10 Great Sci-Fi Movies Under 90 Minutes

If you're a fan of the Westworld series (before it went off the rails), it's high time you tracked down the film which inspired it.

The 1973 original revolves around a robotic amusement park that allows patrons to live out their fantasies. Two customers, Peter and John, visit the Wild West section, thinking it'll be fun to perform cowboys and robbers scenarios. But when a gunslinger android malfunctions, it begins hunting Peter and John for real.

Although James Brolin and Richard Benjamin are solid as the leads, Yul Brynner carries the movie with his chilling performance as the Gunslinger. With his piercing stare and smouldering swagger, Brynner fills every scene with unwavering tension.

Because the premise is complex, it could've been easy for Westworld to zoom through the plot, especially when the film is under 90 minutes. Fortunately, Westworld keeps the action moving at a comfortable pace, never making the story come across as rushed or slow.

However, one element in Westworld that deserves more credit is Fred Karlin's score. At first, the music relies on typical instruments you'd expect to hear in a western, such as the piano, harmonica, and the violin. As the story progresses, the tunes become more mechanical to emphasise the machines are taking over. It may be a subtle technique, but picking up on it makes you appreciate this underrated classic more.