How to Use the Extra Hour When the Clocks Go Back
On Sunday 25 October the UK clocks go back at 2am, so the night of Saturday 24 October lasts an hour longer. That is a rare excuse to watch the film everyone keeps saying they will "get round to", the one that runs well over three hours.
A long film is a different kind of commitment from an ordinary movie night, though. It needs a start time, a break and a group that has agreed to it in advance. Here is how to plan one, and four long films that suit different rooms.
Plan the night around the runtime
Work backwards from a finish time, not forwards from a start. If the group wants to be done by 1am, a 3 hour 30 minute film plus a 15-minute interval means pressing play at about 9.15pm. Do the sum before the vote, so nobody picks a film the evening cannot hold.
Runtimes differ between cuts and releases, so check the version you will actually play. The figures below are approximate.
- Plan the interval. Several of the great long films were made with one in mind. Stop at a natural pause, put the kettle on and let people stretch.
- Feed people properly. A long film needs a proper meal beforehand, not just snacks.
- Agree an exit. Say at the start that anyone can head to bed at the interval. A long film works best when nobody feels trapped by it.
- Keep the extra hour optional. The clocks go back, but people still wake up early. Treat the extra hour as a cushion, not a target.
Four long films, four kinds of room
For a group that likes a big story: Titanic (1997)
The BBFC lists it at roughly 195 minutes with a 12A. It is a romance for the first half and a disaster film for the second, so it can bring together people who usually disagree about genre. The tradeoff is that the second half is intense and distressing in places, so judge younger viewers for yourself.
For a group that likes epics: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
David Lean's desert epic is listed by the BBFC at about 210 minutes, with mild violence and infrequent mild bad language noted. Other releases run longer, up to around 227 minutes, so check yours. It rewards a big screen and a quiet room. The tradeoff is pace: it is deliberate, and a group that wants constant jokes may drift.
For adventurous groups: Seven Samurai (1954)
At about 207 minutes, this is the long film that feels shortest. A village hires seven warriors to defend it, and the first half is a recruitment story that is warmer and funnier than its reputation suggests. It is in Japanese with subtitles, so our guide to introducing your group to subtitled films helps set the room up. The BBFC notes moderate violence in the 2020 re-release.
For a group that wants something recent: Oppenheimer (2023)
Around 180 minutes and a 15, so it is the shortest here and the most adult. It is dense, fast and full of conversation, which makes it the best choice for people who like to talk afterwards. The tradeoff is that it asks for attention: it does not suit a room where people drift in and out, and it contains strong language and sex scenes.
Choose it together
A three-hour commitment deserves a proper vote. Our guide to building a shortlist people will vote on works well, and if the length worries people, the group watches under 90 minutes make a gentler alternative. To settle it, start a poll in MyMoviePoll, put two long films and one short one on it, and let the group decide how much of the extra hour they want to spend.