40. The Elephant Man (1980)
What is it? Possibly John Hurt’s most famous performance, The Elephant Man tells the story of Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man who lived in late 19th century London. We first meet him as a freak show attraction, but he eventually escapes and comes to experience kindness at the hands of a hospital surgeon and a few others.
Why you'll only watch it once: Watching how Merrick is treated as a monster by the majority of the people he meets is harrowing. Knowing that it’s based on a true story makes it worse.
39. Dead Man Walking (1995)
What is it? Sean Penn stars as a death row inmate awaiting execution for the crime of murdering a young couple. He strikes up a correspondence with Sister Helen (played by Susan Sarandon) eventually persuading her to help fight his final appeal. She tries her best to get his sentence commuted to life imprisonment without success and on the day of his execution, Penn admits her that he killed the young man and raped the girl.
Why you'll only watch it once: The movie was made to demonstrate the barbarity of capital punishment, but it’s doubly disturbing knowing that Penn’s character is guilty of the crime he’s executed for.
38. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
What is it? Set during the Great Depression, Robert (Michael Sarrazin) and Gloria (Jane Fonda) compete to win a dance marathon. Various lines are crossed in an effort to win the money before they discover it’s a scam and most of the winnings will go to pay for the winner’s ‘expenses’ leaving them with virtually nothing. As they leave the dance hall disappointed, Gloria confesses that she’s suicidal and pulls out a gun, putting it to her head. Unable to pull the trigger she asks Robert for help who obliges. When he’s questioned later about his actions, he replies: “They shoot horses, don't they?"
Why you'll only watch it once: Forget Robert’s dark yet pragmatic justification for assisting Gloria with her suicide, the desperation of the Great Depression makes this a tough one to watch either way.
37. Biutiful (2010)
What is it? Uxbal is struggling to raise his two children while making a living procuring work for illegal immigrants, when he finds out he has terminal prostate cancer. Concerned about who will look after his children once he’s gone, and plagued by guilt over the death of some immigrants who suffocated thanks to the malfunctioning gas heaters he installed, Uxbal finally convinces the wife of one of his immigrant friends to care for his kids before dying.
Why you'll only watch it once: Did you not just read that description? Do I really need to explain to you why you’ll only want to watch it once?
36. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
What is it? Set during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 which saw civil war break out between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples, Hotel Rwanda stars Don Cheadle as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina who shelters many Tutsi refugees within his walls. Fearful for the safety of his Tutsi wife and children, as well as many friends and neighbours, Paul risks much to do the right thing.
Why you'll only watch it once: Even though Paul’s story is one of hope and inspiration, even this can’t shield you from the devastating atrocities of the Rwandan Genocide.
35. The Seventh Seal (1957)
What is it? A knight, played by Max von Sydow, returns home to Sweden after fighting in the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s met by Death on the beach and told his time is up. To try and delay his demise he challenges Death to a chess match and while they play, he travels the country trying to get back to his wife.
Why you'll only watch it once: It's set during the Black Death and one of the main character is Death. Enough said.
34. Boys Don't Cry (1999)
What is it? Hilary Swank plays a young trans man in this movie about acceptance… or the lack of it. After being treated with disdain by his family and neighbours, Brandon moves to Nebraska and makes friends with a couple of ex-cons John and Tom, eventually striking up a relationship with one of their acquaintances, Lana (played by Chloë Sevigny). Eventually, John and Tom find out about Brandon’s sexuality and force him to show them his genitals before gang raping and killing him.
Why you'll only watch it once: This movie is a savage reminder that mankind still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance.
33. Sophie's Choice (1982)
What is it? One of Meryl Streep’s most well-known performances sees her play the role of Sophie - a polish immigrant in Brooklyn who’s in a relationship with the unstable Nathan (Kevin Kline) when she meets novelist Stingo (Peter MacNicol). The ‘choice’ she makes which the title refers to is seen in a flashback during the war when she and her two children were sent to Auschwitz. She was told she could save one child while the other was to be gassed and if she didn’t choose which, they’d both die.
Why you'll only watch it once: According to movie legend, Streep filmed the 'choice' scene only once and then refused to do it again. Fair enough.
32. The Road (2009)
What is it? This post-apocalyptic movies sees a father and son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee) struggling to survive in a barren world full of cannibals. They keep walking in the hopes of finding food and warmer weather and meet various other travellers who are potential threats leading Mortensen to treat them badly, much to the upset of his son.
Why you'll only watch it once: There’s no hope that the world will return to what it once was and that makes its inhabitants very desperate.
31. Mirror (1975)
What is it? An unconventional Russian art film, Mirror doesn’t have much of a plot to it. Instead, it’s told as a flow of memories recalled by a dying poet, which focuses on significant moments in his life, as well as the lives of the Russian people as a whole. An almost random collection of scenes, the movie is also interspersed with poems and music.
Why you'll only watch it once: The unconventional structure of the movie makes this one difficult to watch without turning your brain to mush.
