The Brutalist
Since its release at the end of 2024 , Brady Corbet ’s stop play , The Brutalist , has garnered a great deal of plaudits . Almost every aspect of the film works in concert to advance its themes of artistic integrity , immunity , and assimilation . nother astonishing facet of the film is just how longThe Brutalistreally is . With a runtime of 215 minutes and a 15 - minute intermission , theater - goer could easily spend up to four hours watchingThe Brutalist .
Although positive reexamination ofThe Brutalistmake it exonerated that it more than earns its runtime , the 3 hour and 35 minutes of screentime makes it one ofthe longest movies of 2024 . Despite that length , however , The Brutalistis far from the longest movie of all metre . Plenty have outmatch it in that area , and still make do to keep consultation harbor , as manifest by their great reviews and suffer popularity .
1Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Runtime: 3 Hours & 36 Minutes
Your Rating
Your remark has not been relieve
Cast
Lawrence of Arabiais widely considered one of the skilful films ever made . When it released , Lawrence of Arabiawon 10 Oscars , a Golden Globe , and two BAFTAs , and in the decades since , Lawrence of Arabiahas been recognized by the Library of Congress as " culturally , historically , or esthetically significant . " With its sweeping shots of the Arabian desert , and Peter O’Toole ’s captivating performance as the titular T. E. Lawrence , Lawrence of Arabiaremains as herculean a film in 2025 as it was when it release in 1962 .
As for what necessitate such a long runtime , it ’s of import to mention thatLawrence of Arabiaoffers a deep and arduous journeying for its main character congeal in the main in World War I. It goes through the many trials that he work through in painstaking detail , giving every import some level of note value . If the catamenia drama ofThe Brutalistwas appealing , and the length was not a job , then sitting through one additional second to watch one of the neat flick of all sentence , Lawrence of Arabia , is certainly worthwhile .
2The Lord Of The Rings Extended Editions
All Three Are Longer Than The Brutalist
There were few film series more iconic thanThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy in the early 2000s . From 2001 to 2003 , director Peter Jackson released the moving-picture show adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien ’s dear novel by the same public figure . During the theatrical releases , the films were edit out to have myopic run times in decree to invoke to a tolerant interview . This meantcutting out scenes inThe Lord of the Ringsthat foreground relationships and inside information from the Holy Writ , or pieces of backstory that , while not stringently necessary , further fleshed out Tolkien ’s " Middle Earth . "
moving-picture show
Theatrical Runtime
Extended Edition Runtime
The Fellowship of the Ring
2 60 minutes 58 transactions
A24, Universal Pictures, Focus Features
3 60 minutes 28 minutes
The Two Towers
2 hours 59 minutes
3 hours 55 minutes
The Return of the King
3 time of day 21 minute of arc
4 hours 23 minutes
When the trilogy released on Blu - ray , however , Jackson revealed an extended cut of each of the three flick . The Fellowship of the Ringhas a runtime of three hours 48 instant , The Two Towershas a runtime of 3 hours 55 minutes , andThe Return of the Kinghas a runtime of 4 minute 23 minutes . This easily lay all three prolonged editions well ahead ofThe Brutalistin term of lengthand means when acquaintance sit down for aLord of the Ringsmarathon , they are strap in for about 12 hours of picture show .
3An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
Runtime: 3 Hours & 50 Minutes
Although far less well - known than some of the other launching on this list , An Elephant sit Stillis another fantabulous film with a runtime surpassingThe Brutalist ’s 3 hr 35 minutes . An Elephant Sitting Stillis a Taiwanese dramatic event that resign in China in 2018 and in the United States in 2019 , and it say the story of four people traveling to Northern China to see an elephant that refuses to move from a seated position no matter how it is kindle .
Guy Pearce ’s character , Harrison Van Buren , is a major player in part one and two of The Brutalist , but he is completely lacking from the epilog .
Upon its dismission , An Elephant Sitting Stillwon legion rewards from the Berlin International Film Festival , the Hong Kong International Film Festival , and many other awards and positive reviews . ButAn Elephant Sitting Stillis also a film mired in calamity . An Elephant Sitting Stillwas write , directed , and edit by Chinese source Hu Bo . Tragically , Hu passed away shortly after fetch up work on the celluloid in 2017 , and thus never got to seeAn Elephant Sitting Stillreleased . During product , Hu faced pressure to reduce the film down to a more standard 120 hour , but after Hu ’s prematurely passing the motion picture was keep true to his artistic imaginativeness .
4Dances With Wolves (1990)
Runtime: 3 hours & 56 Minutes
Dances With Wolvesis a genre - delimitate Western released in 1990 . Set during the Civil War , Dances with Wolvestells the fib of Union Lieutenant John J. Dunbar ( Kevin Cosner ) stationed in the American West . Beyond staring in the movie , however , Kevin Cosner also directed and producedDances with Wolvesas his directorial debut . Although now , 34 years later , some reviewer say that theharsh reality of Kevin Cosner ’s careeris thatDances with Wolveswas not representative of the rest of Cosner ’s filmography , there is no disputing the fact thatDances with Wolvesitself is iconic .
Dances with Wolvespaved the way for other westerly best picture likeUnforgiven(1992 ) andNo Country for Old Men(2007 ) .
And as an iconic movie , Dances with Wolvessaw a lot of winner despite its virtually 4 - time of day runtime . During development , Dances with Wolveshad a budget of $ 15 million , but it grossed $ 424.2 million at box offices worldwide , makingDances with Wolvesan overwhelming boxwood agency victory . At the 63rd Academy Awards , Dances with Wolveswon 7 Oscars , including " Best Picture . " That madeDances with Wolvesthe 2d Western ever to win best picture , after 1931’sCimarron , soDances with Wolvespaved the way for other Western best ikon likeUnforgivenandNo Country for Old Men .
5Gone With The Wind (1939)
Runtime: 3 hours & 58 Minutes
WhenGone with the Windreleased in 1939 , it was an other exercise of a long motion picture winning a sight of accolade . Gone with the Windreceived 10 Academy Awards and by and large positive reviews when it debuted . time in at two minutes shy of four hours , pass with the Windpremiered with an intermission , much likeThe Brutalist , to earmark picture show - goers to stretch at the 2 - hour scratch . go away with the Windwas also a crowning achievement in starring actressVivien Leigh ’s long life history of fantabulous movies .
6Cleopatra (1963)
Runtime: 4 hours & 11 Minutes
In 1963 , author and manager Joseph L. Mankiewicz astonished audiences with the historical epicCleopatra , based on the literal - life history case of the historical Egyptian pansy , Cleopatra . star Elizabeth Taylor as the titular queen , Cleopatrawas , unlike the other movies on this list , something of a floating-point operation in spite of its successes . AlthoughCleopatrawon four of the nine Academy Awards for which it was nominated , the movie ultimately did not live up to first moment , and probably the clearest way in whichCleopatrafell vapid was financially .
A24 had a good yr in 2024 , and its racetrack record just got even good as its Best Picture contender has overtake a key global box post milestone .
yield be an estimated $ 31 million , a break British shoot of the flick be $ 5 million , and statistical distribution and advertising be an extra $ 13 million . So , althoughCleopatragrossed $ 57.7 million in the United States and Canada , name it the highest grossing picture show of 1963,Cleopatranevertheless lost money initially . For audiences , on the other hired man , the stunning visuals and perhapsless - than - historically - accurate naval fight ofCleopatramade the movie ’s 4 - hour and 11 - moment runtime more than worth the time . Besides , whenCleopatrareleased intermissions were still the carry norm for prospicient flick .
7Trenque Lauquen (2022)
Runtime: 4 Hours & 22 Minutes
Argentine director Laura Citarella wrote and directed one of the longest films of 2022 in the form of the mystery - larger-than-life , Trenque Lauquen . Trenque Lauquentells the report of a woman , who has fell and the two men who coiffure out to find her , all the while piecing together secret about both their passion for the missing woman and the town from which she vanished , the nominal Trenque Lauquen , Argentina . Interestingly , Trenque Lauquenis a follow - up on Citrella ’s much shorter 2011 flick , Ostende .
WhileThe Brutalistwon the " Silver Lion " for director Brady Corbet at the 81st Venice Film Festival , Trenque Lauquencompeted in the 79th Venice Film Festival ’s Orizzonti section .
LikeThe Brutalist , Trenque Lauquensplits up its immense 4 hour and 22 - minute runtime into two parts of roughly equal lengths . But the similarities betweenThe BrutalistandTrenque Lauquenrun deep than just their runtime : both films premiered at the Venice Film Festival . WhileThe Brutalistwon the " Silver Lion " for conductor Brady Corbet at the 81st Venice Film Festival , Trenque Lauquencompeted in the 79th Venice Film Festival ’s Orizzonti division . AlthoughTrenque Lauquendidn’t get much critical attention , the compelling mystery and vignettes of the film setTrenque Lauquenon path to become a future cultus classic .
8The Weathered Underground (2010)
Runtime: 5 hours & 10 minutes
In some ways , The weather Undergroundis perhaps the most unequaled movie on this inclination . For one , The Weathered Undergroundnever got any form of theatrical or fete release . This is becausethe primal format ofThe weather Undergroundmakes it incompatible with any traditional handout format . The weather Undergroundis a film inspire by " choose your own escapade " books , and , as such , allows audiences to direct the protagonist , Eric ( Michael Ciriaco ) , through the motion-picture show .
In a lot of ways , The endure Undergroundhas more in common with Netflix ’s 2018 filmBlack Mirror : Bandersnatchthan it does withThe Brutalist . However , whileBandersnatchonly has 5 potential endings , The Weathered Undergroundhas 30.With more than 1000 interview choices , there are 5 hours and 10 minutes ' worth of picture control withinThe Weathered Underground , even if most viewers will never see a lot of it . The Weathered Undergroundthen put up an alternative to the 2 - part and pause format of most other films on this list as a way to get interview to engage with a film longer thanThe Brutalist .
9Happy Hour (2015)
Runtime: 5 Hours & 17 Minutes
Happy Hourreleased first at the Locarno Film Festival then in Japan in 2015 with comparatively little fanfare . The movie follows a group of four woman in Kobe , Japan , and how their friendly relationship grows and changes when one woman decide to divorce her hubby to pursue a relationship with a untested man . AlthoughHappy Hourwas not irresistibly popular , perhaps because its runtime made the motion-picture show unacceptable to publish theatrically , reviews ofHappy Hourare overwhelmingly positive , with some commentator annunciate it as one of the unspoilt films of its ten . Happy Hour , however , break just how much a retentive runtime can ache a movie in the end .
10War And Peace (1965)
Runtime: 6 hours & 30 minutes
establish on Russian author Leo Tolstoy ’s 1869 novel of the same name , War and Peaceis one of the longest movies of all time , and one of the rarified moving picture over 6 hours long to get a theatrical release . Like Tolstoy ’s novel , War and Peacethe movie is break up into 4 parts , each of which released on an individual basis for make that theatrical tone ending possible . The upshot is a film so epical in scale of measurement and dimension that critics have claim its success is unquotable .
With three - and - a - half - hour picture show like The Brutalist and Killers of the Flower Moon , movie seem to be arrest much longer — but why is that ?
One ground for this achiever wasWar and Peacewas produced with the full musical accompaniment of the governing of the USSR.War and Peacehad a budget tantamount to between $ 60 - 70 million USD , and the tremendous engagement utilized thousands of extra and sawbuck provide by the armed forces of the USSR . The effect is unparalleled . Despite the Cold War ill will between the United States and the USSR , War and Peacewon the Golden Globe and Academy Award for good strange speech film . When compared to the immensity ofWar and Peace , the two - and - a - half - hour runtime ofThe Brutalistseems totally superficial .
