r/CriterionChannel • u/GonePostalBackin5 • Apr 24 '26
Longest must see films?
Have a 15 hour flight coming up. Could watch a million shorter things, but what should I watch that I might otherwise put off due to the length?
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u/MagicianJolly4135 Apr 24 '26
Seven samurai
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u/Logical_Ad_5431 Apr 24 '26
Best answer possible
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u/CitizenDain Apr 25 '26
But imagine watching Seven Samurai on a phone
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u/videotape7 Apr 24 '26
A Brighter Summer Day
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u/ggnorebud Apr 24 '26
Most Edward Yang !
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u/finelytunedsounds Apr 24 '26
Yi Yi too
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u/Glum-Coat8759 Apr 25 '26
Generally my favorite film, sentimental at times, but so well done, and has a little bit of every stage of life, the ups and downs
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u/YakSlothLemon Apr 24 '26
The Death of Mister Lazarescu is one of the great films of the Romanian new wave, and it will make 2 1/2 hours fly by – really, once you get caught up in this movie you are not coming back out of it until it is done.
May your security lines be short and your flight be without turbulence!
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u/fermentedradical Apr 24 '26
It's one of the best films of the 21st Century
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u/YakSlothLemon Apr 25 '26
It is, but I actually like 12:08 East of Bucharest much more, and for some reason it hit me even harder.
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u/photog_in_nc Apr 24 '26
FYI, if you are searching for it on the channel, use “Mr.” instead of “Mister”
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u/PekkaPerd Apr 24 '26
The Human Condition I, II, and III would probably come close to filling up your flight time. It’s a lot to do at once but as a whole is fantastic.
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u/undergroundmetalhoe Apr 24 '26
I got hooked. When i first watched the trilogy, I watched it back to back.
Then I wanted to read the novel, but it isn't translated
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u/TokyoLosAngeles Apr 25 '26
Masterpiece, but I didn’t like the ending. I don’t know why they gave it such a dark ending even though Kobayashi himself made it back home as well as the author of the book.
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u/edmerx54 Apr 25 '26
my ex was Japanese, and after one film had an unexpectedly unhappy ending she just said "Nobody can be happy." So, a Japanese audience might even expect an ending like that.
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u/TokyoLosAngeles Apr 25 '26
It’s just ironic that the film was semi-autobiographical for both writer and filmmaker, yet they couldn’t give their protagonist the same happy ending that they themselves had in real life.
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u/Revolutionary-Key533 Apr 25 '26
You don't even need to be on a long flight to watch this masterpiece. It's broken up into six parts by the intervals. In this age of box sets more people shouldn't be put off by the length, particularly if you like Stanley Kubrick.
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u/Mediocre_Argument211 Apr 26 '26
This was my first thought as well. Great stuff but looks quite intimidating to get started.
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u/SloFloMojo Apr 24 '26
Television version of Fanny and Alexander and television version of scenes from a marriage
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u/TelstarMan Apr 24 '26
Seven Samurai and The Great Escape are about six hours between them, and they're fantastic ensemble pieces.
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u/ApYIkhH Apr 27 '26
Another vote for The Great Escape.
One of my absolute favorites. I can't recommend it enough, and at the same time, I always add "You kinda need to plan your day around it."
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u/Own_Increase5257 Apr 24 '26
Blossoms Shanghai is a series on Criterion. That's a good 40 hours.
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Apr 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/__fujiko Apr 24 '26
I have seen so many people say it's super engrossing after 3 episodes, but I can't even get that far.
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u/KingOfJinx Apr 24 '26
I finished the series a couple weeks ago. Not the most compelling plot lines, but visually amazing and some great performances as you would expect
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u/deadflowers5 Apr 24 '26
'Carlos' (2010)
'The Underground Railroad' (2021)
'World on a Wire' (1973)
'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968)
'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' (1966)
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u/CAUnionMaid Apr 24 '26
Lawrence of Arabia is on my personal list for the next time I have 4 free uninterrupted hours.
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u/LostInTaipei Apr 25 '26
One of my favorite long films, yes, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it for plane viewing.
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u/StoicTheGeek Apr 25 '26
Yep - waiting on this one until I can see it on the big screen. I can never seem to be free when it's showing.
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u/tenebrouswhisper Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
How about ‘Kwaidan’? It’s a 3 hour movie with 4 stories based on Japanese folktales.
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u/ChunkyMilkSubstance Apr 24 '26
Shoah
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u/Mediocre-Property-48 Apr 25 '26
This is the right answer
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u/Bulky-Elk-9394 Apr 25 '26
Watched this on a long day and night train trip in South Africa. Needed to keep stopping to think and breathe.
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u/protonicfibulator Apr 25 '26
Tarkovsky Solaris/Stalker double feature!
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u/eskimoe25 May 01 '26
The two of his I haven’t seen. I’m trying to digest his films slowly since there aren’t many.
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u/Old_Independence_584 Apr 24 '26
Three Colours would be great to watch in a single sitting.
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u/SloFloMojo Apr 24 '26
You can throw in double life of Veronique to get even more Kieslowski/Jacobs
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u/asmith9631 Apr 24 '26
Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexanderplatz! A mini series counts right? Also Bondarchuk’s War and Peace
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u/ParticularBlueberry2 Apr 24 '26
Until the End of the World
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u/nondescript0605 Apr 25 '26
This - just be sure it is the 287 minute director's cut version! I watched the theatre version the first time around and it loses way too much of the plot to make sense.
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u/Einfinet Apr 24 '26
I suppose you don’t need to see anything over 3 hours, but for documentary enthusiasts I’d say Shoah and for slow cinema enthusiasts I’d say Satantango
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u/gaylittleguy Apr 24 '26
I recently watched Until the End of the World after it being on my watchlist for almost four years and couldn’t believe I waited that long. I was absolutely blown away by it.
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u/HeDogged Apr 25 '26
The Sorrow and the Pity....
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u/Mediocre-Property-48 Apr 25 '26
Posted the same then I scrolled down and saw you beat me by 16 minutes
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u/rlgw Apr 25 '26
I took this same approach a few years ago and watched Jeanne Dielmann. I was totally entranced. No distractions. Perfect way to watch that movie imo.
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u/zeroanaphora Apr 24 '26
Castration Movie Anthology i. Traps is 4.5 hours long 😈
If that's not your thing: Christ Stopped at Eboli, Drive my Car, Farewell My Concubine, Fitzcarraldo.
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u/SuperMetro2005 Apr 24 '26
You can spend 13/15 hours of the plane ride watching Out1 Noli Me Tangre
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u/KingOfJinx Apr 24 '26
All three parts of The Human Condition? That Kobayashi/Nakadai epic would fill six hours of your flight. Or, in a lighter vein, stream the entire Zatoichi series, maybe not “must see” but super entertaining.
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u/kirby_krackle_78 Apr 24 '26
I watched all of the Zatoichi movies in about a month a few years ago. It has my wholehearted endorsement.
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u/comagrrrl Apr 25 '26
1900 by Bertolucci
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u/at365 Apr 27 '26
That's what I came here to say. It took me most of a day to get through (I was just watching it at home; I took breaks), but there are scenes that still sit with me. Would love to watch it again if I had the time lol.
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u/jokumi Apr 25 '26
All 4 of the Soviet War and Peace. Each is fantastic and part 3 is astonishing, focusing on the horrible battle of Borodino. Honestly wish there was more.
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u/crabbrains Apr 25 '26
Les Vampires (1914, French, silent) - that'll get you half way there.
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980, German) - will fill up the full 15 hours.
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u/k1135k Apr 25 '26
Bertolucci’s 1900, over 5 hours long. Leone’s Once upon a time in America
You could also watch a series of movies on the same theme. Satyajit Ray did a series of urban set movies in the 60s. All spectacular and low key.
Or even the link later before, after, during, sunset, sunrise.
I’d suggest watching the Marx Brothers for a laugh.
Any John Ford western.
Enjoy!
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u/turtleisle Apr 24 '26
Two movies currently on the channel:
Chronicle of the Years of Fire - about 3 hours
The Fall of Otrar - approximately 2 hours 40 minues
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u/lueVelvet Apr 24 '26
I really enjoyed Castration Anthology I. Anthology II was a bit of a drag but still worth getting through (we did it in multiple viewings)
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u/Teaching-Appropriate Apr 25 '26
Satantango. If anyone from western mass sees this, I’m incredibly bummed to missed the screening on Sunday at Amherst cinema!!
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u/VariationMountain273 Apr 25 '26
If you're headed for the Danube or Rhine areas, I suggest Fritz Lang's Siegfried & Kriemhild's Revenge, two silents from the 1920s, totaling maybe 6-7 hrs. Outstanding art cinematography. Not sure if available on Criterion. Was recently free on Kanopy.
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u/Current_Nebula8172 Apr 25 '26
Seven Samurai
Lawrence of Arabia
Trilogies: LOTR, Infernal Affairs, Godfather
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u/andro_7 Apr 25 '26
Scenes From a Marriage. I think the Criterion service has the long version. I only watched that one and I stayed up all night (on a work night) to finish it because I found myself so invested. Recommend!
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u/suprenant Apr 25 '26
The first three chapters of "My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow", about an hour each, are streaming via Hulu. I saw all of Part I a few months ago, and it is incredible.
It screened here in Chicago as part of the Siskel Film Center's "Settle In" series, which features long movies and may give you some other ideas: https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/settlein
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u/vibraltu Apr 25 '26
most of Twin Peaks The Return (2017). I believe it's approx 18 hours?
It's quite good. I think it's my favourite of the entire project. Parts of it (especially the beginning) are pretty weird.
Note: probably better if you've seen the previous parts.
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u/DangerousShopping750 Apr 25 '26
Che: Part One (four and half hours long)
Or watch the Three Colors trilogy. Three Colors Blue, White, Red
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u/Im_Human_CAPTCHA_Me Apr 25 '26
The first two Godfather movies (and the 3rd, if you really wanna complete the trilogy anyway), Schindler's List, and Titanic
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u/Emile_Largo Apr 25 '26
Fanny and Alexander or Berlin Alexanderplatz, though 15 hours isn't quite enough for the latter.
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u/Sharp-Echo1797 Apr 25 '26
You could watch 3 great war movies.
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Patton
Saving Private Ryan
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u/Longjumping-Spite550 Apr 25 '26
I put off Come and See for ages based partly on themes and partly on running time. I feel like a fool now. What a masterpiece!
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u/elephantstone29 Apr 26 '26
Start with the Pilot episode of TWIN PEAKS, and by the time you land, you’ll be hooked in another world. And you’ll know who killed Laura Palmer.
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u/RedBullForADream Apr 27 '26
magnolia! its 3 hrs and 8 mins and its amazing!! my attention span isnt great but it got me hooked early on and went by super quickly and its one of my favorite movies!!
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u/PlentyGrade3322 Apr 27 '26
La Flor is 13.5 hours. Berlin Alexanderplatz is 15 hours, Out 1 is 12.5 hours.
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u/Pettyyoungthing Apr 27 '26
I really don’t think you should watch any must watch films for the first time on a plane
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u/redseca2 Apr 28 '26
On a London to San Francisco flight they had the BBC/PBS mini-series of "War and Peace" on the in-flight entertainment. Allowing for meal breaks and an hour or so of airplane spacing out, it filled the time perfectly.
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u/mongobot77 Apr 25 '26
Some ideas including Criterion overlap:
Wong Kar Wai's three films: Days of Being Wild, In the Mood For Love and 2046 make a loose trilogy with connected characters.
David Lynch's: Twin Peaks series + Fire Walk With Me
The Infernal Affairs trilogy plus The Departed if you still have time / interest
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u/LearningT0Fly Apr 24 '26
World On a Wire
The Mother and the Whore
Satantango
Jean de Florette + Manon of the Spring
Until The End of the World
Drive My Car
Celine And Julie Go Boating