You’d be shocked how engaging slow cinema can be, and pace is never a hurdle when you know the right films to watch.
15. The New World (2005)
This one’s an ode to our Disney star Pocahontas and her beloved Captain John Smith with a rather mystic take on love. A little misunderstood because of all the extravagant space and how unreal it seemed, but still worth a watch. Murmuring brooks and deep green woods engage the audience in visually. Spare a good three hours of your time to watch this one if you’re a sucker for fantasy and spectacle.
14. Che (2008)
Here’s one that’s believably long and stretches for over four and a half hours. The story of Che Guevara and the Cuban authoritarian dictatorship, this one’s a walk down political history. Director Steven Soderbergh often expresses an affinity toward historically-driven narratives and here’s another one. Look out for Benicio Del Toro’s remarkable acting skills and adaptability to a narrative that not only involves ample amounts of action, but profoundly synthesized storytelling as well.
13. Dogville (2003)
Here’s one that missed the eyes of many but has a common favourite director-writer working behind it – our Danish maker, Lars von Trier. A film about a shady town tucked away in the deepest corners of the world, its population dealing with morally questionable elements.
Watch out for Nicole Kidman’s effortless acting that not only proves her versatility, but would speak for the work put in directing her. If you’re hungry for action, James Caan will come to your rescue. Just set aside some three hours for this one and to watch credible acting and direction.
12. Short Cuts (1993)
One with a peculiar rhythm, “Short Cuts” is a film that’s rather posh in its look, much more than the others on the list, yet one cannot refute the necessary patience required to watch it. Extravagantly set and taking longer than expected to devote to the exposition of characters, this one is a spread over just three hours.
Contemporary Los Angeles, the theme of the film, is rather generic. However, it would be a crime to ignore the cast that includes the remarkable skills of Andie MacDowell, Julianne Moore and Tim Robbins, and who can forget Robert Downey Jr.? Robert Altman writes his characters steadily but not hastily.
11. A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016)
A film by the master of slow cinema, Filipino writer-director Lav Diaz, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2016. An eight-hour-long crafted piece of work, this one’s a period film. The inbred tales sutured within the 1896 Philippine Revolution and shot in black and white and placed into the 4:3 aspect ratio will surely remind you of times you’ve never lived or heard of.
10. Zodiac (2007)
Probably Fincher’s only lengthy thriller that would run for about three hours, if not less, this one has two our Marvel heroes – Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. A rather painstaking journey from the start, but the efforts were made evident by some commendable performances by Downey and even Jake Gyllenhaal.
9. Apocalypse Now Redux (1979 / 2000)
From one of our most favourite directors, Francis Ford Coppola, this is your “Apocalypse Now” with an extra hour of footage that makes it more appealing than it already was. A rather comprehensible counter to the original cut, for those who hadn’t been able to appreciate it at one go, here’s another three-and-a-half hours of an extra chance for you to do so. A rather comfortably paced and spaced out version of the original.