The 8 best short movies to watch at home

We’ve all been there before: looking for a movie to watch, with limited time and/or energy, only to find all the options you’re interested in are longer than you have the space for. Occasionally, this also happens with television, as we’ve seen with Stranger Things 2 Volume 2The episodes of ‘The Countdown to Christmas’ run for 85 and 150 minutes.

That’s what we’re here for! Here’s a list of short films that the Polygon curation team recommends you watch at your own home. We need a guideline (given the incredible length of these movies) Stranger Things episodes), we’ve picked movies that are 84 minutes or less, i.e., shorter than either episode of Stranger Things 2 Volume 2. It would have been easy enough to choose movies that were shorter than the finale of two and a half hours.

The movies cover a wide range of genres and eras. Enjoy!

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Kino Lorber

Length: Time: 74 minutes

You should be watching: You can stream the Shudder video on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Kanopy with a librarycard for no cost with ads on Tubi, Plex or Google Play. Also, you can rent or buy digital content on Apple Play or Google Play.

Robert Wiene’s 1920 masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema tells the story of a young man whose love life is thrown into turmoil amid a rash of heinous murders perpetrated by a somnambulist at the behest of a twisted hypnotist calling himself Dr. Caligari. It features stunning set design, an intricate plot and shocking ending. The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariThis is a fantastic, short video. —Toussaint Egan

Before sunset

Image: Warner Independent Pictures

Length: 80 minutes

You should be watching: Digital rental and purchase available on Apple, Google Play, or other VOD vendors

Richard Linklater’s 2004 follow-up to his romantic drama Before Sunrise sees Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) reunite nine years after their fateful meeting in Vienna. The second film is similar to the original. Before sunsetIt takes about an hour for the duo to walk the streets of Paris. They share how their lives have changed, before eventually revealing how deeply they love one another. It’s one of the greatest romantic films ever made, and at 80 minutes, it’s an easy one to make time for. —TE

Daisies

Image from The Criterion Collection

Length: Time: 76 minutes

You should be watching: You can stream HBO Max or the Criterion Channel on YouTube, and you can rent or buy digitally on Apple.

“This film is dedicated to those who get upset only over a stomped-upon bed of lettuce.”

Masterful Czech director Věra Chytilová is best known for this anti-authoritarian feminist comedy that was banned from major cinemas in then-Czechoslovakia shortly after its release. Surreal film that mocks decadence Daisies It is pure brilliance both in its form and execution and pure joy to behold. —Pete Volk

The Fits

Image: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Length: 72 minutes

You should be watching: Showtime, FuboTV and Kanopy are both available for streaming. You can also rent or buy digital content on Apple, Amazon or Google Play.

Anna Rose Holmer’s powerful 2015 feature debut follows a young girl in Cincinnati who joins a dance troupe. Holmer worked with the Cincinnati-based Q-Kidz Dance Team, who feature in the cast, to create the movie’s exceptional choreography. This movie is a magical, sometimes anxious portrait about youth and discovering yourself. The Fits Royal Hightower’s dazzling lead performance is the highlight of this film. He was only 9 years old when it began. —PV

Infinite Football

Image: Grasshopper Films

Length: 70 minutes

You should be watching: You can stream the video with your Kanopy library card, or digitally rent or buy it on Apple.

The hilarious documentary follows the adventures of a Romanian football player who is on a quest to improve his version. A warmhearted character study of a man alone in his obsession, Corneliu Porumboiu’s delightful film feels much like an extended conversation at a bar with an eccentric stranger you’ll never forget. —PV

Mission

Image: Milkyway Image

Length: It took 84 minutes

You should be watching: You can stream the video with your Kanopy library card, or digitally rent or buy it on Amazon.

Johnnie To from Hong Kong is a modern legend, making masterpieces with romantic comedies.Don’t Go Breaking My Heart), superhero movies (The Heroic Trio), and gangster movies (literally too many to name). MissionThis is the last category and one of many great Triad movies. A Triad boss is saved by his brother who hires five bodyguards in order to safeguard his life. The movie is a slick action flick with intense action scenes and an ensemble cast that’s charismatic. Mission It’s a great time. —PV

Sherlock Jr.

Image: Metro-Goldwyn Pictures

Length: 45 minutes

You should be watching: Available for streaming with a Kanopy library card or Hoopla. Also available for purchase or rental on Apple or Google Play.

Buster Keaton, one of the greatest silent-physical comedians to grace the silverscreen is Buster Keaton. Sherlock Jr. It is also a great example. Keaton is a film about a man who works as a film projectionist but dreams of being a detective. Aside from a plot line involving a missing pocket watch, the real draw of the film is a dream sequence in which Keaton’s character is pulled into a movie where he stumbles through a series of shenanigans caused by the film’s editing. It was a hilarious and meta comedy that existed decades before this term became popular. Sherlock Jr.This is incredible. —TE

World of Tomorrow

Image: Bitter Films

Length: 17 minutes each for Episode 1 and 23 minutes for Episode 2 respectively; 34 minutes per episode

You should be watching: Digital rental and purchase available on Vimeo

Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow shorts easily rank as some of the most thought-provoking and entertaining science fiction movies of the past decade. These three movies tell the tale of Emily, a small girl, who has been visited by many future versions. The films show a time-travelling saga, several clones, sentient robotics and post-human transcendence. It also explores themes such as love, identity, existential ennui, and identity. The first of the three films is worth your attention, although all three are well-worth it. —TE