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The best 90-minute movies on Netflix: 10 to choose from

Fantastic short Netflix movies you can stream right now.

The best 90-minute movies on Netflix: 10 to choose from
Marc Chacksfield
21 September 2023

What happened to the short movie? These days so many blockbusters clock in at two-and-a-half hours or more, you have to start the things before you finish work if you want an early night. Well, almost.

Thankfully, the classic 90-minute watch is still here. And when film-makers nail these, we think they are the equivalent of a perfect 3-minute pop song. Pure joy.

You could watch two of these in the time it takes to watch The Irishman, which is a 3.5 hour marathon, and still have change left over to watch an episode of Archer. Bonus!

While horror is one of the key genres for a shorter film, often made to hight budgets and with classic formulas in mind, we've done our best to feature all sorts of films in our list of 10 top 90-minute movies below.

Please note: all of these best 90-minute Netflix movies are available on the UK version of the service. Please check your region for availability.

The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

1. Zombieland

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 88 minutes

While the sequel didn’t quite deliver, the first Zombieland is a flab-free zombie movie that sees Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and others heading through the US to find a place of sanctuary away from the pesky walking dead.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

2. The Fundamentals of Caring

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 97 minutes

This one has been a mainstay in our best cult movies list and it’s a beauty. Starring Paul Rudd as a carer who helps out a depressed Craig Roberts by taking him out on a road trip. The film tackles heavy themes with ease while staying true to its light comedy roots.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

3. My Neighbor Totoro

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Many Studio Ghibli films are longer than two hours. But My Neighbor Totoro, which often tops the best-of lists for this venerated animated series, is less than 90 minutes. It’s the tale of two sisters who find a magical creature in the forest one summer, and how it changes their lives. A truly charming tale you should watch, regardless of your age.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

4. Attack the Block

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 88 minutes

John Boyega’s debut starring role, Attack the Block is an unmistakably British film directed by Joe Cornish. A group of teenagers have to protect their local neighbourhood, in London, from alien invaders. With sharp writing and comedy, this film may have been a flop at the box office, but it has gone on to become a minor cult classic.

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Runtime: 93 minutes

Netflix is really upping its horror game and His House is one of its homegrown efforts. It’s a haunted house story that’s been soaked in the real horrors of trying to seek asylum in the UK. As much as the scares the house offer are frightening, the system that immigrants go through to get help is just as scream inducing.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

6. Source Code

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 89 minutes

A modern sci-fi classic that seems to have fallen off some radars despite being a critical darling back in 2011. Jake Gyllenhaal is a pilot who wakes up in someone else’s body, abord a train. He is re-living the last few minutes of a stranger’s life, charged with finding out the perpetrator of a terrorist attack so it can be avoided. Thrilling stuff, with an emotional core.

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Runtime: 89 minutes

Sarah Paulson stars in Run, one of the best thriller Netflix originals of the last few years. Her disabled daughter is doted on by Paulson’s Diane, but this mother’s version of events is not quite as it seems. Taut and tense, Run had us doing some classic seat-gripping for significant parts of its 89-minute runtime.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

8. The Guilty

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 91 minutes

This remake of the Danish movie of the same name is a taut thriller that starts to escalate the tension from minute one and doesn't let up until the end. Jake Gyllenhaal is a police officer that's been demoted to a deck dispatch job. While there he picks up a call from a woman who says she has been kidnapped.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

9. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Stream now (Netflix)

Runtime: 90 minutes

We’re not specifically looking for family films in this list. But if you are, stick on The SpongeBob Movie. We thoroughly enjoyed this one back in 2015. The SpongeBob crew is transposed onto the real world in a surreal, reality-hopping adventure that features a surprise role for Antonio Banderas. Supremely silly fun.

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The best 90 minute movies on Netflix

10. Yes Day

Watch on Netflix

Runtime: 89 minutes

We are unashamed fans of Yes Day, the family friendly comedy that sees a 'boring' mum and dad allow their children to do to them whatever they want for one day only. Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramírez are great at the uptight parents that slowly but surely understand what it's like to have fun again.

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