Great stories don't always require a minimum of 1.5 hours. Sometimes a great story can be told in much less time than that. Series that are anthologies per episode are a great example of this, such as Black Mirror or the classic Twilight Zone, where each episode is less than 1 hour and consists of a cool story properly told with no cutting corners whatsoever.
Also, in this era where people can quickly change what content they consume, it becomes important in generating enough intrigue in order to convince the viewer to continue watching the production. Short films are great in going straight to the point.
I wasn't aware of the quality of these short productions until I took the time to watch some of the most popular ones and I was blown away by how good they were. They are like mini-movies usually lasting less than half an hour hour and available completely for free on Youtube. My favorites are the following ones:
This is the first one of a trilogy about a supernatural being called Jester. He draws people's attention at night by performing magic tricks and then he commits an evil disappearing trick. Really cool and scary.
Another awesome horror short. It has an original take in the horror doll subgenre. The ending was quite shocking.
I cannot understand how a scifi production of this quality can be available for free on YouTube. If someone told me that was from a new Netflix show I could have easily believed it. It lasts less than half an hour and gives the viewer a good dramatic experience in a future where humans are able to explore the space with little issues.
This one is another scifi short but mixed with excellent drama. It is a very touching story and you need to pay attention to every single thing that is said in order to understand what they are really talking about. Even though the film might seem like it is open to interpretation, the after credit scene provides final confirmation. The final minutes contain an important and maybe even heart-wrenching twist.
Finally, this fun short that was produced by students in order to make fun of the growing hostility from radical leftists in the education sector.