Which films qualify as “movies that are awesome, but I don't ever want to watch again,” and what they reveal about the feeling audiences never want to return to.
I'd also add the fantasy vs. realism element: The Shining, Alien, Se7en, and Jaws aren't realistic. Even if they're bleak tragedies for the fictional characters, you can still externalize them as "not real."
But "Requiem for a Dream" feels like something that actually happened and probably is happening somewhere in the. metropolis right now And we know that some version of "Grave of the Fireflies" did happen to countless Japanese civilians in fire-bombing raids and in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"In the Bedroom" and "Leaving Las Vegas" are two more examples. I saw each in theaters, thought it was the best movie I'd ever seen, then never watched either one again. And all I remember is that lurching powerless feeling you describe here.
I love Requiem for a Dream and have rewatched it several times, mostly to marvel at Ellen Burstyn's incredible performance. But, it definitely loses its impact upon repeat viewings. I remember it being far more harrowing on my first watch (but, I was also a lot younger and have seen many more disturbing movies in the decades since). Maybe that alone is a good reason not to rewatch.
The powerlessness finding is the one I will keep. I had always filed these as "too dark to sit through twice", and the essay shows that is wrong — The Shining and Se7en are dark and people go back. What we will not watch again is a story where the characters never had a way out — where the ending was fixed from the first scene and nothing they did could change it. Lovely piece of work, to both of you.
Great analysis, especially the level of research you've put into this essay. The fact that powerlessness might be a reason to avoid these films is worth considering.
For me, Requiem for a Dream feels an anxiety-trip- which seems to have been Aronfosky's intent. But Jared Leto is also off-putting, which makes it harder to enjoy the film now. Grave of the Fireflies is heart-breaking in ways that few other films on this list are.
But I am surprised to see Oldboy, Eternal Sunshine, Schindler's List and Manchester By The Sea on the list, though. Eternal Sunshine, Schindler's List, and Manchester By The Sea don't end as bleakly as Requiem or Grave of the Fireflies do.
I almost never rewatch awesome movies because they are usually emotionally heavy. They have a deep impact on me, but now, when I know everything that happens, I'm not ready to go through it again.
I first saw Requiem for a Dream 20 or so years ago when I started to "seriously watch movies" in high school, and I umpropmted had that same thought of having watched a great film but not willing to watch it again. Then in 2020, caught in lockdown with a friend, he hadn't seen it and I finally watched it again for a second time and I actually still enjoyed it, perhaps even more so than I remembered.
Eternal Sunshine I don't get how it ends up in those lists, I must have seen it 3 or so times. The whole movie can be interpreted as the joy of repeat... Manchester by the Sea, that one I haven't watched again, but have been willing to. I think the feeling you're writing about is more of a saying than truth.
Another movie that fits this theme is Gaspar Noe's Climax...
I'd also add the fantasy vs. realism element: The Shining, Alien, Se7en, and Jaws aren't realistic. Even if they're bleak tragedies for the fictional characters, you can still externalize them as "not real."
But "Requiem for a Dream" feels like something that actually happened and probably is happening somewhere in the. metropolis right now And we know that some version of "Grave of the Fireflies" did happen to countless Japanese civilians in fire-bombing raids and in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"In the Bedroom" and "Leaving Las Vegas" are two more examples. I saw each in theaters, thought it was the best movie I'd ever seen, then never watched either one again. And all I remember is that lurching powerless feeling you describe here.
I love Requiem for a Dream and have rewatched it several times, mostly to marvel at Ellen Burstyn's incredible performance. But, it definitely loses its impact upon repeat viewings. I remember it being far more harrowing on my first watch (but, I was also a lot younger and have seen many more disturbing movies in the decades since). Maybe that alone is a good reason not to rewatch.
The powerlessness finding is the one I will keep. I had always filed these as "too dark to sit through twice", and the essay shows that is wrong — The Shining and Se7en are dark and people go back. What we will not watch again is a story where the characters never had a way out — where the ending was fixed from the first scene and nothing they did could change it. Lovely piece of work, to both of you.
Great analysis, especially the level of research you've put into this essay. The fact that powerlessness might be a reason to avoid these films is worth considering.
For me, Requiem for a Dream feels an anxiety-trip- which seems to have been Aronfosky's intent. But Jared Leto is also off-putting, which makes it harder to enjoy the film now. Grave of the Fireflies is heart-breaking in ways that few other films on this list are.
But I am surprised to see Oldboy, Eternal Sunshine, Schindler's List and Manchester By The Sea on the list, though. Eternal Sunshine, Schindler's List, and Manchester By The Sea don't end as bleakly as Requiem or Grave of the Fireflies do.
I almost never rewatch awesome movies because they are usually emotionally heavy. They have a deep impact on me, but now, when I know everything that happens, I'm not ready to go through it again.
I had to go check see what I rated Requiem for a Dream as I watched it in my IMDB era, and sure enough I ranked it, and gave it a 10.
My tastes may have changed, but I wouldn't know, because I haven't watched it since.
I first saw Requiem for a Dream 20 or so years ago when I started to "seriously watch movies" in high school, and I umpropmted had that same thought of having watched a great film but not willing to watch it again. Then in 2020, caught in lockdown with a friend, he hadn't seen it and I finally watched it again for a second time and I actually still enjoyed it, perhaps even more so than I remembered.
Eternal Sunshine I don't get how it ends up in those lists, I must have seen it 3 or so times. The whole movie can be interpreted as the joy of repeat... Manchester by the Sea, that one I haven't watched again, but have been willing to. I think the feeling you're writing about is more of a saying than truth.
Another movie that fits this theme is Gaspar Noe's Climax...
"Funny games" is a great movie, but hard to watch even once.
I really don't think Requiem for a Dream is a good movie. I don't think it works at all.