10 Great Horror Movies Over 2 Hours Long

1. Kwaidan

The Conjuring 2
Toho

At 183 minutes, Kwaidan has the honour of being the longest horror ever made. This 1964 anthology splits into four separate tales that have little connection to each other, save for their haunting nature.

The first story revolves around an unfaithful man being followed and tormented by his ex-wife's hair. In the second story, a man marries a beautiful woman, whom he suspects is actually a snow demon. In the third story, a blind musician is hired to entertain the emperor, oblivious that he is performing his music for dead spirits. The fourth story revolves around an attendant whose life turns upside-down after he sees a face in a cup of tea.

Because of the three-hour run-time, viewers may be turned off at the prospect of watching Kwaidan. But just by looking at it for a few minutes, it's self-evident the director, Masaki Kobayashi, poured his heart and soul into this project. The luscious hand-painted sets, masterful cinematography, chilling score, and intense performances are so mesmerising, not a single frame, line, or sound feels wasted.

Kwaiden may have been forgotten for decades but has been rediscovered recently, turning this quartet of horror into a classic.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows