Have you ever watched a movie where immediately after it ended, you knew right away you could never watch it again — no matter how good it was? Well, when I saw Reddit user u/mini-scars ask the r/movies community: "What is a movie that is good for watching only once?" the people delivered truly solid responses.
So, we gathered a few of them for you to view below.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the question, there could be SPOILERS AHEAD. We've listed the titles first so you can decide if you'd like to read on or skip them. Please proceed with caution!
1. Manchester by the Sea
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"Really good movie, but I have no interest in ever watching it again. Just absolutely gutting."
"I actually watched this for the second time last night. I've been pretty low recently, and when I get low I feel the need to watch a film that will ruin me emotionally. I remembered it being a gut-wrenching movie, but I forgot just how hard it hits you. One of the saddest films I've ever seen, but also one of the most beautiful."
2. Grave of the Fireflies
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"I have rewatched Grave every few years thinking it will be less sad because I’ve seen it already. I actually think it’s gotten sadder the older I get. Now that I have a kid, it’s like agony."
"I don't think there will ever be a film I don't want to watch again more than that one. But I can't deny it's near perfection as an absolutely beautiful Mike Tyson punch in the gut."
3. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
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"An absolutely amazing and intimate look into a family suffering the worst kind of tragedy. I can't hold it together over previews and trailers of it 14 years later. I can't recommend it. I hate it. I love it. I will never watch it again."
"I watched it for the first time shortly after becoming a father. I was lifting free weights while watching and got caught up in the whole situation where the reveal occurs... Not sure how long I stood there with those weights, likely a personal best, and just stood there sobbing... Rough stuff."
4. Uncut Gems
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"It made me so terribly anxious the whole way through, which I think is a sign of a very effective movie. I loved it and think it is great but have zero interest in going through that experience again."
"I felt the same way; the whole movie I was anxious/on edge. It wasn't until after I watched it that I realized how good that movie was at making me feel the way the Sandler character must have felt all the time."
5. Once Were Warriors
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"Once Were Warriors was one of the first films I saw when I moved to LA. About a week later, a close friend died, and I had no money to return home for the funeral. The day of the funeral I went to see Once Were Warriors again because it handled grief so beautifully and the ceremonies surrounding death. Cried my eyes out but I will always love that film for what it did for me."
"Although it was made in 1994, it still very accurately represents some parts of NZ life/culture in 2022. A horrific masterpiece."
6. Requiem for a Dream
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"Everyone should absolutely see it, but it's not a movie that ever needs to be seen twice."
"More effective than any anti-drug movie my high school teachers showed us."
7. Hereditary
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"The best bit of horror filming I've watched in a long time. I felt it emotionally in a very visceral way. I don't think I've experienced anything as brutal as that on film. It's perfect."
"Can confirm. It’s a harder go on the rewatch."
8. Dancer in the Dark
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"I can't imagine what kind of person would willingly watch it more than once. Soul crushing is an overused term, but it fits this movie perfectly."
"The person I was dating at the time brought this over for a date night because we both loved Bjork and figured it would be a good lead-up to some sexy time.
We spent the rest of the night laying in bed, holding each other."
9. Melancholia
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"Brilliant film but soul sucking. That ending…I was lucky enough to watch it at an art film theater with absolutely no idea of what it was about. I didn’t even know Kirsten Dunst was in it. At the end of the movie, my mouth was just agape in shock."
"I literally felt a weight for several weeks after watching this movie. I felt fucked up."
10. Life Is Beautiful
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"We had a movie day at school. Every classroom played different movies all day long, and you'd have to sign up for different movies. Most people who went to see Life Is Beautiful had no real clue what they were gonna see, because the description on the sign-up sheet was awful."
"I've watched it twice, once over a decade ago, and liked it; I was sad. Then I watched it recently as a dad, and it killed me on the inside. Not sure I can watch it again. I sure as hell can't watch it with my kids. But it's a top movie."
11. Nocturnal Animals
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"Amazing film that stayed with me for weeks after watching. But never again would I want to rewatch it."
"I saw this on opening weekend at the theatre and came away feeling the same way — it was fascinating but never again, thanks. I did eventually try once a few years later, but the stuff from the novel-within-the-film was just too much."
12. Hotel Rwanda
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"I never want to watch again; it was heart wrenching. It's a good movie, too, but it's far too heavy for me to sit and enjoy again; I've seen it — I'm good."
13. Midsommar
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"FANTASTIC movie, but once you see the ending, it's very difficult to watch again and feel the same way."
"I legit felt queasy after watching it."
14. Pan’s Labyrinth
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"An amazing movie, but I’ve only ever seen it once, and that was all I could ever handle. I’ve tried to watch it multiple times since that first time and can never get through it all."
15. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
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"It's a beautiful film. Gorgeous art, good plot, good acting, and good soundtrack. Ghibli's best film in my opinion. But it's so long, just to end in ___ that I probably wouldn't watch it again."
"That ending gutted me."
16. Arrival
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"Fantastic movie but there’s a lot of point in the movie regarding a child that hit too close to home for us and was incredibly sad. We walked out and said, 'That was great, but I’m never watching that again.'"
"Man...I tried watching it again after becoming a dad last year. I was not able to go through it just thinking about what happens."
17. Children of Men
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"I said this after the first time I watched it, and I watched it again with a friend for a second time. Definitely think it fits this category. Such a good film; never want to see it again…"
"It really takes a lot out of you."
18. 12 Years a Slave
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"That movie made me so furious and was absolutely no fun watching. But it is a brilliant movie, and I'd highly recommend it."
19. Mother!
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"Cant say it was good but just weird as fuck. It's only worth watching once."
"When I discuss this movie with people, I always say: 'Everyone should see it once. No one needs to see it twice.'"
20. The Road
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"It should be watched exactly once. Possibly less; never more."
"I won't watch the movie. I read the book, and there's a scene that haunts me to this day. I know it's in the movie, and I can't bear to watch it."
Is there a movie you'll never watch a second time? If so, tell us what it is and why in the comments below.
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.