My late grandma only liked to watch family comedies with an invariable happy ending, and in my early youth, when I began to seriously get interested in cinema, I sincerely didn't get this. Of course, she passed by some masterpieces! I sincerely tried to suggest this or that film to her - truly powerful and masterfully shot, and every time I was damn upset when she refused over and over.
Now I understand. Having lived through WWII and the difficult post-war years, a painful divorce and losing relatives, she didn't want to have the same emotional experiences while sitting in a movie theater or in front of the TV. Even if the film was a real masterpiece. And netizens in this viral online thread essentially agree with her, listing really big movies that, nevertheless, you don’t want to watch again.
More info: Reddit
#1
Schindler’s List. A masterpiece, but I don’t need my soul shattered twice.
Image credits: notebookgene
#2
Grave of the Fireflies.
Image credits: Dogwhomper
#3
Life is Beautiful with Roberto Benigni makes me ugly cry. It's an absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful movie about love and sacrifice and I just don't know if I can do it again.
Image credits: platypuszero
The original thread appeared in the AskReddit community just a couple of days ago, but has already racked up over 12K upvotes with around 9.1K various comments. No, there are not that many films listed by netizens, but the discussion itself was vivid and memorable.
Any truly outstanding film is not only emotions while viewing, but also, as they say, an "aftertaste." And this aftertaste can be actually very different.
#4
Boy In The Striped Pajamas.
#5
The green mile.
Image credits: bruhwhatshappenin
#6
Requiem for a Dream—brilliantly made but absolutely devastating.
Image credits: Ivory_Horizon
Earlier, at the dawn of cinema, it was perceived exclusively as pure entertainment - well, five-minute "films" with a catchy plot, often absurd and sometimes just cringy, were not perceived any other way.
The theater was a place where serious dramas were played out, where genuine masterpieces were shown, where true connoisseurs used to take their seats. And cinema was just a stupid show for every day, as they wrote then. Who said "looks like TikTok nowadays?.."
And only then, with the development of technical capabilities, did the chance arise to really create large-scale masterpieces, demonstrate outstanding acting, and evoke truly strong emotions in viewers. Cinema has seriously supplanted theater as a real art. And it remains so to this day - you just need to know which films to watch.
#7
What Dreams May Come. Absolutely wrecked me.
Image credits: manixus
#8
Pan's Labyrinth.
Beautiful film in every way and I've never seen a film in theatres either before or since where everyone was dead quiet and remained in their seats for several minutes once it ended. I think it would be impossible to get the same experience on a rewatch.
Image credits: Humble-Grumble
#9
Hotel Rwanda.
Image credits: RidiculousSucculent
"In fact, 'powerful' but incredibly difficult-to-watch films exist in any genre, from drama to comedy, from biopics to cartoons," says Dmytro Kosygin, a film director and cameraman from Ukraine, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here.
"Yes, even in cartoons. Either separate scenes - like in Inside Out, Coco, or many of Don Bluth's late cartoons. Or entire films - like, for example, Grave of the Fireflies by Isao Takahata."
"If the screen shows really difficult life situations, tragic moments, or simply reflects the unsightly reality of the surrounding world, not every person is actually able to bear it. Especially if we do not encounter something similar everyday, or, on the contrary, have experienced it before."
#10
American History X.
Image credits: SawdustJedi
#11
The 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front. It is a fantastic movie but I don't have any desire to see it again.
Image credits: The_dude_abides__
#12
The Elephant Man. I cried at that movie. It was just a very brutal film emotionally.
"There are many films on this list that are incredibly difficult to watch, after which tears literally well up in your eyes. Some of them people can't even finish watching. Not because they are bad or senseless - it's just that the world they show is too far from perfect. And outstanding directing or acting only emphasizes this."
"And yes - most of this list can indeed be found in the IMDb Top-250, which only means that these are real pieces of art," Dmytro sums up. "It's just that art can be completely different. And the emotions it evokes are also very different."
#13
Hachi: a dog's tale, its an incredible story, but seeing that movie broke something inside of me, cried for hours.
Image credits: Freethemango
#14
The Whale. Great story and acting, but don’t want to experience that again.
Image credits: dikkie91
#15
Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri.
I saw it in theaters and was really invested. So invested. I was really wanting a conclusion.
... House lights go up. I literally said "what the f**k???" very loudly along with some other people. The fact there will never be a conclusion literally makes the movie 10/10, but I can't set myself up like that again.
Image credits: jfsindel
Yes, now, many years and hundreds of films later, I do understand my grandma much better, her reluctance to watch "difficult" movies and once again experience those difficult emotions. In any case, the films presented in our selection are truly outstanding, so please feel free to scroll this list to the end, and maybe add your own ideas of similar movies for you in the comments below.
#16
12 Years a Slave.
Image credits: SlideItIn100
#17
My wife feels that way about *The Pianist.*
Excellent movie, but she will never ever subject herself to that again.
#18
Marley and Me. Great movie but absolutely would not recommend to anyone
Edit: After reading the comments I have to reiterate DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE! Do not even think about this movie.
Image credits: Sweet_Marsupial_7143
#19
The Father. Anthony Hopkins' best performance.
My mother's Alzheimer's mirrors his so much that I can't watch it again.
Image credits: johnweeks
#20
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Really great movie but severely destroyed me after having a recent tough breakup when I watched it a few years ago. Also Jim Carry really delivers in a more serious role here.
Image credits: Kafqa
#21
Big Fish.
Amazing movie, great cinematography, good story. But i bawled like a damn baby at the end and now that my dad has passed, I won't watch it again.
Image credits: SweetSexiestJesus
#22
Misery.
Once was more than enough for me.
#23
The Road.
Un rewatchable now that I'm a Dad.
Image credits: UnusualCombination27
#24
Dear Zachary: A letter to a son
It was absolutely soul crushing. F**k that woman and f**k the judicial system that let that s**t happen.
Image credits: BiLo-Brisket-King
#25
We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Image credits: aes7288
#26
Wind River. It's one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I would prefer never to see it again. At the same time, I will recommend it to anyone who will listen. Sharing the trauma.
Image credits: gorper0987
#27
Dancer in the Dark.
Image credits: wolftick
#28
Manchester by the Sea. Absolutely devastating.
Image credits: Icy-Ask3570
#29
Prisoners.
Denis Villeneuve thriller about a child being abducted.
Jake Gyllenhall and Terence Howard are at their best. Paul Dano is amazing
Hugh Jackman is a force of Nature, there scene where he is interrogating someone and allegedly goes off script to smash a sink.
Had me on the edge of my seat for the entire run through but could never watch it again, just because of how uncomfortably tense In was
that said, 11 years on, nothing has ever made me as tense as going into the cinema and watching this.
Image credits: brinz1
#30
Come and see.
Image credits: halhallelujah
#31
1917. GREAT MOVIE, I just get in my feels when watching it.
#32
Uncut Gems. Clearly a very good movie. But I’m never putting myself through that again, no thank you.
Image credits: microlambert
#33
I watched Melancholia at exactly the wrong time, and it threw me into an existential crisis.
Image credits: triceraquake
#34
I don't know if I would say quite a 10, but Oldboy isn't getting rewatched. .
#35
Zone of Interest.
Image credits: jvlpdillon
#36
Wolf of Wallstreet. Amazing movie, but 0 wolfs seen….
Image credits: kelleylynn17
#37
I really loved Midsommer, especially the ending. But I don't want to take the gorey, cringey ride to get to that pay off again.
