Tom Cruise's thanks to the Iceman's emotional return. Few studios think about potential older audiences, except for Paramount, as the sequel had older viewers sobbing due to their connection with the character.
However, while the legacy sequel struck a perfect balance of emotion and thrills, some movies are so emotionally intense that Redditors refuse to watch them a second time. Between an anti-romance that realistically depicts relationships, a horrific tale of war, and a horror about grieving a loved one's death, it doesn't get more harrowing than this.
We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
Reddit We Need To Talk About Kevin. Not watching it ever again in this lifetime." The movie spans almost two decades, as it sees a mother give birth to Kevin, and it follows the strange relationship he has with his parents all the way up to his teen years.
Kevin and his mother struggle to connect, which leads to a shocking final act filled with bloodshed. The movie struck a chord with audiences because of the disturbing scenes of a nihilistic teen murdering his classmates in school. It's even more impactful thanks to the style of the film, as it has a mostly quiet and somber tone until the mortifying end.
Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Kenneth Lonergan's the first Best Picture-nominated streaming exclusive, and it earned its accolades for being so emotionally powerful.
But Romulus3799 thought it was too emotional, claiming, "That movie absolutely destroyed me. It straight up ruined my entire week, just because it was buried so deep into my mind afterward. That police station scene..." The Redditor is referring to the scene in which Lee (Casey Affleck) attempts to kill himself with a police officer's gun after blaming himself for his children's death. It's a masterclass in building suspense, and Affleck's acting is phenomenal, but it doesn't exactly make viewers want to watch it again.
Blue Valentine (2010)
There isn't any kind of mortifying event that makes it too emotionally intense for FinnSkywalker. There are no heartbreaking deaths or killing sprees, but it is a gruelingly realistic depiction of falling in and out of love. The Redditor notes, "The movie is so emotionally intense, I feel like it depicts a failing marriage so so well and the ending is pretty much perfect."
The 2010 film cuts between two different stories: one of a couple who meets and falls in love, and another of the same couple years later with children and incredibly unhappy with their lives. The movie will especially resonate with viewers with divorced parents, as they'll have heard the natural arguments in the movie on countless occasions. And with an exclusive haunting soundtrack from Grizzly Bear, the emotional scenes hit that much harder.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Redditor Uncut Gems is too emotionally intense to watch again, explaining, "I'm stressed enough as is." However, while Uncut Gems is undoubtedly intense and anxiety-inducing, as Howard makes one mistake after the next until the inevitable happens, it isn't all that emotional.
It's hard to connect with Howard on an emotional level because he's so guarded and an absolute sleazeball. And, after all, not even Howard feels any emotion except for excitement when he's gambling, and that's only temporary. Even so, the stress alone will still keep fans from ever watching it a second time.
Schindler's List (1993)
Reddit Schindler's List and don't feel something, check your pulse." Yet, the movie earned an impressive $322 million, given the fact that there probably weren't all that many repeat viewings (via Box Office Mojo).
High-grossing blockbuster films usually earn as much as they do because fans pay to see them a second, third, fourth, and even fifth time. But some viewers could not bear rewatching this black and white, three-hour and 20-minute movie due to the graphic and emotional depiction of the Holocaust. It became one of the most historically accurate movies, illustrating life in the concentration camps and Oskar Schindler's role in helping surviving Jewish workers.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
The Deer Hunter is one of so many haunting and terrifying movies about the Vietnam War released in the 1970s, and Niceoutside2022 still hasn't forgotten the first and only time they ever watched it. The Redditor recalls, "My dad took me to see The Deer Hunter when I was like 12 or 13. Straight up traumatized me."
The 1978 movie is one of the best movies over three hours, but it's also three of the most distressing hours viewers will ever spend looking at a screen. After being drafted into the war, a group of factory workers is caught by the Viet Cong and forced to play Russian roulette. The scene only takes up a few of the 183 minutes, but it forever lives rent-free in viewers' heads.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Redditor Apocalypse Now, positing, "I felt very weird by the end of that one. Outstanding movie but that'll do, thanks." While the 1979 movie depicts the horrors of war just as much as any other Vietnam War film, it isn't quite as emotionally intense as others like The Deer Hunter.
The movie is actually rather rewatchable, as it's full of mesmerizing visuals, has a great soundtrack, and has a unique premise that mirrors adventure films. But the dark themes are still there. And the opening scene of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) alone in the bedroom is especially hard to watch for anyone who has seen the making-of documentary Hearts of Darkness, which depicts how much of a rough time Sheen was going through.
Hereditary (2018)
Ari Aster's Hereditary isn't a slasher movie or a horror that's full of jump scares. Instead, it's the film's themes that make it so terrifying and get under the skin. Mister_pink observes, "I think it's a great film, and whilst it is scary, the overwhelming feeling of grief and raw family trauma made it so uncomfortable to watch."
The 2018 horror movie is about a family that's grieving the death of their mother, but strange things occur in the family house after her ing. Few horror movies are as unsettling as Hereditary, and while a riveting story unfolds with some exciting twists along the way, it's endlessly disturbing and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as The Excorcist.
Her (2013)
Reddit Her is too emotionally intense to watch a second time. The Redditor mentions, "Her was one of the most significant movie-watching experiences of my life. It just really got to me for some reason. I think it's an amazing work, but I won't watch it again."
The film nihilistically predicts the future of humankind in which a Siri-like artificial intelligence takes over. However, the depiction of the future in the 2013 movie is so visually stunning, and there are loads of lighthearted moments featuring Jonze's typical surreal humor, such as the foul-mouthed marshmallow-looking video game character, Alien Child.
Dancer In The Dark (2000)
Dancer in the Dark is one of the most emotionally exhausting movies of the 21st century, and Vargram is the first to point out that nobody is recommending it for movie night. The Redditor explains, "Anything by Lars Von Trier. Dancer in the Dark is brutal." The 2000 movie follows a woman saving money for surgery for her son's degenerative eye condition, and things get out of hand when the money is stolen by the only person she trusts.
The points out that it isn't just Dancer in the Dark, but any movie directed by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, as he tends to tell melodramatic stories within the mundanity of everyday life. His movies are essentially very well-made soap operas, whether it's Breaking the Waves or Dancer in the Dark.
