‘The Batman’ is 3 Hours?! It’s Time to Bring Back the Intermission
With epic superhero and fantasy films becoming the norm, another 3-hour movie isn’t a surprise. But can we please bring back intermission?
As fans prepare for DC’s newest film The Batman to clock in at almost 3 hours, it’s clear that the long movie isn’t going anywhere. In the age of streaming, a long runtime isn’t so bad– but who can sit in a theater for 3 hours without having to pee?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Batman was originally screened at 4 hours. And let me tell ya, if you can sit that long without needing to pee, you’re dehydrated, sweetheart. Drink more water.
Courtesy of Warner Bros
The Long-Running Fantasy Epic
Since the success of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the exceptionally-long movie has seen great success in theaters. At the time, it felt like a special occasion. Now, it’s just old news.
The average Marvel origin movie is 2 hours and change, including last year’s Shang Chi and Black Widow. The Eternals was a longer-than-average origin movie, running just over 2.5 hours. And some fans felt that the film was too long– even before stepping foot in the theater.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Now The Batman joins the ranks of movies that are running longer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a person who will binge an entire show in the space of a day. I love a good, long story, and I’ll stay engrossed and enthused throughout.
But these big, long-runtime movies often have fewer opportunities to take a break without missing an integral plot point. Think about Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Which scene was “missable”? There weren’t really a lot of “fluff” scenes plot-wise. There was no way to walk out of No Way Home without missing something gasp-worthy.
Courtesy of Sony Entertainment
Intermissions Give More People Access to a Theater Experience
No one wants to take a pee break and miss minutes of an edge-of-your-seat experience like Endgame or The Batman. But that’s a lot of sensory input for one person to experience without a break.
There are a lot of people with medical disabilities that find it uncomfortable to sit for 3 hours without movement or an opportunity to use the restroom. Why should they have to miss parts of the movie to take the break they need?
As a person who struggles with ADHD, movies are a pretty intense sensory experience for me. And I find myself getting uncomfortable sitting still for long stretches of time, particularly if I run out of things to chew on or fidget with.
And look, I’m not saying ‘buy more stuff’ is the answer to keeping theaters alive. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt concession sales if these epic films gave people a break to buy more snacks.
With an intermission, not only could I stretch my legs, I could hit the concession stand again in search of more chewy munchies that help me stay focused. And I could do it without interrupting someone else’s experience when I block their view with my butt.
Intermissions Up the Vibe
When I say “intermission” these days, we’re more likely to think of going to see a play. But if the buzz around No Way Home taught us anything, it’s that these huge releases are an occasion.
Intermission just feels fancy.
And the long, epic movie is only gaining prominence. As a comic book fan, it’s great to live in a time where these films are such big events. But I can’t think of any other kind of event that runs 3 hours without a break because it’s just not practical.
Filmmakers Have to Be On Board with Intermission
Of course, the onus shouldn’t fall on theaters to address this. Most studios don’t structure scripts to have two acts these days, and we need that to change. Surely there’s a point midway through the script that writers could create space for a break.
It’s not like it hasn’t been done before– it’s just been a long time (since Gandhi in 1982, in fact).
What do we have to do to convince these big production companies to bring back the intermission? Until then, will we just have to use the Run & Pee app and hope there isn’t a line?
It’s time for long-running movies to include an intermission. Maybe then these releases can include more patrons in the theatrical experience. Then we won’t have to squirm our way through the end-credits scenes and then waddle all the way to the bathroom.
