I’ll add A Serbian Film, and Ex Drummer. Great or at least interesting/insightful movies, extremely difficult to watch, completely depressing. I saw them as a teen, though, so I wonder if they would have the same effect… but I’m not going to try.
For me it has to be Compliance (2012). It’s a masterpiece but it’s so disturbing that I never want to see it again, and would never recommend it to anyone.
phenomenal acting w top tier talent; excellent and acclaimed writing; cutting edge cinematography – an exceptional movie by any standard, but DEPRESSING AF in ways that will haunt you for the rest off your days.
This was my initial instinctive choice, but I still think most people who consider themselves fans of cinema should see it at least once.
It’s probably one of the best examples at capturing believable and relatable characters at their worst and I’ve never had an inclination to revisit the film, even though I own it. But if you’ve never seen it, it is an important piece of work in my opinion.
the casual brutality of the orderlies who needlessly force fed the older woman while they talked about the game like she wasn’t there makes me wonder if that’s how ice officers think of their job today.
Stalker (1979) for me. Russian scifi/thriller/poetry recital. I would put in a category of interesting movies, but not entertaining.
Clockwork Orange, that shit is the worst film I’ve ever seen. I came to it after being in awe of FMJ, disappointed 1000%
Tusk
I recently watched https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salò%2C_or_the_120_Days_of_Sodom
It was… interesting, but going for more “shock”, than actual substance.
Hot take: Evil Dead
The first movie has a really egregious sexual assault scene (from a tree of all things) that Raimi has been on record saying he regretted putting in the movie.
Evil Dead II is almost like a scene-for-scene remake with much better production, acting, script, etc and in my opinion fully replaces the original.
I’m glad I saw it if only to be able to compare with the improvements made from the original, but the first can reasonably be skipped entirely.
I’ve come to appreciate the sequel more, but for me there is no purer deadite horror moment than in Evil Dead when his dead friend suddenly sits back up, with that musical sting that sounded like plunging deeper into a nightmare.
Never recommend to who? Everyone or just particular people?
I would never recommend to anyone I know in real life;
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Close As Neighbor Doujinshi. Because well, it is sexual. However, the story and some of the characters are actually really well written.
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A book named Submitting to Her. The name should already tell you what it is about, lol. Book is quite well written though.
And as for normal books; Bad Blood Secrets and Lies in Silicon Valley. Because most people in my life would get bored out of their mind due to the jargon being used in the book and they don’t care about financial things as much as I do.
As for in general (like in online communities); I don’t really have anything special to hold back. It is the internet with a certain anonymity.
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I have 2 films, Threads (1984) and Come and See (1985). Both are films I think more people should see, but I have a hard time recommending them.
Threads is a film that tries to show what would happen after a nuclear exchange during the Cold War, and the plot goes almost 2 decades into the future after the bombs drop. It gets pretty heavy, initially showing burning cities, survivors dealing with dead bodies, radiation sickness, and fallout; and the collapse of civil order. It moves into trying to grow food to survive, birth defects after radiation exposure, how people are trying to survive in a dog-eat-dog ruined world, etc. Anyone who thinks dropping a nuclear bomb anywhere should see this movie, but man, it can be a hard watch.
Come and See is a Soviet film about what happened on the Eastern Front as the Einsatzgruppen moved through Belarus. The main character of the film is a 14 year old boy named Florya who finds a gun and is drafted along with Soviet partisan fighters. Most of his home village is murdered by Nazis, and he ends up travelling through the battlefields with a small group of partisan fighters, watching them die in all sorts of horrific ways. One of the defining moments of the film is an Einsatzgruppen squad forcing an entire village into a wooden church at gunpoint, ripping children from their mother’s arms, throwing grenades in through the windows, and eventually burning it down with the whole village inside, which Florya narrowly escapes. I’m leaving out lots of details, but I think people should see it to get an idea of the brutality the Nazis inflicted on not just Jews, but the people of Eastern Europe as well, but it’s another hard watch.
TLDR: Actually 2 movies I think people should see, but that I have a hard time recommending because both will absolutely ruin your day.
Dancer in the dark and Dogville by Lars von Trier
The Forbidden Zone
Why?
It’s a fun movie, but it’s only for a selective taste. It’s also has a lot of very problematic scenes.
Disjointed, bad acting, bad writing imo
Despite star power
Amour by Michael Haneke. Absolutely heatwrenching film about an elderly man losing his wife to dementia. Total masterpiece but I cried pretty much all the way through. I guess I’d recommend it if you wanted a good cry.
“A Serious Man”, by the Coen brothers.
I love all the Coen brothers’ movies, except this one. I hate this one. It’s well acted and well made, but…
minor spoiler
the plot is just frustration after frustration after frustration, then a hint of relief, then frustration, then a signature Coen brothers sudden and abstract ending scene.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Enter the Void (2009)
