r/Showerthoughts • u/catscanmeow • 12d ago
Casual Thought People will complain when movies are longer than 2 hours, but binge watch episodes of tv shows 5 hours straight.
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u/R50cent 12d ago
I think it's because people feel fine stopping the show marathon when they're good while movies feel like the sort of thing you're supposed to watch in one sitting. It makes one feel like it's 5 pieces of content over 5 hours vs one piece of content over 2.
Just a guess though.
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u/Coach_Gainz 12d ago
This. A tv show you can turn off at anytime and revisit… you don’t even mess have to pick up where you left off.
A movie is made specifically to be watched start to finish and leaving mid movie just feels off.
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u/Triaspia2 12d ago
You can also take a break to go to the bathroom and get a drink or handle other things. I think longer movies over the 2-2.5hr mark would benefit from an intermission
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u/Lukealloneword 12d ago
If you're at home like most people watching movies these days, just pause it. Lol
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u/Triaspia2 12d ago
At home yes thats possible. Thats not the only place people might watch movies that could use intermissions.
Also a planned intermission still gives that home viewer a planned in pause point that doesnt interrupt narrative pacing.
Yes its not as necessary for home viewers but theyd benefit too
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u/Megalocerus 12d ago
I don't think a three hour movie is a problem when you are streaming. It's sitting in the theater unable to pause it and having trouble getting a stall in the bathroom.
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u/Otherwise_Fox_1404 11d ago
True but TV shows have a pausing point specifically created for the pause. Long movies used to do this too.
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u/sygnathid 12d ago
And just lose all the immersion, I'd rather have a dedicated pausing point so I don't have to take myself out of it right while it's going.
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u/cant_take_the_skies 11d ago
I turned our living room into a theater during COVID since we couldn't go out. It's hard watching movies anywhere else now.... We can go to the bathroom, get snacks, control volume... It's subpar anywhere else
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u/TakingCareOfBizzness 12d ago
I feel kike this is only because people have been conditioned to believe this. I start movies often before bed and turn it off when my meds kick in. I pick it back up the next night and have never once noticed any negative impact on the enjoyment of the movie.
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u/DeFronsac 11d ago
It's not conditioning. It's the expectation due to format. You make a movie for people to watch it. Sure, you can pause or stop it and come back, but that's not the best way to take it in.
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u/Calvykins 11d ago
If something has an expectation of being watched in one sitting I will put it off. I’m a huge comic books and lanterns is great but I pretty much have to have a guarantee that I’m not getting interrupted and that I have the stamina to get through that 45 minutes before I even turn it on because if I stop mid episode I’m never coming back.
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u/matlynar 12d ago
Which is why I may be weird to most people, but when I'm watching a movie, I sometimes just stop it halfway, no guilt.
I just wait for an important scene to end, preferably on an obvious transition (like a day skip or a character change) and I stop watching like a TV show episode just ended.
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u/Helios4242 12d ago
But also "just one more show" is a notorious nighttime trap, depriving millions of a full 8hrs sleep.
Shows are designed to be addictive and make you want to watch the next episode. Movies don't really do that
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u/buttflakes27 11d ago
There is a special kind of artitistic ability to tell a compelling story in ~90 minutes and I feel like its getting rarer and rarer.
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u/_steve_rogers_ 10d ago
Yeah and you can't pause a movie in the theater that is 4 hours long when you need to piss
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u/catscanmeow 12d ago
Apparently the Netflix executives describe it as it's just about control.
When you feel like youre in control by clicking yes to watch the next episode you get more dopamine.
It's the mindset behind Instagram and TikTok. Its how they are so addictive.
Kind of like how If you discover a song on your own you usually like it more than if it's recommended by someone. It is about ownership
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u/Pretty_Constant1498 12d ago
Netflix execs are also trying to figure out why there's no engagement with their service anymore.
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u/Bigpappa36 11d ago
And you justify it’s only 1 hour or 40 min per episode and makes it manageable.
I watch more movies than tv shows now and I’ll watch a movie over the course 2-3 days just pause it and go with my day, it kinda feels episodic lol→ More replies (4)2
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u/Sprangatang84 11d ago
TV episodes demand less of your attention span. Each episode ends with an invitation to either take a break or keep going. Movies demand your sustained attention for much longer periods of time.
It's the same as when you read a book. A long chapter is mentally daunting, but shorer chapters give you the psychological relief of almost being at a designated intermission point.
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u/mikeysof 11d ago
Yes because you can stop the show more frequently and decide when to stop whereas the movie is locked in until it's finished. Psychologically it's different despite time elapsed.
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u/RogerRabbot 12d ago
It's the choice to end. Every 45 minutes to an hour you have the option of stopping at a natural pause in the story. A 2 or 3 hour long movie there's no built in pauses for the story.
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u/billyblenx 12d ago
To be honest there's definitely moments inside a movie where a pause would feel more fitting than some cliffhanger endings of TV show episodes. IK IK it's all about how the producers intended to... produce, their material, and ultimately the episode ends where it ends, I'm just being saucy here
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u/Helios4242 12d ago
You're absolutely right. One of the few LPT that stuck with me is to stop an episode in the middle if you want to go to bed. Cliffhangers are specifically designed to make you want to watch the next, so are particularly vulnerable to involuntary marathons.
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u/Friskerr 11d ago
I sometimes pause 10-15 minutes before the end of an episode. Often that works as a natural stopping point, just before the cliffhanger.
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u/Donuticus 12d ago
When you go to the gym you don't do 100 push ups, you do 5 sets of 20. It's the same logic for TV vs Film.
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u/slayez06 12d ago
It's sitting in a movie theater for that long... you can't pause, go the bathroom, smoke a cig, get a blow job as all those things are taboo in theaters.. At home no one cares!
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u/OSUfan88 12d ago
You obviously didn’t grow up in the 90’s.
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u/mazi710 11d ago
Back when you could get cigs and blowjob's at the concession stand smh
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u/MinnieShoof 10d ago
Let's all go to the lobby and have ourselves a snack!
The twink waiting behind the counter's name tag: Snack
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u/Captain-Cadabra 11d ago
“Would she go down on you in a theater?”
Alanis Moresette to Dave Coullier
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u/MikeBreiner 11d ago
That's why I'm waiting for The Odyssey to come to streaming. I hear it's really good, but at 2 hours and 52 minutes, I need a pause button.
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u/RickGrimes30 8d ago
I've seen it twice in the cinema and it may be nolas most well paced movie.. I never checked the runtime but just based on how it felt I'd say the moxie was under 2 hours,it flys by
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u/Ha55aN1337 11d ago
I’d rather you get a blowjob in the theater than smell and listen to you eating McDonald’s or nachos.
It should only be popcorn and blowjobs, like in the good old days.
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u/ralphmozzi 12d ago
Hopefully the blow job giver cares!
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u/Virtual-Thought-2557 12d ago
Something tells me if you start smoking while taking a shit and getting a blowjob, the theater will probably go ahead and pause the movie, too.
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u/TehZiiM 11d ago edited 11d ago
I would love to draw something to explain the reason, but it has to do with the arc of suspense/ narrative arc. A movie has single arc, a series on the contrary has an overarching arch and each eoisode has its own. This creates more frequent excitements. Often a series ends on a high or on a rise to create suspense for the next eoisode. Watching a series is more exciting than a movie, basically.
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u/CranberryStock7148 8d ago
This is the answer. It's also way less cognitively demanding.
With an episode of TV, you are already familiar with most of the characters and the setting, and you know what you're getting. And even with serialized television, you still really only mainly have to remember the events of the current episode up to an hour long.
With movies, you have to pay a lot more attention, and your brain has to work a lot harder because literally everything is new. Every characters name is new, every rule about how the world works in this movie is new. And understanding what is happening at the 2:20 mark may require remembering a precise detail from two hours ago.
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u/DarkwingDude 12d ago
A good movie is never too long. A bad movie is never too short.
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u/Pretty_Constant1498 12d ago
Yeah. Pacing absolutely matters. I can look at a 3 hour runtime, go "fuck no" and still watch the Lord of the Rings extended editions happily.
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u/filanwizard 12d ago
The problem is that very long movies no longer have what made them tolerable in the old days.
The intermission.
Something like Return of the King would have had an intermission somewhere in its 3hrs. Chance to take a leak and of course head out to the lobby to get yourself a snack.
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u/LaziestRedditorEver 11d ago
Exactly, in the UK here, and this is an issue which doesn't even need to be an issue. I have watched a couple of Asian movies and they still had intermissions, but Western movies don't. It's really annoying that they're both not treated equally when a Western is over 2 hours.
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u/Redditcadmonkey 10d ago
Given that cinemas only really make money from concessions. I cannot for the life of me figure out why they don’t demand intermissions in the film.
It gives them two chances to sell popcorn to their largest audience.
Instead they’re trying to fit in two shows a night, both of which are at inconvenient times. 5:30-6pm. Too friggin early. 8:30-9pm. Too frigging late.
Have one 7pm show and sell popcorn to them twice!!!
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u/LaughingGaster666 11d ago
This has goomba fallacy all over it.
Moreover, there's a massive difference between watching something in a theater and watching something at home.
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u/Ok_Actuary9229 11d ago
You can pee between episodes.
That said, TV shows that drag out plots can be infuriating. I want the bad guy to get his comeuppance SOON.
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u/Shagyam 11d ago
I mean if you are watching the movie at home you can pee during the movie as well.
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u/darklordbazz 11d ago
You can also watch the whole movie while on the toilet
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u/CertainWish358 11d ago
Comes with the bonus of hemorrhoids!
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u/SinInSanity 11d ago
For the TV shows being binged, tt's the same reason many people can't walk away from a slot machine. Has to do with how this is stimulating the primary chemical in the brain responsible for reward anticipation, motivation, and "wanting" (rather than the pleasure of receiving the reward itself).
Movies are usually made with different intent and so works this differently. A movie isn't usually made with an intention to keep you hooked in the same way as a reocuring series is. When a movie is over, it's over, so less reason to ensure it does the same thing.
Notice when bingeing, that intense craving, the "just one more" feeling. That's how you know that neurotransmitter in your brain has been getting stimulated. These shows want you to come back and triggering the same thing a slot machine does for many people is effective.
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u/Space19723103 12d ago
5 hours with a toilet break every 22 or 44 minutes is a lot different than 3 hours straight
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u/Noxious89123 11d ago
Yup, I'm fucking terrible for this.
Won't commit to a 2 hour film, but will just watch anime all evening. Or doom scroll YouTube shorts for hours on end.
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u/cigr 12d ago
Movies over two hours can be amazing. The issue is all the 2+ hour movies that should have been less than 90 minutes but pad themselves out with boring garbage that has no relevance to the plot.
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u/katamuro 11d ago
yeah there are plenty of amazing movies that are over 2 hours long. However there are also a lot of movies that would have benefitted from having 30 minutes at least cut out. Best example, the newest star wars trilogy. The movies would have worked so much better if they were shorter and focused. Well apart from the episode 9, not much can actually salvage it.
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u/forogtten_taco 12d ago
A movie is a commitment, you HAVE to sit down and watch for 2+ hours. A tv show, you committed to 20/50 minutes. And you COULD stop there..... or watch another, and another....
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u/BaconIsntThatGood 11d ago
Shows are just designed different.
They're written to encourage breaks between episodes or during episodes (commercials). It doesn't always break the pacing. Plus they are only "24 minute" episodes. The viewer chooses to add another increment
A 2hr movie is a commitment. It's not the same to watch half and resume.
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u/catscanmeow 11d ago
if they're taking breaks between episodes then its not 5 hours straight is it?
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u/Captain-Cadabra 11d ago
People also have a hard time paying attention to a 53 minute show, but will watch 53 reels in a row no problem.
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u/Aggressive_Cook_9049 11d ago
Movies are a commitment, but five hours of TV is “just one more episode” repeated until it’s tomorrow
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u/Yeeeoow 12d ago
Are those the same people?
Everyone likes pointing at two contradictory statements on the internet and pretending they've found proof of hypocrisy.
Isn't it likely that you've just seen two opinions by different people and you're conflating them?
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u/Otherwise_Fox_1404 11d ago
Most people can't or won't watch tv shows for 5 hours straight. I'm guessing if you take the set of all people who complain about 2 hr movies and the set of people who watch 5 hrs of television straight, there is not a lot of crossover.
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u/Plane_Cap_9416 10d ago
Not true. I would do the shows but not the movie
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u/Otherwise_Fox_1404 9d ago
So you would find yourself in the "some people" category, which is that limited band of crossover...cool
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u/Plane_Cap_9416 9d ago
It means I don't think its as uncommon as you think. It requires a different amount of mental energy to watch five different storylines versus one more lengthy storyline.
What stats are you basing your claim off of?
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u/NottACalebFan 12d ago
You can take a bathroom/food break in between episodes. It's a lot harder to tell when exactly a movie will give you complete down time for the length of a bathroom trip.
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u/Pake1000 12d ago
I can take a piss break while binge watching without missing anything. I can’t do that at a movie theater.
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u/beenfernd 12d ago
Also 4 episodes 30 minute each, there’s a climax and a resolution every thirty minutes. The movie makes you wait
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u/I_MakeCoolKeychains 12d ago
My problem is that at the theater i can't pause to go to the bathroom so i miss stuff all the time
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u/mrgonz23 12d ago
I think it comes down to pacing. TV shows have better pacing and a quicker dopamine payoff.
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u/Helios4242 12d ago
I would argue that better is subjective here.
They certainly have more addictive pacing. Whether that's a good thing is a question for the media critics
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u/Pretty_Constant1498 12d ago
Anecdotally, I loved the show "Longmire" when it was on A&E. I went back to rewatch it after it hit Netflix and concluded. Those A&E seasons still just flowed beautifully. Then I hit the Netflix seasons and they felt like an absolute slog and I never finished the show. Now, this may be somewhat proving your point, because the Netflix episodes had none of the ebbs and flows of commercial TV (leading into and out of commercial breaks) and were all at least 15 minutes longer than the cable TV episodes.
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u/HystericalGD 12d ago
It's the commitment.
i could get up at any time through a tv series, and don't feel locked to it.
Movies have no good stopping points
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u/badboybilly42582 11d ago
If I’m watching at home I could care less about the length cause I can pause.
The issue is when I’m at the actual theater. I don’t want to miss anything so I’ll purposely dehydrate myself a little bit so I don’t need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie.
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u/George0fDaJungle 11d ago
The problem is the structure. a 45-60 min episode that you want to binge (i.e. it's 'binge-worthy) is already correctly designed to hold your attention for its duration, has a hook, a mounting tension level, and allows you relief at some point, with another hook to bring you to the next episode. Films frequently lack this type of structure, because they're written in "filmable sequence" thinking in terms of set pieces, action sequences, and plot points. They see it all as one thing leading to a huge climax; or more often these days, a series of nonstop new plot revelations that never stop, never offer relief, have no proper resolution, and never bother trying to hook you into the next part because they figure you're already watching.
The result is that a 150 min film can't hold your attention because it has poor design and doesn't even consider whether you're still hooked 60 min in. It just tries to ramp up excitement levels, unlike a web series, which knows that after about 45-60 min you need to resolution, some breather, and a hook into the next part. If films were better written they'd be just as watchable. There are definitely films I can't stop watching from start to finish, it's just very rare these days.
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u/Tomaketu 11d ago
Are they the same persons saying both things? Or are there two sets and only some overlap?
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u/UniverseLurker 12d ago
I do complain that movies are 2 hours, because I wish they were 3 hours long
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u/espressoboyee 12d ago
And now the studios are gifting us 90" movies with poor, shallow, untalented and unskillful story lines cuz the public has ADHD and small unhealthy bladders.
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u/Shalmaneser_ 12d ago
You mean movie theaters and production companies complain about long movies. Can't charge if you can't flip seats.
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u/Critical-Champion365 12d ago
People rarely complain when the 2.45 hr run is actually good. Time passes differently in a cinema theatre and what people complaining is how laggy some movies are.
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u/AngryArmadillo90 12d ago
I prefer to watch my feature length movies in three minute increments on YouTube
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u/Ashes_ToAshes_ 12d ago
There's way too many 90 minute movies these days masquerading as 120-135 minute movies.
I love a long movie as long as it's good. I hate a poorly paced movie that should be 20-30 minutes shorter.
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u/acryliq 11d ago
tbh I tend to pass on shorter movies these days as it tends to indicate that they won’t have the time or space to really tell an interesting story. Since TV shows switched from being self-contained stories each episode to each episode basically being one chapter of an 8hr+ story, short movies feel a bit shallow by comparison.
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u/Alienhaslanded 11d ago
The difference is you can pause to go pee and grab a snack. The movies just blast through it in one go.
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u/michaelscott1776 11d ago
Imo most movies don't need to be longer than 2 hours, most of the time when I've watched a movie longer than 2 hours it really starts to drag towards the end
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u/Son_of_Plato 11d ago
Multiple episodes with good pacing is not the same as a 3 hour movie with shit pacing
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u/AtheneSchmidt 11d ago
I have been doing this exact thing for months. I keep wanting to watch The Batman. I see it's 2 hours 50 min, I think. So I put on my show instead and bienge 4 hour long episodes.
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u/babylikestopony 11d ago
The narrative ebb and flow of good tv is better suited to long viewing than a good movie
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u/Character_Total_9164 10d ago
Sure, but you have the option to stop watching after every episode. They are self contained and designed in a way that makes them easy to follow when you take a break.
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u/AJayHeel 8d ago
The two hour movie is a two hour commitment; the binge is a 30-60 minute commitment that you decide to keep going with, but where you can stop if you choose.
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u/PetiePal 8d ago
To be fair I can pause a show or run to the bathroom and get a snack during credits and intro.
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u/Friendly_Talk_5259 12d ago
It's because I can get up and go to the bathroom or stretch my legs any time I want to do so. There's no pause button at the theatre and I can't wear my pjs and snuggle under a nice warm blanket.
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u/Helios4242 12d ago
Nothing about the original post restricts this effect to theaters.
I think it's still less likely for someone to watch two movies back-to-back than 5 hour-long episodes, even in the comfort of their own home.
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u/amdaly10 12d ago
It's being in the theater. I can't pause and go pee in the theater. I often do chores between episodes of a tv show.
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u/UniQue1992 12d ago
Zoomers and younger complain about 2h movies because they have the attention span of a toddler.
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u/katamuro 11d ago
I am over 30 and watching a movie over two and a half hours long in a cinema is just not comfortable. Especially if it's not a good seat, then my knees start to protest and my back and I am more distracted by being uncomfortable than actually paying attention to the movie.
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u/vkapadia 11d ago
I'm 42. I only watch movies in the theaters that have the reclining seats. I can stay locked in for hours based on comfort, the only thing that would limit me is my bladder capacity.
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u/katamuro 11d ago
yeah which is why I prefer just water now instead as carbonation really puts a strain on it.
There are seats that are comfortable even for long stretches, they are right behind that half-wall that separates the seats right in front of the screen from the "theatre" seats as I can stretch out my legs and hold my head at a slight upward angle which then makes my spine straight as I sit,
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u/ForeverOk1692 12d ago
I have a pause button at home to use the bathroom or get food or a drink for a lot less. Like movies still but 2 hours is my max. Some are 2.5 to 3 hours lately.
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u/bananadepartment 12d ago
That’s completely different you get breaks and the stories are not as complex
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u/mdarena 12d ago
And I will complain if those 5 episodes contain a bunch of time wasting filler. A movie is a different type of media - it tells one story, and unless there's a good reason why, don't make me sit and listen to the same story for more than 2 hours. 90% of the time the extra time is just flab that should have been cut to make a punchier, better story.
A tv series tells a bunch of smaller stories that should link into a bigger one, and they're meant to stand alone an hour at a time if they're done right.
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u/SeanFromQueens 12d ago
At home they're not sitting straight through, they are pausing and going to the bathroom getting something to eat & drink, and all without missing a moment of the movie or TV show.
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u/playr_4 12d ago
From someone who does this, I can explain. Shows have breaks. There are scheduled pause points for ads and in between episodes. That alone makes it feel like so much less if a commitment than sitting down for a 3 hours of a movie. Even if I end up watching longer, it feels so much less. Watching a movie can feel like a chore sometimes.
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u/legend_of_yugi 12d ago
To be fair, I only have to lock in for 30 mins at a time and a new story begins vs having to lock in for 2 hours straight on the same story
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u/Iamyous3f 11d ago
when i watch tv shows, sometimes they put cc cliffhangers at the end of an episode and then I get curious and start the next one. That's why i sometimes watch many tv show episodes
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u/gaypirate3 11d ago
Most tv episodes have a beginning middle and end in 45-60 minutes. A movie has that but in 2 hours. So watching tv is more like watching 5 mini movies as opposed to a really long movie.
It’s the reason shows like Sherlock and Columbo aren’t really bingeable since they’re movie length.
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u/thisispatrickmc 11d ago
Movies tell one usually predictable story. An hour and a half of that 2 hours is just waiting to see if you guessed right.
A good show tells a story every 30-45 mins and has an overarching story through a season.
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u/ineedtoknowmorenow 11d ago
Series have a dopamine spike every 30-60 minutes. Movies only once in those three hours.
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u/MrLumie 11d ago
Because those episodes aren't 2 hours long.
Sitting down to watch a TV show only requires a pre-existing commitment for 20-40 minutes depending on what you watch. Then, after the episode ended, you may feel the commitment for another 20-40 minutes. And another, and another. You never actually commit for longer than an hour.
But sitting down to watch a movie means committing to not doing anything for 2+ hours, which you may not feel like you can do right now.
Smaller sizes, smaller commitments, easier to spend a lot of time on.
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u/DeFronsac 11d ago
Because of the structure. A movie has a different structure than a show. You can stop the show at any time. A movie is meant to be watched in one sitting.
It's also the fact that it feels like a lot of movies are unnecessarily long. So many movies are over two hours when they could easily be 1:50 and be at least as good. It feels like bloat.
And it's shows too, and people complain there too. Ted Lasso's first season was amazing, and the episodes were right around half an hour. In season 2, that started to bloat, and by season 3 episodes were 45+ minutes. You can feel it. It feels different.
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u/sci-mind 11d ago
Intermissions are something figured out long ago. “Between the episodes” serves the same function. We don’t like commercials, but we all need a break point.
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u/Random_Guy_47 11d ago
If I binge watch I only need to commit to one episode at a time, it then has a natural stopping point where I can decide to watch one more or end it there.
A film requires committing to two hours+ from the outset.
Committing to one hour twice is easier than committing to two hours once.
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u/LogicalByte 11d ago
tv episodes feel like small bites so you don't realize you're eating the whole cake until it's gone lol
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u/magnafelis69 11d ago
My friends are the opposite. They will watch a movie almost every night of any length, but when I suggest watching 3-4 episodes (1.5-2 hours) of a tv show instead they say they don't want to binge and 2 episodes is their max.
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u/Ardalev 11d ago
Not remotely the same thing.
Watching an episode you have a begining -> end arc in a much shorter time span than a movie and, if they have a continuous story, it's likely that each episode is structured to have a cliffhanger, meaning you have a continuous stream of excitement and anticipation build up.
Even if the episodes are more self contained with no overarching plot (think Star Trek, Doctor Who etc), that means that each episode will most likely have a different subject matter and vibe, keeping things fresh and interesting.
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u/tallnerdykid 11d ago
They only have to wait a couple of months for digital or Blu-ray. No one is forcing them to sit it out in the theater, and if they have fomo, that's too bad.
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u/JakeTheSnekPlissken 10d ago
Yes, this, but for people who watch hours of shorts on social media instead of committing to a film
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u/InternationalEbb4137 10d ago
You know.... fair point. It may have to do with the way the storytelling in episodic content is structured verses how it's structured in movies though.
In episodic content each episode has it's own focus, usually, while maybe still tying into the overall plot/narrative arch, or not even. So there's variety of a different sort.
In film, generally, it's usually one fluid experience without much straying from the main narrative, if there is any straying at all.
Some people may be fatigued by longer movies where with episodic content they may get a reprieve with each episode when the focus of the narrative shifts or a seperate narrative branches off if even for an episode.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Mix6364 10d ago
Different formulations , design, and plots. It's like saying people can eat 2 pound sof veggies a day and be fine but when they eat 2 pounds of poteot chops they get fat.
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u/the_disturbed 10d ago
This is 100% me. People ask if i've seen a certain film, and i reply with "no i can't sit though 2+ hours". I then proceed to sit in front of Youtube for 5 hours straight watching car repair stuff...i guess its the content that matters
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u/SwampFocs 10d ago
Our brains like things bite-sized. There's research that putting whole fruits/veggies out for children to eat will leave them mostly untouched, but if you cut them into bite-sized pieces, they will get eaten. It's something about our psychology and perceived barriers to entry. If I pick up the whole fruit, I'm committing to eat all of it, versus I'll just have a bite, then I line it so I have another bite, etc
Analogy holds for TV vs movies.
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u/MrFiendish 10d ago
When most people binge a show, they’re barely paying attention to it. Doing chores, playing with their phone, they’re not focused on it.
The max that someone could possibly spend focusing on one piece of media uninterrupted is 3 hours. And that’s if you are in a public place with an audience of captive viewers influencing your compliance. Beyond that, you need an intermission or regular breaks.
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u/atbims 10d ago
I want movies to be as long as the story takes to tell without cutting important aspects or adding junk just for the sake of timing. For some stories that's an hour, for some it's 4. Anything over 2.5 should have a planned "intermission" point that doesn't break the pace of the story so people can pee. Theatres would make more money on concessions too. Theatres should also do marathons for sequels.
If you can't go the length of a movie without smoking or getting a blowjob like I saw someone comment, just watch it at home; your addiction isn't everyone else's problem.
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u/skittlebog 10d ago
It is also a matter of attention span. In a long movie you have to keep paying attention for one long continuous stretch. In episode TV ideas and action are broken up into segments that allow you to take a mental break between.
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u/vampycastle 10d ago
I imagine it has something to do with the pacing. A lot of shows will have plot arcs (can’t remember the word I’m looking for) in each episode as well as overall, to my understanding.
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u/YouKnow-FromTV 9d ago
It's about pacing and gratification. TV episodes will almost always end with a satisfying conclusion to their particular story. So within that 5 hours, you get multiple smaller stories that all resolve themselves, and you get a feeling of gratification with each ending. If one episode in the mix iss less good, then you can move right on to a better one. With a long film, there's one resolution and you have to hang on for ages to get there. And if the film is badly paced or poorly written, then you don't get to jump ship to a better film after half an hour. You're on the ride til the end.
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u/ShowerSentinel 12d ago
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