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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 poster showing clasped hands against a backdrop of names." Schindler’s List. A masterpiece, but I don’t need my soul shattered twice.

notebookgene , universal Report

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MP Deco
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nope...never watched it....can't deal with all that horror.....i would not be able to view it through all my tears....

RagDollLali
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

43 years old and I still can't bring myself to watch it. My grandparents escaped Auschwitz to the Ukraine, but they were the only ones of the entire family to make it out alive. The stories my grandmother told me will stick with me until the day I day, and gave me terrible nightmares for years. One day I will sit down and let myself have a full breakdown while watching it.

Sven Horlemann
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. We were at a premiere, day before official start. Including police raid because of bomb warning. There was an official champagne reception after the film. We just fled. The film made such an impact... we needed time for ourselves. Great picture, by the way.

ginshun
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is worth a re-watch. It's not THAT disturbing. I mean, it is, but it has to be.

StrangeOne
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Saw the first half in school. The next day I called in sick so I wouldn't have to finish it. I didn't care that it was for marks.

Mr.Mister
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Welp saw that movie 3 times.....one time in school. We moved to another city, and in the new school, watched it the 2nd time. The 3rd time i watched it, cause me girlfriend never watched but wanted to....

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    #2

    "Grave of the Fireflies poster featuring two children under a broken umbrella." Grave of the Fireflies.

    Dogwhomper , Studio Ghibli Report

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    Ni Na
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watched in once, years ago. Saddest movie I have ever seen in my life. Will not watch it again. heartbreaking.

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    #3

    Movie poster for "The Green Mile" with an officer prominently featured. The green mile.

    bruhwhatshappenin , Warner Bros.[a] Universal Pictures Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's also an absolutely EXCELLENT book. They did a really good job of translating it to a movie (Shawshank Redemption is the only other Stephen King book-to-movie that is a great translation) but if you enjoy reading, the book is fantastic. It's not one of Stephen King's "scary monster" books; it's written to show humanity, courage, and the willingness to accept life's mysteries and be changed by them.

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    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

    Poster of "Requiem for a Dream" featuring a close-up eye and a person in red on a pier, highlighting unforgettable movies. Requiem for a Dream—brilliantly made but absolutely devastating.

    Ivory_Horizon , Thousand Words Protozoa Pictures Report

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    CP
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have revisited this one s few times. The montage with the music at the end is sooo good!

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    #5

    "Life is Beautiful film poster, featuring a family with a bike on an Italian street." 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.

    platypuszero , Melampo Cinematografica Report

    #6

    Movie poster for "What Dreams May Come" featuring a man and a dog in a surreal landscape. What Dreams May Come. Absolutely wrecked me.

    manixus , Interscope Communications Report

    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.

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    #7

    Pan's Labyrinth movie poster showing a girl facing a fantastical tree creature in a dark forest setting. 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.

    Humble-Grumble , Warner Bros. Pictures Report

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    CP
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the movie that should've won Del Toro the best director award. Shape of Water is not even remotely as good as this one IMO. Such an amazing movie!

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    #8

    Movie poster for "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" featuring a man with a puppy. Hachi: a dog's tale, its an incredible story, but seeing that movie broke something inside of me, cried for hours.

    Freethemango , Sony Pictures Entertainment Report

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    Tabitha
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me too. So did Marley and Me. Hell, I can’t even watch Lassie movies. I won’t even go into how much making that last trip to the vet tears me up.

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    #9

    "Movie poster for 'The Father' showing two characters in an emotional scene. The Father. Anthony Hopkins' best performance.
    My mother's Alzheimer's mirrors his so much that I can't watch it again.

    johnweeks , Embankment Films Report

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    "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.

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    "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

    "Soldier looking back amid chaos in the movie 'All Quiet on the Western Front' poster, highlighting impactful war cinematography." 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.

    The_dude_abides__ , Netflix Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I read the book decades ago and loved it, and reluctantly saw the movie when it came out. All I can say is that the movie is NOTHING like the book in spirit and the book is much better. The movie is fine if you've never read the book, and I was able to enjoy the movie well enough. But it really, REALLY misses some of the deeper meanings and subtleties about the hells of war that the book has.

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    #11

    Poster for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," featuring main characters on icy background. 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.

    Kafqa , Anonymous Content This is that Report

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    ginshun
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one for sure can be re-watched. It should be actually. It's not easy to catch everything that happens fully on the first watch.

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    "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

    Brendan Fraser in "The Whale" promotional poster, depicting a reflective expression, surrounded by books. The Whale. Great story and acting, but don’t want to experience that again.

    dikkie91 , A24 Report

    #14

    Poster of "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" featuring three characters against a billboard background. 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.

    jfsindel , Fox Searchlight Pictures Report

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    #15

    Movie poster for "Big Fish" featuring a large tree silhouette shaped to spell the title, with a figure walking underneath. 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.

    SweetSexiestJesus , Columbia Pictures Report

    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

    "Movie poster of a couple hugging with a playful puppy on a leash for the film 'Marley & Me'." 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.

    Sweet_Marsupial_7143 , Fox 2000 Pictures Report

    #18

    The Elephant Man. I cried at that movie. It was just a very brutal film emotionally.

    VastUnlikely9591 Report

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    #22

    My wife feels that way about *The Pianist.*

    Excellent movie, but she will never ever subject herself to that again.

    Cosmocade Report

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    #23

    "Manchester by the Sea poster with leading actors by a coastal setting." Manchester by the Sea. Absolutely devastating.

    Icy-Ask3570 , Amazon Studios Report

    #24

    Illustrated movie poster of "Dear Zachary" showing a tree with branches symbolizing themes from the film. 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.

    BiLo-Brisket-King , MSNBC Films Report

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    #25

    Poster of “Wind River,” featuring dramatic faces and snowy landscape. 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.

    gorper0987 , Acacia Entertainment[ Report

    #26

    Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems" movie poster, pondering with a serious expression. Uncut Gems. Clearly a very good movie. But I’m never putting myself through that again, no thank you.

    microlambert , A24, Netfix Report

    #28

    Poster of "We Need to Talk About Kevin." We Need to Talk About Kevin.

    aes7288 , Paramount Pictures Report

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    JDartz
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I found the book even more disturbing than the movie, if that is even possible.

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    #29

    Prisoners movie poster featuring intense looks from the main characters, capturing a compelling thriller vibe. 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.

    brinz1 , Warner Bros. Pictures Report

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    #31

    1917. GREAT MOVIE, I just get in my feels when watching it.

    Leezer97 Report

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    #32

    I don't know if I would say quite a 10, but Oldboy isn't getting rewatched. .

    reverendmalerik Report

    #34

    "Melancholia movie poster with a woman in a wedding dress holding flowers, lying in water." I watched Melancholia at exactly the wrong time, and it threw me into an existential crisis.

    triceraquake , Zentropa Entertainments Report

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    Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw this at The Angelika in The Village(NYC) and when the event in movie started a subway went below us.. The roar was just perfect timing. Fantastic. It was a matinee and I was there first. Then an old man came, then two younger, black, women. All sat somewhere behind me.. the old man started making these displeasure sounds towards the women.. he stopped when film started.. but just a generally odd experience.

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    #35

    Movie poster for "The Zone of Interest". Zone of Interest.

    jvlpdillon , A24 Report

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    #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.

    t3eee Report