Watching movies is one of the great ways to spend our free time. The variety of genres allows us to “move” to certain places, feel different emotions and simply escape our reality. Some movies are great for being a “noise” in the background, while others really get us involved. If you are the type of person that doesn’t find it easy to pick a movie worth watching because you simply feel lost in all the variety, the good people of the internet can really save you by sharing their own suggestions on the topic.
Having this in mind, Reddit user u/akambe asked people to share “what movie is so good you'd recommend it to all your friends, but so emotionally traumatic that you'll never watch it again?” The post with 391k views soon became a never-ending list of movies that left people in shock and surprise, from old movies that depict historic events, such as the Holocaust, to dramas that remind us of how short life is and what’s truly important. This question led to a discussion of why people find certain things in these movies touching or even traumatizing: a strong character portrayal, emotionally hard movie scenes, unexpected plot twists, or the mix of it all.
Do you see your choice on the list? If not, what movie did you watch that left you speechless and that you probably won’t watch again? Feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments down below!
More Info: Reddit
#21 Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It was such a beautiful film, so very emotional and then it just broke me. Watched it once in the movie theater and never again after.
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141points
#22 The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006)
That scene where they're sleeping in the bathroom was hard.
133points
#23 Steel Magnolias (1989)
Steel Magnolias, especially now that I have kids. I can't even think about Sally Field's breakdown without tearing up.
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133points
#24 Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Man, I rarely cry during movies, but I teared up with that movie. The symbolism is absolutely beautiful.
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125points
#25 The Mist (2007)
My favourite bit of trivia about that film is when Stephen King watched the ending, he apparently said that he wished he had thought of it.
125points
#26 We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
That was a truly visceral experience.
113points
#27 Nightcrawler (2014)
Incredible movie but I'll never watch it again. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a sociopath too well; so much so that I struggle to watch him in other things now.
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108points
#28 Oldboy (2003)
watched this with a girl on a netflix and chill date cus we'd both heard good things, but had no idea what it was about. There was no chill, and no second date.
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107points
#29 Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Nicolas Cage is amazing in it (Won an Oscar for it!), but as a recovered alcoholic, that film hits WAY too close to home. Good film though.
106points
#30 Once Were Warriors (1994)
soul crashing. can’t bring myself to watch it 2nd time. but must see. alcohol fueled domestic violence abusive families all over the world are the same. it was so on point.
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106points
#31 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Saw the screener with my film class and had no idea what to expect. Needless to say I was completely blown away and have re-watched it quite a few times since.
Jim Carrey’s performance is phenomenal.
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88points
#32 Dancer In The Dark (2000)
Amazing performance by Bjork and brutally sad. I bought a copy of the DVD after seeing the movie because I loved it so much. I lent the disc to several friends and looked at it many times myself, but could just never summon the energy to watch it again.
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81points
#33 The Road (2009)
Watched it when it first came out. Loved it. Can’t put myself through it again though. It’s so hard going and heartbreaking.
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81points
#34 Manchester By The Sea (2016)
This movie showed how a man can be fully socially functional while suffering from major depression. That aspect hit me the hardest.
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80points
#35 Melancholia (2011)
Really disturbing. Don't think I've ever really gotten over it.
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80points
#36 Midsommar (2019)
I got really invested in it when I was watching it for the first time, and I've had an absolute fear of cults since I was a kid. I don't find the film scary at all, but by the end of it, I was just completely frozen.
I've watched it since then cuz I love it but I have to take like months to prepare myself to watch it again lmao
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78points
#37 The Hunt (2012)
That. F*****g. Movie.
Things it shows:
children should not be exposed to pornography
Children who are being questioned to see if they were abused should only have that questioning done by a specially trained expert and possibly with potentially a trained advocate present because it’s too easy to lead them to a conclusion they think the questioner wants to hear, especially if they think they are in trouble
(note: I edited this due to the several very good points several people said about parents shouldn’t be present, some people are also saying best practice is one on one with that trained forensic questioner.)
basically everyone in that story ended up f****d up
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76points
#38 Mary And Max (2009)
It's such a beautiful movie and so damn sad. I've recommended it to lots of people but it's hard to find.
61points
#39 Wind River (2017)
I've actually put myself through watching this movie multiple times because it's so good but, wow, traumatizing. For anyone on the fence about it, it does have a satisfying conclusion.
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58points
#40 Come And See (1985)
Wonderful movie, but even more devastating than Grave of the Fireflies, in my opinion.
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53points