Top 11 Longest Hollywood Movies Ever

Hopefully, reading this list won’t take over an hour.

Image sources: wikipedia.it, genteyold.com, pt.wikipedia.org

The average movie in North America has a runtime of around 131 minutes, which is just above two hours. Though they usually hover around the 1 hour and 30-minute mark, they can easily run for longer, they don’t usually surpass 2 and a half hours. But these movies are notable exceptions. For this list, movies like The Cure for Insomnia (1987) and Logistics (2012) won’t be included, because those aren't storytelling movies. The movies on this list, however, do tell compelling tales.

Malcolm X (1992)

Runtime: 3 hours and 22 minutes

In this award-winning biographical film, directed and co-written by young Spike Lee, Denzel Washington portrays the important Black nationalist leader Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, documenting his struggles, rise to power in the 1950s, and his assassination in 1965. This biopic can be very confronting about times in which Black empowerment faced injustice, but it's just as riveting. Despite Lee being new to the director's chair at the time, Malcolm X is often considered Lee's most ambitious effort, considering it finished third at the box office during its opening weekend. And in many cases, Malcolm X is considered Denzel Washington's greatest role, which says lots, considering Washington has had an extensive career.

The Irishman (2019)

Runtime: 3 hours and 29 minutes

Director Martin Scorsese joins forces with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci to bring the real-life crimes of Mafia members Jimmy Hoffa and Frank Sheeran to the big screen, in the longest movie Scorsese has ever directed, clocking in at just 3 minutes over Killers of the Flower Moon. In The Irishman, Philadelphia mob hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) looks back on his life, after decades with the mob and the regrets he carries, since he was involved in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). The Irishman was one of the first Netflix originals to receive 10 Oscar nominations and 5 nods at the Golden Globes, and unlike practically all the other movies on this list, The Irishman could've actually done better if it was a little longer, since a plethora of characters and twists are thrown at the audience pretty quickly.

Ben-Hur (1959)

Runtime: 3 hours and 32 minutes

While this one is actually a remake of an original from 1925, it was adapted from the same novel from 1880 as the original and is often considered the most complete adaptation. Regardless, this one dominated the 1959 Oscars, and it's easy to see why. In this William Wyler epic, a Jewish nobleman in Roman-occupied Jerusalem is named Judah Ben-Hur and is made a slave by the Romans before being forced to fight in gladiator battles, including a famous 40-minute sequence of a chariot race between Ben-Hur and a Roman commander. Ben-Hur was one of the most expensive films of its time, costing a then-staggering $15.2 million ($168 million, adjusted for inflation), but it paid off. Ben-Hur flew through the 1960 Oscars like a hurricane, snagging 11 awards out of 12 nominations, setting a record that stood until 1997 with Titanic winning 11 out of 14 nominations.

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Runtime: 3 hours and 40 minutes

The Ten Commandments is one of the most famous Biblical movies ever, but interestingly enough, director Cecil B. DeMille made a silent version in 1923, and the 1956 version was his final film before his passing. The 1956 film sees Moses lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt and away from a tyrannical Pharaoh, as well as part the Red Sea in the process. It is fitting that the film has a runtime of almost 4 hours, since Biblical stories are long tales. The religious views of the viewer don't really matter, either, since this epic can be enjoyed, no matter your beliefs. The Ten Commandments would win 7 Oscar nominations and was one of the highest-grossing films of the 1950s. Not only that, but the film has been broadcasted on TV during Passover and Easter since 1973, making it a religious staple for many generations.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Runtime: 3 hours and 47 minutes

Directed by David Lean, who is often considered the Steven Spielberg of his time, Lawrence of Arabia was based on the non-fiction book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which was written by and tells of British officer T.E. Lawrence and his lead of Arab rebels against the Ottoman Empire during the latter years of World War I, traveling through modern-day Syria to establish diplomatic ties with each of the Arab tribes. Peter O'Toole stars as the author and titular T.E. Lawrence, and the cast includes Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif. But that's only part of the reason why this film still stands out. The cinematography, box office numbers, a strong script, and David Lean's direction all contribute to this film being the favorite film of Steven Spielberg.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Runtime: 3 hours and 49 minutes

Director Sergio Leone may have made The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, but the days of 1960s spaghetti westerns didn't last forever. As a swan song to his career, Leone directed a film that looks at New York City over the course of five different decades in the 20th century and could be described as Leone's best. Starring Robert De Niro and James Woods, it begins in the 1920s with a kid and his Jewish friends who become mobsters in the 1930s and concludes in the 1960s with the main character returning to the city to find out the fate of his friends. Much like Lawrence of Arabia, Once Upon a Time in America is praised for its cinematography and its score, which is no surprise, since Ennio Morricone composed it. But due to its length, it was shortened to 2 hours and 19 minutes, which led to mixed reviews, and it wouldn't be until 2003 when Americans would see the full version with the release of the full thing on DVD. Additionally, a director's cut was released in 2014, running over 4 hours long (251 minutes, to be exact).

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Runtime: 3 hours and 58 minutes

James Cameron's Avatar might be the highest grossing film of all time to many, but that doesn't count inflation, among other factors. If inflation is counted, Gone with the Wind actually surpasses Avatar, since it received $2.9 billion at the box office as opposed to Gone with the Wind's $3.4 billion. Anyway, this film follows a southern belle named Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and her love affairs during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. Though many moments are, at the very least, dated, and even outright offensive at times, considering O'Hara is the daughter of a Georgia plantation owner who will do anything to avoid losing wealth after the Civil War, and the fact that it downplays the reality of American slavery. It won 10 Oscars, including one for Hattie McDaniel, who became the first Black woman to win an Oscar, even if the road towards that award was bumpy.

Hamlet (1996)

Runtime: 4 hours and 2 minutes

If you're into Shakespeare (and even if you aren't), you've likely heard of this one. Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, who would later go on to direct 2011's Thor, this one doesn't trim Shakespearean work the way most adaptations of his other plays do. In this one, all the details are included, which is likely one reason this film is so long, and it should come as no surprise that this adaptation of Hamlet is the most complete one ever put on screen. And despite being critically acclaimed, this film was a box office flop. But that doesn't mean this film shouldn't be checked out by modern Shakespeare fans. This adaptation may take place in the 19th century, but it's still the most accurate adaptation of Hamlet there is.

Cleopatra (1963)

Runtime: 4 hours and 4 minutes

This film, which was the most expensive of its time, did receive mixed reviews, but that doesn't mean it's not a classic. Elizabeth Taylor dons Egyptian robes to portray the last most famous female Pharaoh ever, and this film sees her resist the imperialist characteristics of the Roman Empire. Despite being thought of as a box office flop, it was the largest box office success of that year, even though it nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox, with a budget of $44 million ($365 million, adjusted for inflation) and a domestic gross of $57.8 million ($480 million, again adjusted for inflation). In fact, this film broke the record for the most expensive film of the time, which was originally held by Ben-Hur (1959).

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Runtime: 4 hours and 13 minutes

This conclusion to the Lord of the Rings trilogy follows the Hobbits Frodo and Sam with the One Ring, along with Gandalf, Aragorn, and many others, battle Sauron in an extravaganza of amazing practical effects, emotional storytelling, unmatched battle scenes, and lots more, ending the trilogy on a very high note and making Return of the King one of the most important blockbusters of the 21st century so far, if not of all time. Fans and critics alike agree that this one is the best of the trilogy, and as if there weren't enough characteristics to back that up already, Return of the King also made an extremely rare clean sweep at the Oscars, when it won all the awards it was nominated for, something that has only happened once.

Gettysburg (1993)

Runtime: 4 hours and 31 minutes

One of the biggest war films of all time, Gettysburg sees Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger, Stephen Lang, and Sam Elliott in a film that might appeal more to history buffs than to actual movie fans, and that's not counting Gods and Generals (2003), which is also pretty long and serves as a prequel to Gettysburg. Regardless, this film made the list due to the fact that it has a really long runtime and the fact that it tells a story. As the title implies, the Battle of Gettysburg is the main event in this film, and it depicts the bloodshed on both sides pretty well, as well as tell the audience why the battle was so important to the American Civil War. As far as epic movies go, this one is a remarkable achievement, and very few other movies can claim to have a runtime longer than this one.