The usual course of action is to return to great movies from time to time. Either because the audience falls in love with them or because they simply have nothing else to watch. However, while some feel-good movies come across well even during repeated watching, not every movie works as well when somebody watches it more than once.
RELATED:Great Sci-Fi Movies Made For Under $1 Million
There are multiple reasons why this can happen. One of the more common ones is that the movie is soheavy and dark that it ends up making the audience feel badeven though they still appreciate the movie’s quality. Another reason is that the movie works with a shocking twist that becomes much less surprising the second time. Whatever the case, some great movies are the best when people watch them only once.
7The Usual Suspects (1995)
Some of the most memorable movies offer a final twist that will change everything. Other thanAtonementorThe Sixth Sense, the list also includes the crime movieThe Usual Suspects. The movie is all about the question of who is the mysterious and influential Keyser Söze.
Once the ending reveals that it’s none other than the storyteller Verbal (Kevin Spacey), it’s less likely that the audience will go back to the movie now that they know who was behind the whole mystery. The ending is so famous that it was even parodied in the movie seriesScary Story.
6Titanic (1997)
James Cameron’sTitanicis not only record-breaking but also one of the most celebrated movies of all time. Yet it might be tough to watch it again for some. Not only does the movie last for three hours, which is a lot in today’s chaotic and rushed world, but the romance betweenKate Winslet’s Roseand Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack is tragic enough to break the audience’s hearts.
So even though the movie has a lot of positive things to offer, it’s more likely the audience will rewatch their favorite scenes from time to time rather than commit to watching the tragic love story over and over again as a whole.
5Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Darren Aronofsky is known for not sparing his heroes in the slightest. That’s more obvious than ever in this now-iconic story about addiction that doesn’t have a happy ending. The characters fall deeper and deeper into misery, so there’s no way out.
RELATED:Great Horror Movies Made For Under $1 Million
Requiem for a Dreamis painful to watch because the viewers know the heroes won’t make it or get any better. Despite that, the ending’s devastating, and the movie leaves such a strong impression there’s no need to return to it, at least not anytime soon.
4Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy moviemight look like a fairytale but it soon becomes obvious it’s much darker and cruel toward the heroes, especially the young leading heroine Ofelia.Pan’s Labyrinthgrows progressively more and more serious and its ending is far from cheerful.
Even though there are two ways how to read it, the more likely one will make the audience cry, and as such, it’s difficult to return to the movie and go through the anguish of seeing all the heroes die or vanish once again. And that’s despite the fact that the movie is both visually beautiful and has an excellent cast.
3Atonement (2007)
The power of imagination is great but it sometimes can lead to horrible consequences. That’s what Briony (Saoirse Ronan) eventuallylearns in this war moviewhen her lie separates two lovers, Briony’s older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy).
The movie starts optimistically but it ends up with a devastating lesson and a truth reveal that can leave more sensitive viewers shaken. While some of them can return toAtonementand look for clues that would hint at the ending, most people won’t wish to go through the heartbreaking finale again. An alternate solution if people aren’t ready to say goodbye to the story is to read the novel by Ian McEwan instead.
2The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008)
Another war movie that leaves the audience emotionally drainedalso takes place during World War Two. However, unlikePan’s Labyrinth,The Boy in the Striped Pajamascontains even fewer fantasy elements, exactly zero. Asa Butterfield gives an unforgettable performance as Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer who secretly befriends a Jewish boy he can only talk to via a fence.
RELATED:Great Movies Let Down By Underwhelming Twists
The friendship would have been innocent under any other circumstances but it leads to a tragic ending. If the viewers know how the movie will end, it makes it more challenging to re-watch it. Yet if people want to return to the story, they can try reading the novel by John Boyne that the movie uses as an inspiration source.
1Black Swan (2010)
While not as intense asRequiem for a Dream,Black Swanis another Darren Aronofsky movie that some people will struggle re-watching. Once again, the main character drives herself to a desperate ending, and that’s difficult to watch for anyone who sympathizes with her.
Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance makes the overall impression even stronger as Portman seems fragile and overly thin in the movie about a ballet dancer whose ambition leads to her downfall. A similar movie, albeit not as heavy asBlack Swanthat deals with the topic of devotion to art and the price it requires, is the older movieThe Red Shoesfrom 1948.
