Eight Films You Really Only Need To See Once

Fruitvale Station, the well-received American independent film that tells the tragic true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, opens in cinemas tomorrow, marking an incredible debut for director Ryan Coogler. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, then congratulations, because the less you know about the film before seeing it, the better. It’s utterly heartbreaking, and will probably leave you in tears.

Fruitvale Station‘s emotional resonance is largely owed to Coogler’s intimate filmmaking style, and an impressive cast of relative unknowns. Michael B. Jordan, who some might recognise from The Wire and Friday Night Lights, carries the film with ease, depicting a day in the life of Grant as we follow him towards the film’s devastating climax. Produced by Forest Whitaker, the film received a stack of awards earlier this year, including Prize Of The Future at Cannes, as well as the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance.

As with any great film or story, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the next few days. I was glad to have watched it but, at the same time, I will probably never watch it again because it left me feeling so shitty. Obviously, this isn’t the first movie to produce such a reaction. Whether they’re tragic and depressing or just plain sick and twisted, here are a few other films that have had a similar impact.

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Irréversible (2002)

There are two scenes in the French film Irréversible that you’ll never be able to shake due to their unrelenting and brutal nature, and probably shouldn’t be seen without a strong warning beforehand. However, there’s no denying that director Gaspar Noé’s tragic film is a masterpiece, similar to Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000) in that it uses reverse chronological order to retrace events, and it’s made even more realistic by the powerful portrayals of the two beautiful leads.

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Oldboy (2003)

Director Spike Lee recently remade this Korean film (it’s due for local release early next year), and I really hope he doesn’t fuck it up. Directed by Chan-Wook Park, the original Oldboy has had a cult following since its original release, mostly because of an extremely violent scene involving a narrow hallway and a hammer, but also due to its completely demented overall concept. Type “Responses to two girls one cup” into a YouTube search, and you’ll basically see how I reacted to the twist in this.

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American History X (1998)

You might be tempted to re-watch American History X for Edward Norton’s utterly mesmerising performance as the neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard (Norton really should’ve been awarded by the Academy for somehow making viewers feel even an ounce of sympathy for this absolute monster), but everything about this film will make you feel sick: the infamous curbside assault, the overarching tone of hate, and the sad realisation that these kinds of people actually exist.

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Shame (2011)

The idea of watching Michael Fassbender shag a bunch of women in New York might seem appealing but, as with director Steve McQueen’s debut Hunger (2008), Shame is a sickening depiction of one man’s battle, this time against his own sexual addiction. Surprisingly, it was almost like the censorship board turned a blind eye when this was approved for cinematic release; the whole thing’s basically soft porn.

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Precious (2009)

There’s no silver lining to this dark cloud. Precious is as disturbing as it is sad, and packs the biggest emotional punch of any film on this list because it’s also feels like the most realistic. There’s no use of visual cues for shock value here, just incredible performances from all involved (even, surprisingly, from musicians Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz).

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The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Some people didn’t really get The Blair Witch Project went it was first released, but the film freaked me out to the point that I couldn’t sleep for weeks without imagining someone standing in the corner of my room. Although it scared me half to death, the main reason I don’t ever want to see it again is the risk of ruining that impact, and I’m sure there are others who’ll agree.

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Tyrannosaur (2011)

Not a lot of people have heard about this independent British film, but it’s so in-your-face that you’ll never forget it. Peter Mullan’s tour-de-force performance is impossible to look away from, as he literally tears through the scenery and supporting cast, but it’s actually the sub-plot involving an abused wife (Olivia Colman) and her husband (Eddie Marsan) that will completely fuck you up. I found it really hard to see Marsan again in a different light, especially in Edgar Wright’s The World’s End.

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Saving Private Ryan (1998)

War isn’t something that should ever be glorified on film, and Steven Spielberg does no such thing. This film, for which Spielberg won a Best Director Oscar, depicts war as hell and watching it will make you hope to god you never have to see one first-hand. I’ve only ever cried during two films in my life: the first was when Mufasa died in The Lion King (who didn’t?), and the other was at the end of Saving Private Ryan.

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Fruitvale Station opens in select cinemas around the country tomorrow.

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Chris is a Melbourne-based writer who survives on free film and gig tickets. He regularly contributes to various magazines, websites, and on his own blog, Writesleft.com. He also started a neat little website that reviews films in the form of limerick poems, called The Limerick Review.