Some movies are simply made to be watched over and over again. It could be because the plot is so dense and confusing that it takes multiple viewings to fully comprehend or that the film is a cult classic and, for diehard fans who can recite every line, it never gets old. When it comes to comedies, the jokes portrayed onscreen are like comfort food, and hungry devotees keep coming back for seconds, thirds, or… fourteenths.
On the flip side, with some movies, just once is enough. Just like the endlessly rewatchable movies, the reasons vary for the one-and-done flicks, too. It may be on account of a film’s gory, grotesque, or straight-up disturbing subject matter. Plus, once a viewer knows the ending, the meat of the movie – the mystery – becomes all too obvious. Sometimes, films are also just excessively long. That’s not to say these are “bad” films. They’re worth a watch, but that’s just it – there’s no need to go back and revisit them later.
Related:Greatest Plot Twists Of All Time, Ranked
Fans of challenging films will be happy to know this article was updated by CinephileMicah Bailey.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
13Uncut Gems (2019)
Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie,Uncut Gemsstarscomedy legend Adam Sandler in the career-defining role of Howard Ratner. He’s a Jewish jeweler and gambling addict who’s barely balancing the stress of paying back various loan sharks, mending his marriage with his estranged wife, and supporting his self-destructive girlfriend.Uncut Gemsworks on many levels, but the film’s frenetic tone, dizzying cinematography, and Howard’s inability to slow down and do what’s right effectively put its audience in his shoes.
The film\s shocking ending makes rewatches difficult, though it also worked very well and successfully surprised the audience. Despite the film’s success,Uncut Gemsloses a bit of its power on repeated viewings as a lot of its emotional weight hinges on our belief that Howard actually can pay back his debts and commit to a stable life.Uncut Gemsis fantastic and definitely worth a watch for anyone who is a fan of A24, the Safdie Brothers, Adam Sandler, or all three.
12Kids (1995)
Harmony Korine’s 1995 coming-of-age drama filmKidsshook critics to their core when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film follows a group of teenagers in mid-90s New York City as they engage in casual acts of sex, violence, and substance abuse all while bonding at various skate parks throughout the Big Apple.
The film is shocking and intense, but it is also raw and sincere in its depictions of teenagers growing up in a world that often leaves them feeling misunderstood. As is often the case with Korine’s films,Kidsfeels more like a slice-of-life than anything else and much of that is due to its documentary-style filmmaking and casting of relatively unknown actors. If one can endure the harsh depictions of young people engaging in wildly hedonistic and dangerous behavior,Kidsis sure to leave an impression not many other films can.
11Requiem for a Dream (2000)
If anyone ever needs a reminder that drugs are bad, and they can ruin someone’s life, just watch Darren Aronofsky’sRequiem for a Dream. The film follows a handful of characters who, after casually dabbling in substance use, progressively become severely addicted.
What follows is the shocking lengths they go to get their fix, and the consequences of their addictions – including an arm amputation, shock therapy, mental delusions, and a disturbing sex work scene.Requiem for a Dreamstarred Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connely, and Ellen Burstyn in truly heart-breaking roles that brought viewers down to their dark depths, which might prove to be too heavy for a rewatch on movie night.
10The Sixth Sense (1999)
Bruce Willis was dead the whole time. Apologies for the major spoiler, but that’s the foundation upon which M. Night Shyamlan’s 1999 psychological thriller,The Sixth Sense, is built. Once the audience knows that after a first viewing, returning to the film is an entirely different experience.
It is, as the colloquial phrase indicates, “spoiled.” That’s not to say that, for anyone watching it for the first time, the twist ending is well worth the experience. Nobody saw that coming. While the film’s haunting atmosphere along with memorable performances from Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, and Haley Joel Osment would usually keep fans coming back for more, Shyamalan’s shocking twists almost always lose most of their edge after the first viewing.
Related:10 Scariest Horror Movies Featuring Creepy Old People
9American History X (1998)
Although highly acclaimed, especially for Edward Norton’s Academy Award-nominated role,American History Xis a tough watch. The film deals with racism, hatred, injustices in the prison system, and loads of graphic, unsettling violence and rhetoric.
Sure, it’s got some stellar acting performances; but the subject matter, combined with the disturbing imagery, is pretty intense. And because of that,American History Xis one of those films any cinephile should definitely watch, but perhaps just once. Norton was joined by Edward Furong, who also delivered an outstanding performance alongside other cast members like Avery Brooks, Fairuza Balk, Stacy Keach, Beverly D’Angelo, and Ethan Suplee.
8The Machinist (2004)
When discussingThe Machinist(2004), the most common thing to come up is Christian Bale’s dramatic physical transformation, dropping 60 pounds for his role as an insomniac factory worker. The film is, to put it mildly, bleak. Bale’s character is suffering, and not just from his lack of sleep and emaciated frame.
Once viewers learn the big reveal that shows the cause of Bale’s torment is a hit-and-run incident from years earlier, everything changes. Much of what came before was merely a sleep-deprived, guilt-driven hallucination. The wonder over whether the events as the lead sees them are actually happening is completely removed, which definitely changes things during a second viewing ofThe Machinist.
7Schindler’s List (1993)
Even films that often make “best movies of all time” lists can be tough to watch twice. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 Best Picture-winning historical epicSchindler’s Listis definitely one of those films. Liam Neeson starred as Oskar Schindler, a Nazi Party member who established a factory that became crucial to the war effort. He used his factory to keep Jewish captives out of concentration camps by making them essential workers in the war effort.
The film shows the horrors of the Holocaust and, although it tells the story of a “good guy” who secretly defied the Nazi regime, it doesn’t shy away from the realities of what happened during one of history’s greatest tragedies. And because it shows just how cruel humanity can be, it’s not a movie most viewers want to watch multiple times.
Related:These Are Movies to Watch Twice After Endings that Change Everything
6Antichrist (2009)
Danish director Lars von Trier is loved and loathed as a provocateur in cinema. His films are dark and disturbing, yet he’s also celebrated for his creativity and pushing boundaries. With 2009’sAntichrist, von Trier did all that.
Plagued by the accidental death of their young son, a couple (played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) goes to a cabin in the woods. From there, things get creepy – including satanic rituals, sexual violence, self-mutilation, and more. Antichrist features graphic violence and shocking imagery and isnot for the faint of heart. However, it’s also an amazingly conceptualized story of grief and loss told by a cast and crew at the top of their game.
5The Blair Witch Project (1999)
When it came out in 1999,The Blair Witch Projectwas unlike anything that came before it. The film was one of the most successful indies of all time, and it spawned the resurgence of the “found footage” genre that appeared in earlier films likeCannibal Holocaust.
The Blair Witch Projectused an unorthodox marketing campaign that include missing person reports, which ingeniously lured moviegoers into believing it was a documentary, instead of a work of fiction. However, as decades passed, the allure of the film’s unique home-movie style faded. The horror hit was new and fresh at the time, but it’s not something most horror fans would go back and watch today. However, there is a modern reboot from director Adam Wingard that took the premise in an exciting new direction.
4Audition (1999)
Veteran Japanese filmmakerTakashi Miikeis a unique filmmaker whose work often implores techniques and themes that leave his audience scratching their heads. With films likeShinjuku Triad Society,Ichi the Killer, and13 Assassins, Miike’s work often focuses on themes of isolation, familial bonds, and morality with a flourish of hyperrealistic violence that would make Tarantino blush.
Miike’s 1999 horror filmAuditionis no exception to this rule. it follows a widower named Shigeharu auditioning women to see if they would make a suitable replacement for his late wife. When he meets Asami, he becomes enamored with the woman and falls head over heels for her. Unfortunately for Shigeharu, Asami is a deeply disturbed woman who engages in tortuous acts with any man who fails to swear complete and utter loyalty to her.Audition’s ending is one of cinema’s most excruciating scenes, and readers should brace themselves before watching Miike’s masterpiece.
Related:Takashi Miike Says He Was ‘Careful’ in Placing the Most Violent Moments of Audition
