Turns Out We Don't Want a Three-Hour Movie... We Want to Be Home Before the Popcorn Gets Cold

If you've ever looked at a movie runtime and thought, "I don't have that kind of emotional stamina," you're not alone.

A new survey suggests the perfect movie length is just 88 minutes. That's right. People want a beginning, a middle, an ending... and enough time to still make it home before bedtime.

Researchers asked 2,000 adults how long a movie should be, and the average answer came in at just under an hour and a half.

Only one in 10 people said they actually want a movie that's two hours or longer, and just three per cent are willing to sit through anything over two-and-a-half hours.

Apparently, our attention spans are shrinking faster than the candy bag you swear you'll "save for later."

The interesting part? We've become even less patient. A similar survey just two years ago found people were willing to sit through about 92 minutes.

Now we've shaved off another four minutes. That's basically an entire car chase or unnecessary slow-motion ending.

Age also makes a difference.

Boomers are the most patient, saying 93 minutes feels about right. Gen X comes in around 89 minutes.

Millennials want about 86 minutes, which is understandable because they have kids, dogs, side hustles, and lower back pain waiting for them at home.

Gen Z? They'd like the credits rolling after about 82 minutes. That's barely enough time for the trailers these days.

Looking at this summer's movies, only a couple are close to the sweet spot. Minions & Monsters clocks in at 90 minutes, while Jackass: Best and Last runs 92 minutes.

Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 stretches to 102 minutes, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is just under two hours, and The Odysseysails past the finish line at a whopping 172 minutes.

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At that point, you're not watching a movie... you're signing a lease.

Maybe that's why people are getting picky. Between the ticket prices, the giant popcorn that requires a small loan, and trying not to miss anything during the inevitable bathroom break, shorter movies suddenly sound pretty appealing.

Turns out the biggest summer blockbuster might just be... getting home before 10 o'clock.