours and 13 minutes.
The movie is based on a book with the same title and was recently developed into a television series that was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, also called The Right Stuff. The original film from 1983 is experiencing a much-deserved resurgence as a result.
7 Dances With Wolves - 8.0
The formula for Dances With Wolves worked so well it's been copied numerous times since. The jokes about James Cameron's Avatar practically copying the script are well-deserved. That's surprising, considering it was made and released during a period when movies rarely clocked in at more than two hours and reviewers were skeptical about how Kevin Costner's latest project would turn out. Those interested in learning more about the historical setting and context of the main storyline should check out this detailed History Buffs essay on the subject.
6 Ben-Hur - 8.1
In a cinema awash with sword and sandal epics, as numerous producers cashed in on making Biblical stories back in the day, Ben-Hur stands out as a film that's stood the test of time. That's one of the reasons nobody cared about the 2016 remake. It's a fictional story, but historically accurate in the sense that it includes real people like Pontius Pilate trying to solve the social issues arising from subjugating the province of Judea, a serious political issue for the Roman Empire at the time. No wonder this is a story that took three hours and 21 minutes to tell.
The plot of Ben-Hur focuses on a Jewish aristocrat trying to free his people from a tyrannical state, putting the time of Christ into a unique and realistic context. If none of that is interesting, watch it for the brutal chariot race scene in the rebuilt Circus Maximus. Yes, this is that movie.
5 Gone With the Wind - 8.1
We have to talk about Scarlet. This film is experiencing a moratorium of sorts at the moment, and for good reason. Contrary to what many seem determined to believe, this is a dramatization, not a documentary, and it's time to recognize that inconvenient fact. Contemporary times demand that audiences need a deeper understanding of what many consider to be the quintessential American epic, and watch all three hours and 58 minutes of it with eyes unclouded.
A viewing of Gone With the Wind does help explain how a segment of the American population came to belive certain mythologies about their nation's history. It's not just a racist melodrama, it's also a sexist and classist one. It's an interesting note that her arrogance won't preserve her lifestyle, a lesson she never seems to learn until it's too late. As the film comes to a close, history marches on without her. And the rest of the world doesn't give a damn.
4 Lawrence of Arabia - 8.3
The music has been lampooned a thousand times, so often the score is recognizable even if the film isn't. There are some familiar faces in the cast, including vintage heartthrob Omar Sharif and everyone's favorite Jedi master, Alec Guinness. Lawrence of Arabia is a heavy dramatization of real events that easily fills up its three hours and 48 minutes of run time. T. E. Lawrence wrote a book called The Seven Pillars of Wisdom that tells the tale in stark honesty from his own point of view, and one of the few common threads between the book and film is his profound heartbreak at the end.
3 Avengers: Endgame - 8.4
A recent entry that proves three-hour movies are back in style since the length of this movie certainly didn't deter audiences from flocking to see the biggest blockbuster of the 21st century so far. The movie didn't exactly have rave reviews, either, with plenty of bickering over Fat Thor and Black Widow's ultimate fate, and some unfavorable comparisons to the previous movie, Avengers: Infinity War. Plenty of tears were shed over the loss of Iron Man, and plenty of fans asked themselves if the sacrifice was worth it. One thing nobody seemed to have a problem with was the 3 hours and 1 minute run time.
2 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 8.9
If Dances With Wolves re-started this trend in 1990, the Lord of the Rings franchise brought it back with a vengeance in 2002 and cinema hasn't been the same since. The other films in the trilogy are very close to the three-hour mark, falling short by only a few minutes, but the third installment is the only one that actually crosses that line at three hours and one minute.
It's interesting to note that the books follow the same pattern of long and epic yet very popular, doing little to deter fans of either movies or literature. It should be noted that this length refers to the theatrical version, not one of the extended cuts, which can run much longer.
1 Schindler's List - 8.9
Considered by many to be Steven Spielberg's best work and one of the most gripping films about the Holocaust, Schindler's List is based on a 1992 novel by Thomas Keneally called Schindler's Ark. It's a riveting story that doesn't quit for a solid three hours and 15 minutes and contrasts the absolute worst and best of humanity. It was heralded for using a mix of old and new cinematic techniques, like the use of black and white in some scenes and color film in others. The events are a dramatization, but Oskar Schindler was a real person, and so was his list.