WeeknightPreset
Under 90 minutes
The practical weeknight default: a hard 90-minute ceiling with genre and release year left open.
- Runtime
- 90 min maxHard
- Genres
- Any
- Consensus
- Veto-safe
Short movie picker
Set the end time before the opening credits.
Choose a real maximum runtime, make it a hard room constraint and decide within the remaining catalogue. If nothing qualifies, TikFlick should ask before changing the limit—not quietly break it.
Decision pathReady
- 01Set a hard runtime
- 02Vote within the limit
- 03Finish on schedule
Runtime is a hard constraint in these presets. A candidate with missing or over-limit runtime data must not be presented as a verified match.
Choose a starting state
How much time do you actually have?
Pick the ceiling that matches the night. Runtime is passed as a hard constraint to room setup, where it remains visible before the invite goes out.
Late startPreset
Under 75 minutes
A tighter limit for a late start. Four people vote by majority, but the runtime ceiling remains non-negotiable.
- Runtime
- 75 min maxHard
- Participants
- 4
- Quorum
- 3 of 4Hard
Strict capPreset
Under 60 minutes
A strict one-hour room. The smaller candidate set is expected and the limit is never relaxed behind the scenes.
- Runtime
- 60 min maxHard
- Consensus
- UnanimousHard
- Fallback
- Ask before widening
From room to result
A deadline the shortlist has to respect.
- 01
Choose the ceiling
Set 90, 75 or 60 minutes as the maximum runtime; the value is not a soft preference.
- 02
Narrow honestly
Only candidates with qualifying runtime data should remain. Missing data must not be treated as a guaranteed fit.
- 03
Handle an empty set
If the constraint is too tight, the room should offer an explicit edit instead of silently widening the deadline.
Use it deliberately
Treat time as a constraint, not a suggestion.
A short-movie page is useful only when its runtime promise survives the full flow. The host can change the limit, but the product should never do it without consent.
Maximum means maximum
A 90-minute room must exclude a 91-minute movie, even if that title would otherwise rank well.
Unknown is not short
When runtime metadata is unavailable, the safe state is unknown—not a claim that the title fits the deadline.
Genre stays optional
Leave genres broad for a larger pool, or add an explicit include list during room setup.
Empty states explain why
A clear “nothing matches” state is more useful than a result that violates the one thing the group asked for.
Straight answers
Questions people ask before starting a room
- What counts as a short movie?
- On this page it is whatever ceiling you set: 90, 75, or 60 minutes. Ninety minutes is the practical weeknight default — long enough for a feature, short enough to start after dinner and still finish at a reasonable hour.
- Will a 91-minute film sneak into a 90-minute room?
- No. The ceiling is a hard constraint applied before ranking, so a 91-minute title is excluded even if it would otherwise be the strongest candidate. The host can raise the limit deliberately, but the product will not do it quietly.
- What happens to films with no runtime data?
- They are treated as unknown, not as short. A missing runtime is never presented as a verified fit, because the one promise this page makes is the one you would most notice being broken.
- How do I turn a finish time into a runtime limit?
- Subtract the time you will actually spend deciding, pausing, and getting settled — realistically twenty to thirty minutes for a group — then set the remainder as the ceiling. Do it before browsing; a runtime limit introduced after somebody's favourite appears looks like a manoeuvre.
- What if nothing matches the runtime limit?
- The room says so and offers an explicit edit instead of widening the deadline behind your back. A clear “nothing matches” is more useful than a result that breaks the only rule you asked for.
Different night, same finish line
More honest starting points
Each route opens the same decision flow with its assumptions shown before anyone joins.
GROUPGroup pickerSet constraints and choose a fair consensus mode.SETTLEMovie decision makerSettle a shortlist the group already named.METHODHow to pick with friendsThe six-step method, and which rule fits your group.QUICKQuick random pickDraw one title from a supported genre and era.MOODMovies by moodTurn a vibe into visible genre constraints.DATEDate nightStart with a two-person, veto-safe room.NIGHTMovie nightPick a ready-made setup for the whole group.