UK Cinema Boss Calls for Shorter Films to Save the Big Screen
A leading British cinema executive has sparked debate by urging filmmakers to trim their runtimes, hinting at a shift in how audiences and cinemas approach the modern film experience.
Claire Binns, creative director at Picturehouse Cinemas and this year’s recipient of the Bafta for ‘Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema’, has thrown down the gauntlet to directors: keep your films concise if you want them to be seen on the big screen. Her comments arrive as the industry faces a wave of epic-length releases, with recent critical darlings like Oppenheimer and The Brutalist stretching well past the three-hour mark.
It’s not just a matter of taste. Binns points out that the trend towards ever-lengthier features is making life trickier for both audiences and cinema operators. With viewers increasingly lured by the comfort of streaming at home, she argues that directors should be thinking less about their own creative indulgence and more about the people in the seats.
“I talk to producers about this and say: ‘Tell the director you’re making the film for an audience, not the directors,’”
she remarked, adding with a wry note,
“There’s always exceptions, but I look at a lot of films and think: ‘You could take 20 minutes out of that.’ There’s no need for films to be that long.”
Long Runtimes, Shorter Schedules
For cinemas, the consequences of sprawling runtimes are more than just a sore back. Binns highlights the practical headache: fewer showings per day, especially in the evenings, which can mean lost revenue and less choice for punters.
“It means you only get one evening show. I think it’s a wake-up call to directors. If they want their films in cinemas, people have to feel comfortable about what they’re committing to.”
Her words come at a time when the industry is still finding its feet after a bruising few years. The pandemic saw audiences swap cinema seats for sofas, and the habit has proved hard to shake. Yet, Binns remains optimistic that the tide is turning, with cinemas working alongside streaming platforms to tempt people back through the doors.
Original Stories Lead the Way
Despite the challenges, Binns sees a glimmer of hope in the form of fresh, original storytelling. She points to a handful of upcoming titles—Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Marty Supreme—as evidence that audiences are still hungry for something new, especially when it comes to awards season contenders.
While the debate over film length is unlikely to be settled any time soon, Binns’s comments have certainly reignited discussion about what makes for a truly enjoyable trip to the pictures. For now, it seems, the call for brevity is ringing out across the British film landscape.