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10. Schindler's List (1993)
What is it? Widely considered one of the best movies ever made, Steven Spielberg’s film is also one of the hardest to watch as it details a period in the life of German business man, Oskar Schindler, during the Holocaust. Based on a true story, Schindler (played by Liam Neeson in the movie) saved over a thousand, mostly Polish-Jewish, refugees from death in the concentration camps by employing them in his factories right up until the end of the war.
Why you'll only watch it once: Although it’s a story of hope in the face of great adversity, Spielberg doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of the Nazi regime at this time.
9. Nil by Mouth (1997)
What is it? A dysfunctional family at best, and an abusive one at worst, this movie follows a working-class London family as they try to live and survive together. Ray (Ray Winstone) is the abusive husband of Valerie (Kathy Burke) and the pair live with Valerie's mum, grandmother, and her drug addict brother.
Why you'll only watch it once: It features the 'C' swear word 82 times, more than any other movie in history.
8. Come and See (1985)
What is it? This Soviet movie is set during the German occupation of the Belorussian SSR in WW2 and focuses on a young boy named Florya (Aleksey Kravchenko). When the Germans attack his village, Florya is in the forest where he meets a young girl called Glasha (Olga Mironova). The pair return to find almost everyone dead and so set out of a journey which will only lead them to more pain and suffering.
Why you'll only watch it once: This film is literally about the brutality of war, and is all the more difficult to watch as you see it through the eye of children.
7. Sátántangó (1994)
What is it? The title of this movie translates as "Satan's Tango" and is set in a desolate village, which is struggling to survive after the collapse of a collective farm. The story follows many individuals in the village, few of whom have happy endings, but the main plot point sees Irimiás (Mihály Víg) convince the village to give him all of their remaining money to set up a new farm and then abandons them.
Why you'll only watch it once: Forget the depressing storyline, Sátántangó is over seven hours long!
6. Salo (1975)
What is it? This horror art movie focuses on four wealthy, corrupt Italian libertines during the fascist Republic of Salò, who kidnap 18 teenagers and torture them for four months. It was extremely controversial upon its release for its intensely graphic violence, relentless sadism, sexual deviance, and brutal murder.
Why you'll only watch it once: The plot description on Wikipedia should be enough to put you off watching the movie even once.
5. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
What is it? Darren Aronofsky’s psychological drama depicts four different forms of drug addiction. Each character eventually becomes so trapped inside their own delusions that they can no longer tell the difference from reality, ultimately losing themselves completely.
Why you'll only watch it once: Witnessing the characters' relentless downward spiral into their own personal abysses is more than a little tough.
4. Martyrs (2008)
What is it? Pascal Laugier’s horrific experience follows a woman through a life of abuse. While she initially escapes from extended periods of torture as a child, she returns to wreak revenge on her captors. Of course all doesn’t go according to plan and the depths of depravity and suffering reach new heights. Both mental and physical torture are at work here and while Laugier’s deft direction and stark themes makes this a must watch, it’s a grim and intense ride.
Why you’ll only watch it once: There’s no way around it. There’s a literal flaying that means finishing the movie even once is an exercise in nihilism.
3. Irreversible (2002)
What is it? This French horror movie follows two men through the streets of Paris as they seek to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend (Monica Bellucci). As the movie continues, the story is told in reverse order, eventually revealing the attack in all its agonising glory in a scene which last several minutes of screen time.
Why you'll only watch it once: American film critic Roger Ebert called it "a movie so violent and cruel that most people will find it unwatchable."
2. Funny Games (1997)
What is it? Two young men, Peter and Paul (Frank Giering and Arno Frisch), take a family hostage in their own home and force them to participate in games of pain and death. They later discover that the family who live next door have all been killed by the pair, and the end of the movie sees them go to another house to do it all again.
Why you'll only watch it once: One of the worst things about this movie is that there’s no definitive explanation of the men's origins or motives.
1. Shoah (1985)
What is it? One of the few documentary movies on this list, Shoah earns it’s number one spot as a highly important, but very difficult to watch, account of the Holocaust. Featuring interviews with former concentration camp inmates, barbers responsible for cutting prisoners’ hair, ex-Nazis, and more, director Claude Lanzmann digs deep into what really happened, never once shying away from the brutality of events.
Why you'll only watch it once: Despite being called "the greatest documentary about contemporary history ever made" it’s over 10 hours long.
