Having watched 117 films at the cinema last year, and a further 6 so far this year, I was recently asked how many hours of my life that equated to, and the honest answer is...rather a lot! Whilst movie durations fell during the 2000s, they are back on the rise, with the latest Avatar instalment clocking in at 192 minutes. If you think that's a large chunk of time, a local cinema near us is showing The Hobbit Trilogy on Sunday, starting at 10:30AM, and lasting for 572 minutes (so you'll be emerging blearily-eyed after 8PM!).
This week, the creative director of Picturehouse Cinemas, Clare Binns, said directors should make shorter films if they want their work screened in cinemas. Her remarks came after she was given a Bafta for outstanding British contribution to cinema, and reflect growing concern over the resilience of audiences to sit through lengthy films.
The recent Leonardo DiCaprio film One Battle After Another failed to break even, even though it was widely acclaimed by critics. It was another lengthy affair, lasting the best part of three hours. The Brutalist was so long (215 minutes), cinemas were even permitted to include an intermission halfway through!
Much like the end of linear radio was predicted with the advent of music TV channels and streaming services like Spotify, I'm pleased to say around 9 out of 10 adults still listen to the radio every week, according to data published by industry body RAJAR. Podcasts and audio books are also hugely popular, and whilst there's never been more choice, there is still plenty of mileage in compelling local content and entertaining radio, both local and national. It's similar for cinemas, which many worried might never return when the shutters came down for 32 weeks during the pandemic.
Back to Picturehouse boss Clare Binns, who told The Guardian: "Local cinemas are fantastic resources. They get people out of their houses, they're community hubs. If that disappears, it's a tragedy". Binns will get her Bafta in about a month's time, and has also said younger cinemagoers are coming to watch the likes of Hitchcock and Agnes Varda on the big screen. I loved seeing Jaws on the Didsbury Cineworld Superscreen last year, and have also recently enjoyed Back To The Future in IMAX with a friend who had got into his early fifties without ever seeing it (I know, ridiculous!).
Cinema is a shared experience that is full of joy, from the rustle of popcorn to the shared shrieks and laughter. Just don't put your feet on the seats or scroll through your socials once the trailers have finished, and we can definitely be friends. I think there is a very good case for films to be made shorter. Cinemas could programme more screenings through the week, and it would be less of a time commitment for folk with busy lives and commitments. I'm not arguing there should be no long films, but am fairly sure Wicked could have been squeezed into one film, or at the very least two shorter ones. I'd never want to curtail original storytelling, but a bit more editing wouldn't go amiss at times.
Meanwhile, more than half of us (52%) say poor sleep has a negative effect on our mood, and more than one in four (28%) say it affects our mood more than having a cold. Three quarters told the Bensons for Beds survey that they would sooner enjoy perfect sleep than receive £1,000! I think I'm with them, on that, given my sleep average is less than six hours a night currently. Things that disrupt our sleep include money and family worries, work anxiety, and staying up to doom scroll.
The mindless scrolling one is definitely my biggest downfall, and I'm making a concerted effort to stick to my solitary New Year's resolution to read more books, and look at my screen a little less. I've finished two books so far this month, which is good going by my standards, as I usually only complete them on a rare strint by the swimming pool in sunnier climes (last time I finished a book was almost two years ago!). If you need a book recommendation, and crime fiction is your bag, Eye For An Eye by MJ Arlidge is a real grisly page turner. Superb stuff. And the chapters are nice and short too.
Oh, and I reckon I spent at least ten solid days of 2025 watching films at the cinema. I regret nothing!
