Are some of your favourite films the ‘perfect length’? (Picture: Getty Images)
Have you ever been put off seeing a film because it was too long? Have you ever been forced to sit through an epic that made you want to doze off?
Well, you’re not alone.
According to a study of 2,000 people in America, the perfect length of time for a film to be is a tight 92 minutes – huge apologies to the Lord of the Rings fans out there.
The study, conducted by Talker Research, initially asked adults whether they thought films should be over 150 minutes (two-and-a-half hours) long, with just 2% of respondents yes.
They were then asked if they could sit through a movie that’s just two hours long, with only 15% of those asked saying they’d be more than happy to spend 120 minutes with the same film.
When asked if they’d watched two or more movies in the last two months that they felt were ‘too long’, 23% of those giving answers said they had.
Have you sometimes watched a film thinking it’s far too long? (Picture: Getty)
At the end of it all, the study worked out that the average ‘ideal length’ for a film to be, based on the opinions of these 2,000 people, was 92 minutes.
This means that kids films such as Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story 2, and Monsters Inc. would make ideal viewing for the people interviewed as part of the survey.
If your tastes are a little more grown up, however, the likes of Trainspotting, Dr. Strangelove, and Barbie director Greta Gerwig’s first film Lady Bird are all perfect viewing, clocking in around 92 minutes.
Kung Fu Panda is supposed to be the ‘ideal length’ at 92 minutes (Picture: DreamWorks Animation)
Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are perfect fans who want a 90-minute movie fix (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)
In recent years, with the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy dominating the box office, some movie fans have wondered whether they’d prefer a quick 90-min flick over a two-hour (or even three-hour) film.
Streaming giant Netflix even has a ’90-Minute Films’ category, featuring titles that come in under (or just over) the hour-and-a-half mark.
Another interesting revelation from the study is that younger people are far more likely to watch their favourite TV shows and films with subtitles.
Trainspotting – already a classic – is also just over 90 minutes long (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)
While 33% of respondents said they ‘never’ used subtitles at all, 16% said they ‘always’ do – and that of that 16%, the majority of them were under the age of 35.
In fact, 30% of Gen Z TV viewers who took part in the study said they ‘always’ watch with subtitles, while 23% of millennials said they couldn’t watch TV without them.
Among older age groups, such as Generation X and baby boomers, just 13% of those quizzed said they liked to have subtitles on, with the overwhelming majority saying they avoid it completely.
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