What's your favourite emotionally devastating movie?
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Happiness (1998) is extremely dark and very funny at the same time
The War Zone (1999) is relentlessly bleak and uncomfortable
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Strangely these are my favourite kind of films, as there is something cathartic about emerging from an emotional roller coaster. These films have stayed me with long after:
- Irreversible
- 21 Grams
- Never Let Me Go
- Burning
- First Reformed
- The Long Walk
i read never let me go, didn't know there was a film. do you think it's still worth watching with prior knowledge?
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- One flew over the cuckoo's nest
- Aftersun
- The father
- Manchester by the sea
- Million dollar baby
Aftersun is a beautiful and poignant film with excellent dramatic performances by Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio that I will probably never watch again because it's sooooo sad

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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
The Whale broke me. And Zone of Interest is also a really hard pill to swallow. First time I was sitting in a fully packed theater and not a single person bought any snacks. We all knew it would be horrible.
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Dear Zachary
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i read never let me go, didn't know there was a film. do you think it's still worth watching with prior knowledge?
I've not read the book but my partner tells me the film is a very good adaption of it and it's worth seeing.
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There was something in Trainspotting that fucked me up so hard I never, ever went near that movie again.
And it's not explicitly a horror movie, so valid in this context.
Trainspotting csme to mind for me too. The violence in that movie is emotionally devastating but its not emotionally devastating for the human interactions & relstionships so it doesnt make my list.
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Reprise by Lars von Trier. Probably my favourite movie but I struggle to explain why.
Honorouble mentions:
- THE IRONCLAW! It's not the most emotionally devaststing for me but it was for a lot of people who saw it. To me it is really special though because it's a beautifully simple film and you sit right there alongside Von Erich as he walks through different stsges of his life. You feel everything.
- That irish schoolboy rugby romance - Handsome Devil, i think its called
- The Whale
Least favourite emotionally defastating movies:
The Devil All The Time and "Love Story"
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Dear Zachary
Yep. This right here.
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Powder
Schindler's List
Powder is such a unique choice - not one many probably even remember.
Saw it in theater way back. Oddly, the power went out midway through.
It was touching.
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Happiness (1998) is extremely dark and very funny at the same time
The War Zone (1999) is relentlessly bleak and uncomfortable
The breakfast scene in that movie (happiness). Just ..... Fuck.
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Life of others (Das leben der anderen)
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I'm very aware! I mean it when I say I really don't get it lol.
Have you seen some of the other film adaptations? Or read the novels?
- All the Pretty Horses
- No Country for Old Men
- The Counselor
- Child of God
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Lilya 4-ever. So sad. So excellent...
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The Whale broke me. And Zone of Interest is also a really hard pill to swallow. First time I was sitting in a fully packed theater and not a single person bought any snacks. We all knew it would be horrible.
Holy fuck The Whale. I rarely get emotional for sad movies and usually my eyes well up at most but The Whale opened the flood gates. Watched it at the movie theaters and remember the credits rolling in silence while everyone is sniffling and sobbing. Cried on the way home too. I bought it on blu ray and have not worked up the courage to rewatch it.
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I've not read the book but my partner tells me the film is a very good adaption of it and it's worth seeing.
cheers, i'll give it a go
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Leaving Las Vagas
Then La La Land
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Powder is such a unique choice - not one many probably even remember.
Saw it in theater way back. Oddly, the power went out midway through.
It was touching.
It's one of my favorites, that's awesome you got to see it in theater

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The breakfast scene in that movie (happiness). Just ..... Fuck.
it's full of those sort of sinking feelings but that's a grim one
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The Virgin Suicides for me. I bought it last week and haven't been able to work up the gumption to watch it yet. Maybe tonight.
Bridge to Terabithia