Gone are the days of movies released in theaters being a tight 90 minutes. We’re now in an era where some of the biggest films of the year are clocking in at close to three hours long.
That holds true for 2024 too. If it felt like you were in the theater for a long time when you went to see a movie, it could be because, well, you were. But if you’re curious just how long it was, we’ve got you.
We’ve rounded up the 20 longest films released in U.S. theaters this year. You can check them out below, from shortest to longest.
20. Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola’s epic fable “Megalopolis” is a retelling of the Roman Empire starring Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza and more. It clocked in at 2 hours and 18 minutes in total.
19. Joker: Folie à Deux
Todd Phillips’ sequel to “Joker” centered on Arthur Fleck as he dealt with the fallout of becoming the Gotham supervillain, and his trial. It also wound up being 2 hours and 18 minutes long.
18. La Cocina
Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, and starring Raúl Briones and Rooney Mara, “La Cocina” tells the story of a Times Square kitchen staff at one of the busiest times of day. The movie was 2 hours and 19 minutes long.
17. Argylle
“Argylle” tells the story of an author writing spy novels, only to find out that what she’s writing has actually come true. Hard to say who the real Agent Argylle is, but we can tell you that the real runtime of the Apple film was 2 hours and 19 minutes.
16. Anora
“Anora” won a whole lot of awards in 2024, as it told the story of Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn, who falls into her own Cinderella story when she marries the son of an oligarch. The movie clocked in at 2 hours and 19 minutes.
15. Nickel Boys
“Nickel Boys,” released at Telluride Film Festival in 2024, is based on a true story of the infamous Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. In total, the film adaptation is 2 hours and 20 minutes long.
14. Reagan
“Reagan” is, as you might expect, a biopic about Ronald Reagan, played in this film by Dennis Quaid. It came in at a punishing 2 hours and 21 minutes.
13. A Complete Unknown
“Reagan” wasn’t the only biopic to take its time though. “A Complete Unknown,” which stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan and tells the story of his career, had exactly the same runtime as the last entry, 2 hours and 21 minutes.
12. The Substance
“The Substance” is a true body horror film, centered on a product known as The Substance — an injection that allows you to create a younger version of yourself who will be more “beautiful” in the eyes of society. Starring Demi Moore, it is also 2 hours and 21 minutes long.
11. Cabrini
Alejandro Monteverde’s follow-up to “Sound of Freedom” for Angel Studios was “Cabrini,” a biopic about Mother Cabrini (Francesca Cabrini), an Italian immigrant nun who came to New York in 1889 to help orphans. The film totals 2 hours and 22 minutes.
10. Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black
“Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black” tells the story of Ava and Dallas, whose marriage falls apart in pretty malicious ways. It clocked in at 2 hours and 23 minutes.
9. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is the latest installment in the franchise, and jumps several centuries into the future, bringing in a new set of characters. The film is 2 hours and 25 minutes long.
8. The End
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, “The End” tells the story of a rich family living in a salt mine who, after decades alone, encounter a stranger. It’s also a musical. Yes, really. It is 2 hours and 28 minutes long.
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a prequel to “Fury Road,” telling the story of how Charlize Theron’s Furiosa came to be. The younger version of her is played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and the film is 2 hours and 28 minutes long.
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6. Gladiator II
A sequel to “Gladiator,” “Gladiator II” centers on Maximus son Lucius (Paul Mescal), as he enters the Colosseum himself. The film clocks in at 2 hours and 28 minutes.
5. Wicked
Years in the making, “Wicked” is a film adaptation of the Broadway show — or at least, act one of the Broadway show. Act two (and possibly more) will be adapted in “Wicked: For Good,” scheduled to release in November 2025. Part one came in at 2 hours and 40 minutes (just five minutes shy of the runtime for the entire stage version).
4. Kinds of Kindness
“Kinds of Kindness” is actually three stories in one, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemmons and more. It totals 2 hours and 44 minutes.
3. Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s second piece of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel picked up with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen people to go to war with House Harkonnen. The adaptation clocked in at 2 hours and 46 minutes.
2. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
“Horizon: An American Saga” is a passion project of Kevin Costner’s, and a large part of why the actor didn’t return for the back half of season 5 of “Yellowstone.” The film is a western, telling the story of how America was explored. In total, it is 3 hours and 1 minute long.
1. The Brutalist
And the longest film released in theaters this year? Well that goes to Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” released just under the wire on December 20. It tells the story of an architect and his wife who flee post-war Europe in 1947 to America. But “their lives are changed forever by a mysterious, wealthy client.” The film is 3 hours and 35 minutes long.
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