“The Whole Theater Emptied Without A Word”: 50 Powerful Films That Left Viewers In Shock
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools films rely on for their success. It can be challenging to win audiences over with a trailer, but once 15 of your friends mention how great a movie was, your interest might finally be piqued. Some great films, however, don’t get audiences talking immediately. Some particularly powerful movies leave audiences stewing in silence, contemplating what they just experienced, for minutes, or even hours, after viewing.
If you’re looking for a shocking or heart wrenching film that might leave you speechless, Reddit users have recently compiled a comprehensive list of the ones that left them “sitting in silence for 10 minutes after watching.” Feel free to take note of the films you haven’t yet experienced, and be sure to upvote the ones that left you at a loss for words as well.
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The Green Mile.
Some friends and I went to see this in the theater. We walked out in silence, sat in the car for a good 30 minutes in silence (long drive to the theater), and one of us finally said, 'Wow.'
I read the book in year 9 at school. It was pretty sobering and morbid to read. I loved it though regardless.
Saving Private Ryan. As people got up and left it stayed quiet, nobody said a word.
The opening scene, my god. Heard the veterans could smell diesel when they saw that.
The scene was authentic because they hired veterans as advisors for the movie
Schindlers List.
It's absolutely THE best of all horrible movies.
Se7en...
My mouth was open after watching this the first time and I felt a heaviness that I haven't felt in a movie before this.
The fox and the hound.
I’m 36 and have refused to watch it again since I was a kid.
One of the few Disney movies with an ending like that they are very rare.
The Pianist, a movie from 2002 about a Jewish pianist during WWII.
Loved this movie with a masochistic passion, because it hurt just as much every time I watched it. But Adrien Brody's acting in it was phenomenal.
Coco broke my heart, when Miguel sings Recuérdame to Coco that set me off, and when her picture was on the Ofrenda the next year and Hector could finally be with his family I just lost it. Such a beautiful film, I watched it for the first time not long after I lost my grandmother :(
Talk about UGLY-CRYING. Can't make it through that scene without sobbing.
OMG my dad did not want to watch it. We were both sick at my sister's destination wedding, so we were taking turns choosing the movie, and I wanted to watch it. Made it all the way to the part at the end where the cat and dog change, started frantically wiping my eyes because I didn't want dad making fun of me. Then I heard... a sniffle. Did a corner-eye glance so he wouldn't see me looking. Coco made my DAD ugly cry!
Dead Poets Society.
I was just shocked how much it touched me.
Robin Williams was a genius. Follow it up with the Fisher King as a double feature and you have an unforgettable night.
Marly and me. Didn't say anything for a good while after that.
I wish I could say I was silent. But I was like 7 when I went to see it, and my mom tells me I left the movie theater fucking sobbing uncontrollably, to the point where strangers stopped us to ask if I was okay. LMAO.
Grave of the fireflies.
This! I got a Studio Ghibli set for my birthday from my husband. We started a movie marathon, watching all the movies from the set. We stopped after this one because both of us were bawling. We both just kinda sat there trying to pull ourselves back together.
Brilliant movie, but definitely "one and done." I usually don't cry watching movies, but this one broke me.
Jojo Rabbit
Holy cow, did that one deliver a gut punch. Such a good film. The silence in the theater, when that one was over, was nothing I'd experienced before.
Love this movie. The movie plays one way, then does a sudden 180°. There was a collective "gasp" in the theater. And Sam Rockwell was brilliant.
Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind.
Oh man. I watched this in the theater with my partner at the time. Looking back, our relationship was in its death throes, and that was a reaaal uncomfortable watch. We had a 30-minute drive home from the theater, and I’m not sure we said a word the entire drive.
Clockwork Orange, watched it at 15 years old. Word of advice: don't do that. I was shook.
I've heard all memories are stored, it's the accessing part that is the problem. In 2002 I saw Clockwork Orange for the first time (I knew the plot). Afterword, a *Crystal Clear* forgotten memory from 40 years earlier burst into my mind. ... My parents had just seen 'Clockwork' and as we were driving somewhere, I asked them if the movie was good. My mom, who was usually very easy going, blurted out, "NO. It was horrible". My father, then tried to explain it was really about the Nature vs Nurture debate and whether or not somebody's experiences made them who they are (and whether somebody could be rehabilitated by controlling their experiences if they were criminal), but my mom kept making little interjections while he talked. I now realize she wanted to tell me that any movie showing people reveling in rape and murder was vile and never should have been made -- but since I was a kid, she couldn't give examples. When my dad finished answering a follow up question I had, my mom defiantly said, "The movie was BAD!" I can still see her sitting in the passenger seat, looking towards my father as he was driving, and almost daring him to say something more. My father and I made eye contact in the rearview mirror and I could tell he had more to say, but his steady gaze said now wasn't the time. ... That kind of sums up my mom who was a very caring "sensor" and my father who was a "thinker". ... If you are a thinker, this movie is worth seeing.
Parasite.
Parasite made me silent after the movie ended, silent with no radio playing on the drive home, silent when I went to bed, and silent when I woke up. That’s not hyperbole.
It's not a movie, but the last episode of The Good Place.
The Mist. The whole theatre slumped out in silence. What a gut punch
That was a fun movie to watch untill the end. The end was so shocking, that when I saw the movie the second time I stopped the dvd just before the end. I couldn't watch that scene again. Too upsetting.
Children of men.
I had no idea what to expect from the movie and was only looking for something to fill the time while out of town on a business trip. I saw a movie theater within walking distance from my hotel and went there. I was stunned. I recommended the movie to anyone who was willing to hear me talk about it.
City of God.
This also broke my heart and just did a number on me well after the film ended. It was one of those movies I was glad to have seen but wished I hadn’t. My son was very little at the time, and I just cried and held him for a very long time after I turned the TV off.
Full Metal Jacket when I saw it in the theater in 1987
Apocalypse Now. I was a kid. Loved the movie, loved the soundtrack.
The Prestige.
I thought it was pretty amazing that the movie blatantly reveals what’s happening but it’s not till the very last *second* you understand the scope of what Robert was doing.
That alone left me saying “…holy s**t”
Then I learned that the entire movie was intentionally setup with the three step structure of a magic trick and I said “Hooooooly s**t!”
It's so good, and didn't get the attention it deserved because a similar movie came out at the same time with Edward Norton
*No Country for Old Men* (2007)
The only thing scarier than Javier Bardem in that film, was his haircut. 😬
Everything Everywhere, All At Once.
This movie had me crying and laughing at the same time (not even crying from laughing too hard, but actually crying) — so good.
Not a movie but The Haunting of Hill House. After every episode I sat in silence for a bit to take it all in.
The novel is worth a read, and I relatively enjoyed both movies, too.
Inception. I’m still impressed how good and tricky it was.
Midsommar. Saw it in theaters and I had to take a shower when I got home. Now it’s one of my favorite films though!
Oldboy (the original from Park Chan Wook, not the remake).
This was the first movie I've watched where the twist came out of nowhere. I was enjoying the fight scenes and I'm thinking, Yeaaah, kick some ass and get your revenge.
Then the plot twist happened and my jaw dropped.
Promising Young Woman. I was so filled with rage and despair and realized I really needed to talk to someone about the film but at the same time couldn’t recommend it to just anyone to watch it.
I watched the entire movie while on an airplane and I didn’t have headphones, so I could only read the subtitles. Even with subtitles, I was absolutely drawn in.
I had to rewatch it (with sound!) when I got back home.
Infinity War. I'd avoided all spoilers and the snap had everyone just silent.
Yeah, the audience was in shock. It reminded me of watching The Empire Strikes Back as a kid. Someone said as the credits rolled something like, 'Did…did the good guys just..LOSE?' It was unexpected, since Star Wars was such a triumphant ending. I remember we all liked Empire but were shocked at what happened.
Disney's Soul. Put me through a good ol existential crisis.
Criminally underrated movie.
Not a movie, but Game of thrones season 3 episode 9. The Red Wedding...
The lack of music during the credits was just right
Once Were Warriors.
I sat staring at the screen for ages. WTF? I had to watch it again immediately because I was very confused as to whether I enjoyed it or not. It was just as moving the second time.
That movie is just so raw. So very different from the mainstream Hollywood flicks.
The Menu.
That movie was wild.
wasnt at the end but that scene in hereditary... i had to pause it on my tv and stare at the wall for a bit
I lost it when Toni Colette's character wept from the deepest depths of her soul. Took me back to my brother's funeral and the sounds my mother made. Couldn't watch the rest of the movie.
There's a scene later on where she is begging her husband (I won't go into details for spoilers sake) where she is just as intense. I'm sorry the movie brought on something like that for you.
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This scene is exactly what I thought if when I read the title of this post. BONK!! (head rolls away). My jaw dropped when I saw this and had to rewind what happened after because my mind shut off for about a minute.
Missed and forgot about this movie. 90% critic rating. Just added to my "Watch" list. Thanks BP.
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The first time I watched this, I had to stop because it was too much but the next evening/night I watched the rest to get it over and done with. It's really scary but it made me more uncomfortable/disturbed than scared. It made me feel dirty inside. It's hard to explain.
Terrible movie. I was so bored watching it. Like I get it, it's an allegory for schizophrenia but doesn't flow well and it's just so predictable. Toni Colette did an absolutely amazing job though.
So you predicted the head roll? And the lady floating to the tree house?
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I think I watched the whole credits just trying to take it all in. One of the best modern horror films but also a great movie, period. Impressive performance by Toni Collette
I don't get the downvote it's just your opinion and you're not wrong
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The original *Saw*.
Those last few minutes were wild.
I watched it by myself when it came out; I was 14. Few endings have made me feel as upset and fucking EMPTY as that one.
Interstellar in IMAX, opening day. Drove all the way home in broad daylight in complete silence
All quiet on the western front
Mulholland Drive. I was like “what the hell did I just watch?… total mindfuck of a movie.
It's been about 20 years since I watched it and I still don't know what the hell I watched. But I did suddenly realize that Donnie Darko actually does make sense, if only by comparison.
Blair Witch Project. I was young at the time and believed all the marketing hype that it was “found footage”. My friend and I just sat there in silence afterwards…
Later I learned it wasn’t a documentary…
I heard that the three main characters were required to stay out of the public eye to sell the ending better. Whether that's true or not, I don't know.
Dancer in the Dark. It was Bjork’s only movie and the end scenes are haunting. The whole theater sat in stunned silence. It took over an hour for me to fully snap out of it.
Der Untergang (Downfall)
We watched that in school... And discussed it, was very powerful conversation that I hope made all of us in class better humans
BlacKkKlansman - Good movie, but after it ended Spike Lee takes real footage and swings one final time for the gut.
Pursuit of happiness.
This!!! I can never watch it again. HEAVY.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, went into it blind and it was quite something.
I've told everyone that it's possibly the worst gut punch from a film of any kind I've ever had. Destroyed me!
Her
Just because it took me a second to move beyond Theodore's sadness and understand what exactly happened by the end.
Logan. When the screen faded to black and you saw Logan. The whole theater was quiet except for a few people sobbing.
My son is named after Professor Xavier because I loved the 90's and earlier version of his character so the film was extra disturbing for me.
Sausage Party.
Whole theatre was quiet after that s**t show.
Banshees of inisheerin
I was quiet for quite a while after this one too, trying to figure out how I felt about it. :p
Moonlight. It was one of the single most original and unexpected movies I watched in a long time. I watched it knowing nothing about it (had never even heard of it until a few weeks before).
Yes, it was the last movie to really hit me like that emotionally.
Under The Skin - little known movie with Scarlett Johansson in it. The director used common people to act in the movie that they met while filming in Scotland(?), not just actors.
Won't spoil it and suggest watching without reading a synopsis. It was something else...
Yeah, no. I've gotten burned too many times watching a movie without knowing what it's about. I don't get books without checking reviews first either. The only books I might read without vetting them are the ones that are chosen by my book club. Even then I don't necessarliy finish the ones that I think are dreck. (Hello, Lincoln in the Bardo.) Books and movies should make us think, and I don't go out of my way to avoid those that deal with tough themes, by any means. I just know what my tolerance level is. Besides, films and books are also supposed to be somewhat of an escape, as far as I am concerned. There's already so much grief and nastiness in the real world! Life is too short to spend time on films or novels that are confusing, badly done, gratuitously dark/violent, or just flatout stomach churning. Since I did read a synopsis on this film -- it's a pass for me. Not my cup of tea. Rant over.
Come and See
Truly a nightmare
Martyrs (French movie), i was silent and depressed for far more than 10 minutes.
Ex Machina. God I love that movie.
I have watched that movie at least 20 times by now. If you liked that movie, you should watch " Uncanny". The ending will mess with your head!
Not a movie…but the Sopranos finale. I went through all kinds of emotions that day.
My now ex husband hated it. I loved it. He couldn't handle the ambiguity, which I thought was perfect.
Not a movie but a series . Ending scene of “Mind hunter season 1 “ . I have seen every kind of horror movies , i have seen things but that damn last scene send me into full panic attack .
What impressed me most, was the sudden change in the character of Ed Kemper, you almost think he is a nice guy. Brilliant series, too bad it is cancelled
The Whale
if you are remotly sensitive It slap hard it did to brendan fraser what lost in translation did too Bill Muray
Well, a show. Season 6, Episode 7 of Better Call Saul. Good lord.
ON THE BEACH - 2000 TV Movie Version This beats all the other hands down! If you have children then this will kill you. Short version is nuclear war has destroyed most of the planet and the radioactive cloud is heading towards Australia. In the end they realise there is nothing they can do and so prepare for the worst. This includes "end of life" kits for some families. The scene where a navy lieutenant is about to give his two children some special orange juice and put them to bed before giving himself and his wife an injection is a killer. Jacqueline McKenzie playing the mum is fantastic at conveying the hurt and dilemma that a mum would have to go through to do this while Grant Bowler as the dad tries to stay strong and knows it is the less horrible option. Me and my wife sat there for 30 minutes speechless and with tears in our eyes and both stood and watched our 6 year old sleeping for a while before going to bed. I'm tearing up thinking about it now.
That movie traumatised me as a kid, still can't watch it.
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"I am Legend" would be mine because Sam dies. Millions of people bit the dust - no problem, but killing the dog was too much for the audience
with you on this. i don't care who dies in the film as long as the dog lives.
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The Deer Hunter. Saw it when it first came out. We all got in the car and just sat there. And then I cried all the way home.
I was too young to understand it when I saw it as a young child, but it floored me as a teen.
Load More Replies... Nobody's mentioned Pan's Labyrinth? I left the theater feeling like I had been run over by a bus. The box office had a sign warning people that it was rated R for extreme violence--some parents had been bringing their children thinking it was a charming fantasy.
First time I watched it, I was okay. Second time? Blubbering mess.
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What dreams may come. I cried so much while watching it as a teen. Sad, but wholesome Movie in the end.
Hotel Rwanda. I watched it in school and my teacher looked at me like 👀
That one tore into me when I watched it.
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I love that movie. Loved Bill Nighy's character. Especially since at the time everything I'd seen him in prior he was either playing a jerk or like some kind of vampire overlord type. Everything in the movie goes against tropes and there's so much warmth in the story and relationships.
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most of these are more sad than disturbing, and are still well worth the watch, but again, completely understandable for someone to decide not to watch them xP
Load More Replies... surprised "My Girl" isn't on the list. That movie tackled some insanely heavy stuff for a childrens movie to tackle. The scene with the glasses still makes me cry thinking about it.
I had forgotten about that one. Thanks for returning my feelings for the movie. I didn't need them.
Load More Replies... Brokeback Mountain. Had the pause it halfway through to go outside and get some air. The despair was suffocating me.
That is the only movie in this that I saw. So sad. I have not been in a movie theater in 20 years.
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Hands down. Watched with a friend at the cinema. Lived every bloody second with them. Still think it's been the strongest film in my lifetime.
Love this one. So powerful, emotional, and thought provoking; and it put Frances McDormand on my top favorites list.
Load More Replies... Das Boot has such an unexpected and shocking ending that I was stunned. I actually couldn't move after the movie was over.
It was raw. Also kinda depressing. The valor shown was simple and hard. Loved the subtitled version. Can you say, Stupid war for stupid things?
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Tusk. It's a Kevin Smith movie, so the whole way through we kept waiting for the ironic humor, but joke was on us, because this movie just keeps getting stranger and more disturbing until at the end you're silent and weeping
City of Angels. Had me low key depressed for two weeks afterwards. About Time has haunted me for a few years now.
Passion of the Christ. Watched it in the theater when suddenly the emergency lights start flashing but nobody stopped the movie, so nobody got up and left. Just stood up, minute pause, get to the aisle, minute pause, ssllooowly take a few steps, minute pause.... The lights stopped after 10 minutes and it ended up being a fake bomb scare. The part in the movie was really intense and with only about 15 people, with the emergency exit door that opened to outside (so if signs of fire were visible we could get out in time), no actual signs of a fire, and nobody who worked there coming to ensure an empty room, it was like nope, I will die before I miss the end (figuratively and literally). I popped my head out another door to ask an employee what was happening. He said it was looking like a prank. I stayed and watched from there, ready to leave if need be. That door was out of sight from the seats, so as far as everyone else knew, it was an emergency, but still didn't move. It was surreal.
I watched this one without the emergency. The entire theater sat in silence for about 10 minutes after it ended.
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Rabbit Proof Fence - directed by Phillip Noyce. Adapted from the book Follow the Rabbit a proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. True story my mum and me cried from about 5 minutes in till the end.
I read the actor was a prisoner of war himself, he was a dentist and had some resemblance to de real Dirh Pran, they met at a ceremony and huged and Dirh said to him 'I am you, and you are me' The actor Haing Gnor was later killed in a robbery. Really sad story for both of them.
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One and done for both of these. The Color Purple. Far too much pain to get to the bittersweet ending. Most of all, Pan’s Labyrinth. I don’t even have words to describe how sad, angry, or disgusted I was at the end of this movie.
Million Dollar Baby. When it was over there was total silence, could hear a pin drop and remained that way as we all went to our cars. My friend and I barely spoke on the way home.
Yep, the whole time I was hoping some miracle would happen and she would somehow get better....nope. :
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Thank you for the list of movies never to watch. I solumnly swear never to watch any of these movies.
I think you need to watch at least some of them. I watched most in this list and apart from one or two it didn't stir any strong and/or lasting feelings. The ones based in real facts make me think a bit more but very very rarely I'm shocked speechless. Some are really good movies well worth a watch
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I didn't watch the movie, but the book was so disturbing. Especially because I'm mentally ill.
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Never Cry Wolf. The true story of a biologist who is asked to investigate wolves in the Far North, because they are believed to be the reason for the extinction of caribou. Then he discovers the truth...
One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest. Chief at the end. Chokes me up every time. Jacob's Ladder Saw that in the theater with 3 friends and that was a silent drive home as everyone was trying to grasp the ending. After a second watch of the movie you get it though. Vanishing Point (1971) Ending leaves everyone speechless.
La Jetée (the short film 12 Monkeys was based on) & Sans Soleil, for a Chris Marker double feature. Part of my Creative Studies degree was Film Theory, so I was being exposed to many benchmark, esoteric, auteur films. After sitting through both of these, I think wandered around silently & aimlessly for the weekend, trapped in my head. They definitely had a lasting affect on me.
San Soleil also by Chris Marker knocked the audience I was with for six - particularly the footage of the giraffe being killed.
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"Des Hommes et des Dieux" ( Men and Gods) a French film about monks that were abducted and killed by muslim fanatics in Algeria. The whole audience remained seated and silent throughout the end credits. Also "Un long dimanche de fiançailles", I think the English title is "A very long engagement, in which à disabled girl, played by Audrey Tautou ( Amelie) refuses to believe her fiancé died in WW1 and starts à long, obstinate investigation to find out what happened, just before the armistice, in the trench where he had been sent. There, too, people remained silent till the screen went dark.
Movies have been dominated by marvel for over a decade. There was one instance in this whole list. Let's hope better movies can get some support and focus now that the juggernaut has slowed its blanket domination
im looking forward to movie's with substance again.
Load More Replies... Shoah. Saw it at the Ogden Theater in Denver over two nights. It's something like 8 hours of interviews. The theater emptied silent, both nights.
I watched this entire film on a trunk load of VHS tapes. More horrific than Schindler’s List, imo
Load More Replies... Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer definitely had some scenes that haunt me to this day. Saw it just once and that was more than enough. Around the same time Henry came out C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) was released. Also about a serial killer. Starts out funny and ends in a nightmare. I can recommend.
I worked with the actor (Michael Rooker) who played Henry after and told him how much it disturbed me. He said he had a hard time after those scenes too.
Load More Replies... Who can forget Life of Brian? Perfect comedic storm. Laughed so hard that I was literally slipping out of the theater seat (I'm that old.)
Can't believe no one mentioned "Kids." The sickest most disturbing movie I've seen to this day. Like I can't believe it was actually allowed to be released to the public.
I hated Kids. The worst part though was how many reviewers basically treated it like a documentary.
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Not in a theater but on tv. Von Ryan's Express. Colonel Ryan was brilliantly played by Frank Sinatra. The ending took me completely by surprise. Then I found out that was the ending Frank had insisted on and I was stunned again. For anyone who has never seen the movie I highly recommend it.
The Wall. I was 15/16 and it was the first R-rated movie I saw.
Since I was a big Pink Floyd fan and was already familiar with the story from the album nothing really shocked or surprised me. I did have to explain it to a lot of other people though.
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"The Lobster." I watched it before bed and then lay there for a couple of hours thinking about that strange film.
Lilya 4--Ever. Sophie Scholl - The Final Days. Nocturnal Animals. Platoon. Smoke Signals. Black 47.
The scene in Platoon in which the Lt. is running for the helicopter reduced me to sobs. Using Barber's Serenade for Strings as part of the soundtrack in that section just made it more heartbreaking.
Load More Replies... Martin Scorsese 's Silence, with Liam Neeson and Adam Driver. Left me speechless.
I'm amazed no one mentioned Shine. I was in a bad way mentally when I saw it. I didn't speak for two days.
Buried. The phone calls he was making put me into a whirlwind of emotions.
I made the mistake of getting hella baked with my friend before we went to see that 😅
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Bridge to Teribithia. Watched it as a kid, I was fine. Watched it years later, I don't cry because of movies, but I cried at the end.
That entire scene was heartbreaking especially with the song “Dos Oruguitas” playing in the background. The film was totally about generational trauma and breaking the cycle of the pressure caused by it.
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May top 5 fav movies on order, RUSH (Niki Lauder, James Hunt) Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Men of Honour, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Homeward bound really messed me up, havent seen it again
There is an anime called belle, it’s slightly based off of beauty and the beast, I was sobbing by the end. I also listen to just the music a lot still and I saw it months ago
I love Belle. And it is amazing they found an English voice actor for Suzu who sings very similar to the Japanese VA.
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Field of Dreams. I remember the adults leaving crying. For anyone who has lost a parent…
One I didn't see mentioned was "bridge to terabithia". Great book and good movie. Even though I knew what was gonna happen the movie blew my thoughts out of the water and still was devastated.
The Whale. The whole theater was crying and no one spoke or wanted to make eye contact.
I've seen many wonderful, touching movies, none of them are mentioned here. What I still remember is that everyone in the salon laughed when Thelma and Louise floored their car and flew into the abyss. People here (the U.S.) tend to laugh at movie scenes which aren't funny.
Recently watched one: "Sound of Freedom." It follows a man helping free kids from child trafficking. Hard to watch and was super quiet afterwards. Everyone I saw in the theater was crying.
It's still in theaters and people have been getting refunds from the theaters bc theaters don't want it to be #1 in the box office. Check it out.
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Brokeback Mountain. That movie broke me. After it finished I cried for at least 25 minutes and felt like I was never going to be happy again
Brokeback Mountain. Saw it in the theater, and sobbed uncontrollably for the entire hour ride home on the subway. I bought it the day it came out on DVD because I wanted to support it, but I've never opened it or watched it again. It's probably one of the top 3 best movies I've ever seen in my life, but it completely destroyed me.
Watership Down & Shawshank Redemption for me. Didn't watch either until my teens but they had me bawling/in shock at times.
Predestination with Ethan Hawke! Easily one of my favorite movies and a TOTAL mind f*ck
I bought the movie Men without seeing it first. I was confused when I watched it. Then I looked up an explanation and it made a lot of sense.
"The power of one" excellent book and excellent movie. I thought about both for ages afterwards
Wow - I've only seen 2 of these movies. LOL! I cry way too easily, so I don't dare watch some of these. They stay in my head and haunt me for years. One I did watch, which I knew the ending to, but still affects me to this day...The Passion of the Christ.
For me it would be The Crow. Saw it in the theater when it first came out and it just broke me for a while.
The marble game episode of Squid Game. Tears for the old man (and i want them back, he didn't deserve them!) and for the 2 girls, who deserved them and more.
Apocalypse Now - as the child of a Vietnam vet who saw contact and was still very messed up when I was little....I couldn't make it past the opening scene. The other I don't see here is the dead baby scene in Trainspotting. Ugh.
"Dance With the White Dog" the idea of loving someone that much, loving them enough that even God will send you back to wait for them, and protect them until they join you is enough to leave anyone ugly crying.
'Shooting dogs' & 'Hotel Rwanda' are 2 films covering the same subject that left my wife in pieces. Even I was a little taken aback. Up until those films I didn't know really know anything about the genocide, it really opened my eyes (and filled the wife's eyes). Such impactful films.
The Lives of Others. Watch it with subtitles. It is so good, you will be changed when it's over.
Watched The Day After in my 9th grade science class. We all left class in complete stunned silence.
1. Puss in Boot 2. When he has that panic attack the whole theater went DEAD silent. 2. Infinity War whole theater shreaked "NO" When Spiderman died. 3. The utter roar oh cheers in both spider man 3 when all 3 spidermen came on screen and end of End Game when the portals opened.
Not a movie, but the official music video for Tally Hall's Hidden in the Sand.
The Japanese version of The Dog Of Flanders. Got a VHS and a soundtrack CD from a Goodwill. Listened to the soundtrack on a school trip. Absolutely stunning music and all of it is perfect for an 8 hour bus ride. Got home and watched the movie. I can no longer listen to the final track without fighting tears.
Sophie's Choice. Saw the movie and read the book. Hated Germans for years after that.
I’m going to add Guillermo Del Toro’s “El Labertino del Fauno” (Pan’s Labyrinth). I think so many people went in expecting a darker yet fun fantasy movie a’la Tim Burton and we’re caught off guard when they were met with a disturbing, haunting, and just plain sad allegory for the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. The Pale Man still has to be one of the creepiest horror movie characters. I’ll also add another Guillermo Del Toro movie—let’s not forget about that very….ummm…how do I put it…”just plain wrong” twist in Crimson Peak.
Annihilation. F*****g disturbing. That bear thing. I cannot watch it again.
One Day In September. A documentary about the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich when Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and murdered part of the Israeli Olympic athletic team. It is a chilling film, and remarkable that this episode in history is largely forgotten.
I'll add a couple, as a kid Blade Runner was a stunner. Went with my parents and expected a kinda sci-fi romp like Star Wars. The ending where the villain accepts the inevitability of death and understands the value of life and saves the hero was pretty mindblowing at the time. I also saw Basic Instinct in the theatre on a date. I for one just thought it was going to be a kinda action, police thriller. The icepick scene though... jesus. That really killed the whole date vibe.
Wonder, show's what the world is really like for people. Cried my eyes out
Japanese art house film " Tetsuo: iron man" by Shinya Tsukamoto.... The ultimate WTF? movie.... Starts weird and just escalates into total insanity by the end..... And the sequel "Tetsuo: Body hammer" starts insane and ends insane x100.... Weirdest sh!t I have ever seen....
I have tons of movies that traumatized me such as Piggy, Martyr, Skins, (and this isn’t a movie but it shook me up)Salad fingers
This one is random but the Larry Clark film “Ken Park” was one of those films you just feel like you need to take a shower after. What an absolutely disturbing movie. I don’t shock easily and this one made me ill.
The Fellowship of the Ring, after Gandalf dies. Packed theater, total silence.
Flipping channels and I watched Women Talking. I would never watch it on purpose but I was glued to my seat. If it was a book I would call it a page turner
The Hunger Games for me, before I even watched it, when people went apesh*t over the black characters being played by actual black actors. Devastating.
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Didn't see that one, but Good Time is stunning, visceral and heartbreaking.
Load More Replies... How did you watch a Serbian Flim? I was scarred just by reading a paragraph about it.
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Billy Joe McAlester jumped off the Tallahassee Bridge. Saw it at the drive-in as a wee little gaylet & it was my first (ominous; horrifying) self-awareness of my sexual identity. I related so much with him and bawled my eyes out. My mother says she knew before then, but seeing this at age 5 confirmed it for her.
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Cats - A woman sitting next to me gouged her own eyes out with her fingers while her date set his ears on fire with a lighter. At the same time an older Asian gentleman in front of me stabbed himself in the carotid with a straw and was spraying blood like a fire hose. This was in the first 30 seconds
That movie traumatised me as a kid, still can't watch it.
Load More Replies... "I am Legend" would be mine because Sam dies. Millions of people bit the dust - no problem, but killing the dog was too much for the audience
with you on this. i don't care who dies in the film as long as the dog lives.
Load More Replies... The Deer Hunter. Saw it when it first came out. We all got in the car and just sat there. And then I cried all the way home.
I was too young to understand it when I saw it as a young child, but it floored me as a teen.
Load More Replies... Nobody's mentioned Pan's Labyrinth? I left the theater feeling like I had been run over by a bus. The box office had a sign warning people that it was rated R for extreme violence--some parents had been bringing their children thinking it was a charming fantasy.
First time I watched it, I was okay. Second time? Blubbering mess.
Load More Replies... What dreams may come. I cried so much while watching it as a teen. Sad, but wholesome Movie in the end.
Hotel Rwanda. I watched it in school and my teacher looked at me like 👀
That one tore into me when I watched it.
Load More Replies... I love that movie. Loved Bill Nighy's character. Especially since at the time everything I'd seen him in prior he was either playing a jerk or like some kind of vampire overlord type. Everything in the movie goes against tropes and there's so much warmth in the story and relationships.
Load More Replies... most of these are more sad than disturbing, and are still well worth the watch, but again, completely understandable for someone to decide not to watch them xP
Load More Replies... surprised "My Girl" isn't on the list. That movie tackled some insanely heavy stuff for a childrens movie to tackle. The scene with the glasses still makes me cry thinking about it.
I had forgotten about that one. Thanks for returning my feelings for the movie. I didn't need them.
Load More Replies... Brokeback Mountain. Had the pause it halfway through to go outside and get some air. The despair was suffocating me.
That is the only movie in this that I saw. So sad. I have not been in a movie theater in 20 years.
Load More Replies... Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Hands down. Watched with a friend at the cinema. Lived every bloody second with them. Still think it's been the strongest film in my lifetime.
Love this one. So powerful, emotional, and thought provoking; and it put Frances McDormand on my top favorites list.
Load More Replies... Das Boot has such an unexpected and shocking ending that I was stunned. I actually couldn't move after the movie was over.
It was raw. Also kinda depressing. The valor shown was simple and hard. Loved the subtitled version. Can you say, Stupid war for stupid things?
Load More Replies... Tusk. It's a Kevin Smith movie, so the whole way through we kept waiting for the ironic humor, but joke was on us, because this movie just keeps getting stranger and more disturbing until at the end you're silent and weeping
City of Angels. Had me low key depressed for two weeks afterwards. About Time has haunted me for a few years now.
Passion of the Christ. Watched it in the theater when suddenly the emergency lights start flashing but nobody stopped the movie, so nobody got up and left. Just stood up, minute pause, get to the aisle, minute pause, ssllooowly take a few steps, minute pause.... The lights stopped after 10 minutes and it ended up being a fake bomb scare. The part in the movie was really intense and with only about 15 people, with the emergency exit door that opened to outside (so if signs of fire were visible we could get out in time), no actual signs of a fire, and nobody who worked there coming to ensure an empty room, it was like nope, I will die before I miss the end (figuratively and literally). I popped my head out another door to ask an employee what was happening. He said it was looking like a prank. I stayed and watched from there, ready to leave if need be. That door was out of sight from the seats, so as far as everyone else knew, it was an emergency, but still didn't move. It was surreal.
I watched this one without the emergency. The entire theater sat in silence for about 10 minutes after it ended.
Load More Replies... Rabbit Proof Fence - directed by Phillip Noyce. Adapted from the book Follow the Rabbit a proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. True story my mum and me cried from about 5 minutes in till the end.
I read the actor was a prisoner of war himself, he was a dentist and had some resemblance to de real Dirh Pran, they met at a ceremony and huged and Dirh said to him 'I am you, and you are me' The actor Haing Gnor was later killed in a robbery. Really sad story for both of them.
Load More Replies... One and done for both of these. The Color Purple. Far too much pain to get to the bittersweet ending. Most of all, Pan’s Labyrinth. I don’t even have words to describe how sad, angry, or disgusted I was at the end of this movie.
Million Dollar Baby. When it was over there was total silence, could hear a pin drop and remained that way as we all went to our cars. My friend and I barely spoke on the way home.
Yep, the whole time I was hoping some miracle would happen and she would somehow get better....nope. :
Load More Replies... Thank you for the list of movies never to watch. I solumnly swear never to watch any of these movies.
I think you need to watch at least some of them. I watched most in this list and apart from one or two it didn't stir any strong and/or lasting feelings. The ones based in real facts make me think a bit more but very very rarely I'm shocked speechless. Some are really good movies well worth a watch
Load More Replies... I didn't watch the movie, but the book was so disturbing. Especially because I'm mentally ill.
Load More Replies... Never Cry Wolf. The true story of a biologist who is asked to investigate wolves in the Far North, because they are believed to be the reason for the extinction of caribou. Then he discovers the truth...
One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest. Chief at the end. Chokes me up every time. Jacob's Ladder Saw that in the theater with 3 friends and that was a silent drive home as everyone was trying to grasp the ending. After a second watch of the movie you get it though. Vanishing Point (1971) Ending leaves everyone speechless.
La Jetée (the short film 12 Monkeys was based on) & Sans Soleil, for a Chris Marker double feature. Part of my Creative Studies degree was Film Theory, so I was being exposed to many benchmark, esoteric, auteur films. After sitting through both of these, I think wandered around silently & aimlessly for the weekend, trapped in my head. They definitely had a lasting affect on me.
San Soleil also by Chris Marker knocked the audience I was with for six - particularly the footage of the giraffe being killed.
Load More Replies... "Des Hommes et des Dieux" ( Men and Gods) a French film about monks that were abducted and killed by muslim fanatics in Algeria. The whole audience remained seated and silent throughout the end credits. Also "Un long dimanche de fiançailles", I think the English title is "A very long engagement, in which à disabled girl, played by Audrey Tautou ( Amelie) refuses to believe her fiancé died in WW1 and starts à long, obstinate investigation to find out what happened, just before the armistice, in the trench where he had been sent. There, too, people remained silent till the screen went dark.
Movies have been dominated by marvel for over a decade. There was one instance in this whole list. Let's hope better movies can get some support and focus now that the juggernaut has slowed its blanket domination
im looking forward to movie's with substance again.
Load More Replies... Shoah. Saw it at the Ogden Theater in Denver over two nights. It's something like 8 hours of interviews. The theater emptied silent, both nights.
I watched this entire film on a trunk load of VHS tapes. More horrific than Schindler’s List, imo
Load More Replies... Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer definitely had some scenes that haunt me to this day. Saw it just once and that was more than enough. Around the same time Henry came out C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) was released. Also about a serial killer. Starts out funny and ends in a nightmare. I can recommend.
I worked with the actor (Michael Rooker) who played Henry after and told him how much it disturbed me. He said he had a hard time after those scenes too.
Load More Replies... Who can forget Life of Brian? Perfect comedic storm. Laughed so hard that I was literally slipping out of the theater seat (I'm that old.)
Can't believe no one mentioned "Kids." The sickest most disturbing movie I've seen to this day. Like I can't believe it was actually allowed to be released to the public.
I hated Kids. The worst part though was how many reviewers basically treated it like a documentary.
Load More Replies... Not in a theater but on tv. Von Ryan's Express. Colonel Ryan was brilliantly played by Frank Sinatra. The ending took me completely by surprise. Then I found out that was the ending Frank had insisted on and I was stunned again. For anyone who has never seen the movie I highly recommend it.
The Wall. I was 15/16 and it was the first R-rated movie I saw.
Since I was a big Pink Floyd fan and was already familiar with the story from the album nothing really shocked or surprised me. I did have to explain it to a lot of other people though.
Load More Replies... "The Lobster." I watched it before bed and then lay there for a couple of hours thinking about that strange film.
Lilya 4--Ever. Sophie Scholl - The Final Days. Nocturnal Animals. Platoon. Smoke Signals. Black 47.
The scene in Platoon in which the Lt. is running for the helicopter reduced me to sobs. Using Barber's Serenade for Strings as part of the soundtrack in that section just made it more heartbreaking.
Load More Replies... Martin Scorsese 's Silence, with Liam Neeson and Adam Driver. Left me speechless.
I'm amazed no one mentioned Shine. I was in a bad way mentally when I saw it. I didn't speak for two days.
Buried. The phone calls he was making put me into a whirlwind of emotions.
I made the mistake of getting hella baked with my friend before we went to see that 😅
Load More Replies... Bridge to Teribithia. Watched it as a kid, I was fine. Watched it years later, I don't cry because of movies, but I cried at the end.
That entire scene was heartbreaking especially with the song “Dos Oruguitas” playing in the background. The film was totally about generational trauma and breaking the cycle of the pressure caused by it.
Load More Replies... May top 5 fav movies on order, RUSH (Niki Lauder, James Hunt) Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Men of Honour, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Homeward bound really messed me up, havent seen it again
There is an anime called belle, it’s slightly based off of beauty and the beast, I was sobbing by the end. I also listen to just the music a lot still and I saw it months ago
I love Belle. And it is amazing they found an English voice actor for Suzu who sings very similar to the Japanese VA.
Load More Replies... Field of Dreams. I remember the adults leaving crying. For anyone who has lost a parent…
One I didn't see mentioned was "bridge to terabithia". Great book and good movie. Even though I knew what was gonna happen the movie blew my thoughts out of the water and still was devastated.
The Whale. The whole theater was crying and no one spoke or wanted to make eye contact.
I've seen many wonderful, touching movies, none of them are mentioned here. What I still remember is that everyone in the salon laughed when Thelma and Louise floored their car and flew into the abyss. People here (the U.S.) tend to laugh at movie scenes which aren't funny.
Recently watched one: "Sound of Freedom." It follows a man helping free kids from child trafficking. Hard to watch and was super quiet afterwards. Everyone I saw in the theater was crying.
It's still in theaters and people have been getting refunds from the theaters bc theaters don't want it to be #1 in the box office. Check it out.
Load More Replies... Brokeback Mountain. That movie broke me. After it finished I cried for at least 25 minutes and felt like I was never going to be happy again
Brokeback Mountain. Saw it in the theater, and sobbed uncontrollably for the entire hour ride home on the subway. I bought it the day it came out on DVD because I wanted to support it, but I've never opened it or watched it again. It's probably one of the top 3 best movies I've ever seen in my life, but it completely destroyed me.
Watership Down & Shawshank Redemption for me. Didn't watch either until my teens but they had me bawling/in shock at times.
Predestination with Ethan Hawke! Easily one of my favorite movies and a TOTAL mind f*ck
I bought the movie Men without seeing it first. I was confused when I watched it. Then I looked up an explanation and it made a lot of sense.
"The power of one" excellent book and excellent movie. I thought about both for ages afterwards
Wow - I've only seen 2 of these movies. LOL! I cry way too easily, so I don't dare watch some of these. They stay in my head and haunt me for years. One I did watch, which I knew the ending to, but still affects me to this day...The Passion of the Christ.
For me it would be The Crow. Saw it in the theater when it first came out and it just broke me for a while.
The marble game episode of Squid Game. Tears for the old man (and i want them back, he didn't deserve them!) and for the 2 girls, who deserved them and more.
Apocalypse Now - as the child of a Vietnam vet who saw contact and was still very messed up when I was little....I couldn't make it past the opening scene. The other I don't see here is the dead baby scene in Trainspotting. Ugh.
"Dance With the White Dog" the idea of loving someone that much, loving them enough that even God will send you back to wait for them, and protect them until they join you is enough to leave anyone ugly crying.
'Shooting dogs' & 'Hotel Rwanda' are 2 films covering the same subject that left my wife in pieces. Even I was a little taken aback. Up until those films I didn't know really know anything about the genocide, it really opened my eyes (and filled the wife's eyes). Such impactful films.
The Lives of Others. Watch it with subtitles. It is so good, you will be changed when it's over.
Watched The Day After in my 9th grade science class. We all left class in complete stunned silence.
1. Puss in Boot 2. When he has that panic attack the whole theater went DEAD silent. 2. Infinity War whole theater shreaked "NO" When Spiderman died. 3. The utter roar oh cheers in both spider man 3 when all 3 spidermen came on screen and end of End Game when the portals opened.
Not a movie, but the official music video for Tally Hall's Hidden in the Sand.
The Japanese version of The Dog Of Flanders. Got a VHS and a soundtrack CD from a Goodwill. Listened to the soundtrack on a school trip. Absolutely stunning music and all of it is perfect for an 8 hour bus ride. Got home and watched the movie. I can no longer listen to the final track without fighting tears.
Sophie's Choice. Saw the movie and read the book. Hated Germans for years after that.
I’m going to add Guillermo Del Toro’s “El Labertino del Fauno” (Pan’s Labyrinth). I think so many people went in expecting a darker yet fun fantasy movie a’la Tim Burton and we’re caught off guard when they were met with a disturbing, haunting, and just plain sad allegory for the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. The Pale Man still has to be one of the creepiest horror movie characters. I’ll also add another Guillermo Del Toro movie—let’s not forget about that very….ummm…how do I put it…”just plain wrong” twist in Crimson Peak.
Annihilation. F*****g disturbing. That bear thing. I cannot watch it again.
One Day In September. A documentary about the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich when Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and murdered part of the Israeli Olympic athletic team. It is a chilling film, and remarkable that this episode in history is largely forgotten.
I'll add a couple, as a kid Blade Runner was a stunner. Went with my parents and expected a kinda sci-fi romp like Star Wars. The ending where the villain accepts the inevitability of death and understands the value of life and saves the hero was pretty mindblowing at the time. I also saw Basic Instinct in the theatre on a date. I for one just thought it was going to be a kinda action, police thriller. The icepick scene though... jesus. That really killed the whole date vibe.
Wonder, show's what the world is really like for people. Cried my eyes out
Japanese art house film " Tetsuo: iron man" by Shinya Tsukamoto.... The ultimate WTF? movie.... Starts weird and just escalates into total insanity by the end..... And the sequel "Tetsuo: Body hammer" starts insane and ends insane x100.... Weirdest sh!t I have ever seen....
I have tons of movies that traumatized me such as Piggy, Martyr, Skins, (and this isn’t a movie but it shook me up)Salad fingers
This one is random but the Larry Clark film “Ken Park” was one of those films you just feel like you need to take a shower after. What an absolutely disturbing movie. I don’t shock easily and this one made me ill.
The Fellowship of the Ring, after Gandalf dies. Packed theater, total silence.
Flipping channels and I watched Women Talking. I would never watch it on purpose but I was glued to my seat. If it was a book I would call it a page turner
The Hunger Games for me, before I even watched it, when people went apesh*t over the black characters being played by actual black actors. Devastating.
Load More Replies... Didn't see that one, but Good Time is stunning, visceral and heartbreaking.
Load More Replies... How did you watch a Serbian Flim? I was scarred just by reading a paragraph about it.
Load More Replies... Billy Joe McAlester jumped off the Tallahassee Bridge. Saw it at the drive-in as a wee little gaylet & it was my first (ominous; horrifying) self-awareness of my sexual identity. I related so much with him and bawled my eyes out. My mother says she knew before then, but seeing this at age 5 confirmed it for her.
Load More Replies... Cats - A woman sitting next to me gouged her own eyes out with her fingers while her date set his ears on fire with a lighter. At the same time an older Asian gentleman in front of me stabbed himself in the carotid with a straw and was spraying blood like a fire hose. This was in the first 30 seconds
