One and Done movies

As i was surfing around the WWW I saw a discussion on films you only want to watch one time(depressing, violent, emotional, etc). It had a picture of Viggo Mortenson in The Road which i would confirm and highly agree is one of those for me is a one and done. Others that i thought i would include were The Deer Hunter and Blue Valentine as all of them are so depressing for me and are disturbing in their brilliance. I thought it was a good discussion so does anyone here have any movies they have watched that one time was enough.

I can't imagine wanting to watch Requiem for a Dream more than once. I've seen the Deer Hunter but don't remember it that well so I'd watch it again, though I agree fully on The Road.

I was going to say Blue Valentine.

Maybe Eternal Sunshine as well.

In recent memory. 12 Years a Slave. An absolutely fantastic movie, extremely well done, well acted, everything. But holy shit did that movie kick my emotions in the nuts.

Highly recommended, but well be prepared to be disturbed and bummed the fuck out.

@ajamafalous:

Wow, never thought Eternal Sunshine. I think that movie, to me, is brilliant in every way. It strikes an emotional chord, but not near what i was thinking.

I tried to think of some; but if I think a movie is good it's a guarantee I'll see it more than once. The only one I can think of is Star Wars Episode I. I saw it when I was like 12 and remember liking it, but never saw it again.

Most big twist movies are one watch for me. Nothing huge Comes to mind but secret window which isn't a classic by any means but I like it,

A Clockwork Orange and Grave of the Fireflies. I'm glad I saw both, but I don't think I could ever watch either movie again.

Oldboy, most of the movie is just really disturbing so I don't think I could watch that again.

I would certainly prefer not to see Martyrs ever again... Though I think I'm willing to watch most movies again if I enjoyed it enough regardless of how depressing it may be. Schindler's List for example is of course an extremely dour and emotionally-driven movie, yet I've seen that three times and enjoyed it each time. The Road as well, now that you mention, I've seen twice, too.

There are movies that lose some of their gravitas a bit upon repeating viewings, though, certainly. Triangle didn't quite keep me engaged as much as I hoped it would upon a second viewing, even though I tend to enjoy watching twist films so you can then watch it from a different perspective.

Also, this should be in off-topic.

Eraserhead. I've actually watched it multiple times (it's my favorite David Lynch film), but I wish I hadn't. I wish I had only watched it once, and let it become more and more dreamlike in my memory. Now I feel like I know it too well, and familiarity removes some of what made it so great: the disorientation and vague sense of fear and disgust.

Same goes for Jan Svankmajer's Alice.

@ajamafalous: Yeah, Eternal Sunshine kind of perplexes me. It has some kind of ugly moments in its middle, but it's a beautiful film that's great to rewatch after you know how its structure actually works. I watch it just about every Valentine's Day.

@shagge: That's the same reason I haven't watched 2001 again yet; I know what I have in my mind is better

It's massively to do with the format of the experience, but I've never wanted to watch The Artist after I saw it in the theatre. I really, really like the film, but I think the experience of seeing it in a proper cinema (I got a great audience that actually kept quiet the whole way through too) was a big part of that. Also, I'd back up what @clonedzero says, 12 Years A Slave is an amazing film, but it's not something I'd watch over and over again.

Irreversible - while it has copious amounts of nude Monica Bellucci in it, which you'd think would encourage repeat viewings, I'd still rather not watch this movie again. I could have done just fine with never having seen the opening scene of Irreversible in my life ever. Unfortunately for me, it cannot be unseen.

Reservoir Dogs

I did not like Requiem, overwrought bit of misery porn that it was. On topic, I don't have much urge to see Schindler's List again.

Just about every horror movie I've ever seen. The only ones I've watched more than once include Jaws, The Exorcist and the first Nightmare on Elm St. (Johnny Depp erupting into a fountain of anti-gravity blood for the win!) Not because I'm particularly squeamish or anything, but I find horror movies in particular lose any kind of impact they had the second time around.

Unless you count comedy-horror, because Evil Dead 2 is infinitely re-watchable.

Salò. One time was more than enough.

Cold Fish

I notice Schindler's List has already been mentioned; that's pretty much at the top of movies I don't feel the need to see again. I'll add Million Dollar Baby to the list here. It was good, but I don't feel the need to ever sit down and re-watch.

Grave of the fireflies

The Audition, god that throw up scene....still haunts me

Most of the Marvel movies.

Requiem For A Dream is definitely a one time deal I think. Enter The Void as well, because it's such a sensory assault and god does it drag towards the end. It's still essential viewing.

Eternal Sunshine is an eternally rewatachable film. Peeps be crazy.

People mentioning 12 Years A Slave which I haven't seen yet, but reminds of Mcqueen's previous film Shame, which I don't feel the need to watch ever again.

I saw Jonathan Glazer's film Under the Skin recently. I think that movie was a one and done film for me. Something about the film felt unnerving even with the star power of Scarlett Johannsen in it.

I know what you're talking about, but I think every great movie benefits from repeat viewings, even the depressing ones. That's my take on this subject

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's an incredible movie, but since you would obviously know who the mole is after watching it once, it loses all of it's tension if you ask me. Everything else about it is still good, but there's just absolutely nothing quite like that first viewing. I suppose you could say that about most mystery/suspense movies though...

Natural Born Killers, Requiem for a Dream, and Killing Zoe. All good, and all movies I don't ever need to watch again.

I guess I have to throw my vote for Requiem for a Dream into the hat. Man, so good and so brutal. Old Boy as well, but more because it is pretty fucked up.

Eternal Sunshine is a masterpiece that only get better every time you watch it. "Meet me in Montauk" brings frisson almost every time.

But, those are the best movies. If you're going to watch anything more than once, it should be one of those.

I watch Schindler's List every year. I listen to the soundtrack at least once a month.

Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves. They were both made by the same guy. They are the most uncomfortable movies I have ever watched.

I just googled that scene and yeah, that's fucking gross.

@everyones_a_critic said:

WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! DON'T DO THAT!

@rvone said:

Not to derail the thread too much, but any particular reason why it's on a regular re-watch?

Sixth Sense. kinda loses it's appeal after the first time.

Would love to hear the reasoning behind these two. I have seen them both several times and they never lose their interest.

I keep thinking I should watch Leaving Las Vegas again, but keep not being able to, so that would probably be my pick. That and anything with a really huge twist. I can't imagine feeling the need to watch Tinker,Tailor etc again.

While reading this thread I'm realizing that I really like rewatching depressing movies. Hmmmm.

There's a couple thick and slow paced thrillers from the 60-70th that I hold very near and dear to my heart, but that I can't seem to be able to enjoy again. French Connection, Marathon Man, The Conversation, Taxi Driver etc. I've tried to watch them again but stopped because I couldn't get into them, as if I watched it just for an academic purpose instead of just sinking into the plot. Truly sad.

The Conversation is one of the strongest movie memories I have. Don't really know why, it's incredibly slow.

@jaqen_hghar: @jazz_bcaz: @red: @me3639:

OP didn't say anything about 'losing interest,' he listed movies that he said were too depressing or disturbing to rewatch. I really liked Eternal Sunshine, but I thought it was super depressing in a way that I could personally relate to. I saw a lot of one of my previous relationships in it, which makes me never want to watch it again.

I'm with you on that one. Eternal Sunshine really fucked me up good. I own it on DVD but will probably never watch it again.

Because it's one of the most impressive movies I know of and it is quite possibly Liam Neeson's very best performance he's ever done.

I feel this way about The Last of Us.

Movies? There Will Be Blood, I suppose.

Besides the one's that have already been mentioned, probably Battle Royale? It's really interesting but it's also just super weird and depressing.

The Conversation is the only one of those I'd describe as slow-paced, but yeah. Very memorable in a fever-dreamy sort of way, but not something I'd want to sit through again anytime soon. Have you seen the French Connection II? Seems like a weird thing to make a sequel to, but it's actually pretty good.

From what I remember, the Deer Hunter is really only worth watching up to when they get to Vietnam, then goes off the rails.

The Usual Suspects, I'll never be able to watch it fresh again, so I won't watch it again.

For being depressing or emotional ... nope I am one of those who likes something will probably watch it again and again , if Im in the mood of course but not because it drained me or whatever. For example I like Breaveheart and saw it 3 times in a row one day ... and I still like it (I know that this isnt the types of movies you are talking about but I use it as an example of how extreme I can get when rewatching something).

Oh yeah, I've seen it but I can't remember a lot of it. Wasn't it almost exactly like the first one but they caught they guy in the end.

I recently saw Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and I don't think I am ever watching that again.

Probably Heat as well. That movie is just so damn long I don't think I have it in me to see it again from beginning to end.

I've seen that movie a lot, and I can definitely see myself getting to this point? Like I felt the first time I watched it that it was a pretty positive film, but every new watch of it I see things in it that are a lot more disconcerting - and fit in a lot more with Kaufman's other stories in some ways. These days I think it's actually a pretty stunningly nihilistic film, but in a kind of positive way?

I think I'm in the minority of all people when I say I actually think I want to watch 12 Years A Slave again. My girlfriend thinks I'm crazy, but I'm probably going to get the Blu Ray. Depressing as it is, I think it's too good a film to shy away from because of that. That;s what makes it different to Requierm for a Dream, which I just don't feel would have a lot more to reveal on repeat viewing...

The only other film that springs to mind for me is Southlan Tales, which is the Donnie Darko director's second film. It's kind of terrible, but I think it's worth watching once for being such a noble failure...