For decades, moviegoers have complained that films feel increasingly long. Now, that same frustration is showing up in classrooms. According to several educators, Film Professors Report That Students Can’t Stay Engaged for Full-Length Films, even when those movies are required viewing for their courses.
A recent article by The Atlantic writer Rose Horowitch highlights a growing concern among film-studies professors. Horowitch surveyed 20 instructors, many of whom shared similar experiences: students struggle to sit through entire films without checking their phones, zoning out, or missing key plot points altogether.
When Classic Cinema Loses Its Grip
One anecdote from the piece quickly gained traction online. Jeff Smith, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, described quizzing his class about the ending of the 1962 classic Jules and Jim, directed by François Truffaut.
The results were surprising—and a little troubling. More than half the students selected incorrect answers, suggesting scenarios that never occur in the film, such as the characters hiding from Nazis (despite the story being set during World War I) or drinking with Ernest Hemingway, who doesn’t appear in the movie at all.
Shorter Assignments, Smaller Attention Spans
Faced with these challenges, some professors admit they’ve started assigning only portions of films rather than full features. This shift mirrors a broader trend in high school English classes, where students are sometimes asked to read excerpts of novels instead of complete books.
While these stories may sound discouraging to cinephiles and educators alike, they don’t tell the whole story.
Gen Z and the Love of Movies Isn’t Dead
Despite concerns in the classroom, there are signs that younger audiences still care deeply about film culture. Members of Gen Z have been credited with reviving interest in movie theaters and supporting surprise box-office successes. In Hollywood circles, they’ve even earned the nickname “the Letterboxd generation” for their enthusiasm in discussing and rating films online.
As Lynn Spigel, a professor at Northwestern University, told The Atlantic, students who are truly passionate about cinema remain committed. “The ones who are really dedicated to learning film always were into it,” she explained. “And they still are.”
In other words, while Film Professors Report That Students Can’t Stay Engaged for Full-Length Films, the love for movies hasn’t disappeared—it may just be evolving in how and where it shows up.
