There are some movies that deserve multiple viewings.
There are some movies that DEMAND multiple viewings. There are even some movies that people watch over and over, any time their on television, no matter the time of day. These are classics like Goodfellas, Shawshank Redemption and almost every super hero flick.
There are, however, some movies that while amazing it’s really only suggested that people watch them once. Sometimes it’s the subject matter and other times it’s just that the ending is such a twist or letdown it ruins the entire movie. Often, the movie is just too damn disturbing. There is just something about the movie that makes it impossible to watch again. These are those movies.
Here are twelve fantastic movies that really don’t need a second viewing.
12. Martyrs
Horror fans will be very familiar with Pascal Laugier’s gruesome flick, but the casual viewer may not even be aware it exists. You have never seen a movie more relentless in its violence and abuse than Martyrs. The first time we watched it, we recommended it to all of our friends, with the only stipulation being that we would not be watching it with them.
11. Requiem for a Dream
Remember when it was so cool and indie to say Requiem for a Dream was your favorite movie? It was definitely the idea more than the actual movie because watching a group of people destroy their lives and damage everyone around them because of drug addictions isn’t exactly family movie night material. We appreciate the film, but we never want to see it again.
10. Blue Valentine
If we told you there’s a movie with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that’s rated NC-17, but you wouldn’t want to watch it twice, you’d call us idiots who hate beautiful, naked people. Blue Valentine is fantastic, but it’s so hopeless and grim there’s no way you could sit through multiple viewings. It’s that depressing.
9. American History X
Edward Norton gave the performance of his career in American History X, but the first 15 minutes alone are rough enough to make me never want to see it again. The curb stomp scene is bad enough, but the close up of his teeth biting onto the curb is haunting. Plus there’s the whole Nazi storyline, which is anything but pleasant.
8. Antichrist
Lars von Trier makes incredible films. Incredible films that you’ll only watch one time. Do you really want to see Willem Dafoe’s naked penis thrusting into his wife while a baby falls out the window and dies again? It’s a powerful movie but we’ll never be able to go to another zoo again if we had to see those demented forest animals for a second time.
7. Schindler’s List
Imagine going over to your friend’s house and seeing him sitting on the couch, having a beer, and watching the attempted extermination of the Jewish population. That’s a moment where you’d really question how well you knew this guy and if you’re really committed to this friendship. The scene where Ralph Fiennes takes his sniper rifle and starts heartlessly shooting people is not something we’d like to experience again.
6. The Sixth Sense
Remember the first time you saw The Sixth Sense? Oh man it was mind blowing. If you haven’t seen it again, keep it that way. You’ll notice all these ridiculous scenes that don’t seem absurd until you find out Bruce Willis is dead. Are we supposed to believe he talks to literally no one throughout the day besides Cole? Also what kind of therapist waits for no adults to be around and sneaks up to chat with a child? You shouldn’t watch this one again, but for a completely different reason.
5. Precious
Honestly, we don’t know if we wanted to watch this movie the first time, let alone multiple viewings. Between Monique making her daughter finger blast her and the scene where Precious vomits up all that chicken, we think we’ve had our fair share of movies based on the novel Push by Sapphire.
4. 12 Years a Slave
Let’s just make a blanket statement that any movie about the oppression of any group of people, while it’s important to watch, is extremely difficult to see. We thought 12 Years a Slave was masterful, but I seriously don’t think anyone could handle seeing Solomon Northup abused like that again. We still can’t think about his last lines in the movie without tearing up. It’s too much. We need to go lie down.
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Few movies are as original in their concepts as Benjamin Button, but I don’t think I could ever sit through that movie again. I remember seeing stacks of used copies for sale at Blockbuster Video and wondering why such a great movie wasn’t flying off the shelves. I also wondered why I was in a Blockbuster Video. Then I thought about it and couldn’t think of a single scenario where I would want to watch Brad Pitt morph from an old man into his ridiculously attractive self, and finally to die as a baby. It was a powerful movie, but definitely hard to watch.
2. There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day Lewis is second-to-none when it comes to acting, but the thought of watching all those slow zooms with that big, dramatic soundtrack again sounds like a nightmare. Don’t get us wrong, we loved it the first time we saw it, but this isn’t one of those movies like Men in Black that FX is going to marathon over a holiday weekend.
1. The Passion of the Christ
We all know Mel Gibson is insane, but you have to give him credit for making one of the most gritty and daring religious films ever made. It mad over $611 million on a $30 million budget, so needless to say, audiences came out in swarms. The thing is, unless you’re a pastor who forgot to prepare an Easter sermon and had to throw something together last minute, you’re probably not going to be watching this one over and over. Can you imagine popping this one in the DVD player for date night? Not exactly the mood setter.