The ideal length of a film has been determined, and it’s not what Scorsese prefers

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This study ignores the films of Martin Scorsese

While films seem to get longer and screenings drag on from year to year, some seek to know the ideal length of a film. According to the survey of TalkerResearchwho questioned 2000 Americans in this regard, this duration would extend to 92 minuteseither 1 hour and 32 minutes. Among the films that correspond to this criterion, we find quite a few animated films, including the essentials Monsters & Co. And Toy Story 2 of Disney And Pixarbut also Beetlejuice of Tim Burtonor in a completely different register, Jigsaw of Michael And Peter Spierig.

According to 15% of those questionedfilms lasting more than 120 minutes (2 hours) remain correct, while only 2% of participants admitted to liking films that exceed 150 minutes (2 and a half hours). Bad news for Martin Scorsesewhich tends to produce films that exceed (by far) 150 minutes, such as Killers of the Flower Moon And The Irishman both of which last almost 3 and a half hours. But if we rely on the box office of recent years, the results of this survey seem a little contradictory…

The box office (and James Cameron) disagree

From the top of his (almost) 3 billion dollars in revenuethe first film in the saga Avatar dominates the box office. And yet, it lasts no less than 162 minutes (2 hours 42 minutes). Just behind, with almost $2.8 billion in revenuewe find the famous Avengers: Endgamewhich lasts him 180 minutes, or exactly 3 hours. It is also followed by Avatar: The Way of Water and his 2.3 billionwhich extends over 192 minutes, or 3 hours and 12 minutes. The three most profitable films of the last fifteen years are therefore around 3 hours, i.e. double the so-called ideal duration reported by TalkerResearch.

But the contradiction does not stop there, since the 3 films that follow are in the same boat. Titanic of James Cameron enters fourth place, and reaches the 194 minutes or 3 hours 14 minutes. Certainly, James Cameron also likes (very) feature films. Behind him we have Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens which certainly lasts a little less long with its 138 minutes (2 hours 18 minutes) but which still exceeds the 2 hour mark, and finally Avengers: Infinity War which reaches the 149 minutesand is placed just below the 2 and a half hour limit set by some participants.

Obviously, the sample of TalkerResearch is ultimately not very representative, since it is in direct contradiction with the biggest cinematic successes of recent years! And you, what do you think of this survey? And what is the ideal length of a film in your opinion?