Are there any great films that you'd never watch again because of how depressing/intense they are?

Some movies are emotional ordeals. I tend to prefer those and re-watch them

Add Bad Lieutenant to that list. The old Harvey Keitel version of course. More recently, Manchester By The Sea - which I saw twice in the theater and now own a bluray. Preferred the theater experience for that one. (Not a dry eye)...

Maybe Biutiful with Javier Bardem falls in that category as well. Need to re-watch that to gauge the heartache again.

 

I saw that once in the theater, and don't think I could handle another viewing. Between Michelle Williams' heart-wrenching confrontation and Casey Affleck's grabbing the gun from the cop...

My wife is more able to handle things like that. She watched all nine and a half hours of Shoah in the theater in one day. Ever since, I have acknowledged that she is a better person than I am.

 

Boys Don't Cry with Hilary Swank.

That was an great movie, but I'm afraid to watch it again.

 

That sums it up for me quite well.

 

I must be misunderstanding the topic. I thought I'd find lists of intense and/or depressing films which were tough to watch and don't lend themselves to a second viewing. Taxi Driver? The Revenant? No Country For Old Men? Raging Bull?

Good grief. How few films have you guys seen?

Bone Tomahawk is an example of intensity and graphic violence where it seems reasonable that even a frequent film goer will find that once was enough. See that and then report back.

As for depressing, well, there's a bunch. Since this is a music web-site, then I'll nominate Dancer In the Dark. And since we've got many sci-fi fans, then how about Perfect Sense?

Seriously, we are 4 pages in and there are very few films which scratch the surface of the topic. I guess I should warn that if The Revenant was too much for you (and I've screened it on a legit home theater), then Bone Tomahawk should be avoided. I'm not out to traumatize anyone. It is a legit film as opposed to those within a crazy sub genre, which I feel should be exempt from the thread.

 

I forgot about that one. I bet that church that allowed them to film there had regrets.

 

Both Elephant Man and Eraserhead are brilliant but I never want to revisit them.

Actually, Inland Empire is pretty damn intense.

 

The Turin Horse is really depressing too. So bleak.

 

Although I watched it a bunch when I was younger, I never plan on watching Kids again. Same thing for Gummo.

 

Schindlers List: I watched it again the other day and really found it tougher than usual to get through.
The Green Mile is another emotionally draining movie as well.

 

SHOAH. That's one watch and never again. It's obviously very moving but I could never sit through it again.

 

What's the difference??

 

I've probably seen Taxi Driver twenty times...classic '70s film.
The 1991 Cape Fear lacks everything that made the original riveting.
Wise Blood sucked hugely and royally...never again!

 

I look at potatoes differently since that film.

 

The champ.

 

Not a huge gansta fan so Goodfellas for me & Ichi the Killer.

 

None for me. If I consider a movie great, I’ll want to watch it again. (We may, however, disagree on whether a given film is great—I don’t always go along with popular opinion.)

 

Bringing Out the Dead

 

My thoughts exactly. Every time we have a thread like this, I'm completely baffled by 99% of the responses.
Ignoring the fact that being even disturbed by a film at all -- something that isn't even real to begin with -- seems laughable to me in the first place, the fact that people around here are claiming to be bothered and unable to re-watch films -- especially ones as tame as those being mentioned -- just makes me think this forum is full of people with bigger issues that need to be addressed.

 

Ya mean movies aren't even real? So what are the untamed ones sir?

 

That's fine by me, saves everyone a lot of time and money and trouble.
I would have started with 39 lashes...per family of a victim. Each family gets to rub in their choice of various salts, chlorine, Icy Hot, etc. THEN things would "get medieval on his @ss"

 

The Departed.

Once was enough.

 

Into The Forest (2015)

I absolutely loved this film but the rape scene bothered me so bad I could never watch it again.

 

There are some other somewhat-rare films like FM and American Hot Wax, which probably won't ever come out on home video because it'd cost about $2 million to pay for the music rights... but they have been played on Pay TV channels once in awhile. Those I could watch again, no problem. Depressing real-life films... that's tough for me to do.