On the list of the top 1000 films of all time there are plenty of films too upsetting, heart-break or downright traumatic for a rewatch. I've already done one list on the subject. Here's the second. This list is in no order but chronology.
Just to be clear, I'm talking about the original film - not the Nicholas Cage remake.
Some have said that the Wicker Man is one of the scariest horror films ever made and for good reason. It follows a policeman investigating the disappearance of a little girl on a remote Scottish island, but here he finds the residents practise an obscure form of paganism.
The ending scene where the residents gaily sing while the Wicker man effigy burns is so chilling that it warrants a place on this list. Modern-day folk-horror films like the Witch and Midsommar owe a lot to the pioneering Wicker Man. It ranks 620th on the top 1000 film list.
Mississippi Burning is 470th on the top 1000 films list. It is simple to dismiss America's fascination with race relations, as a perverse obsession, but when you watch this film it's easy to see why it's such a big deal.
Two FBI agents, played Wilhelm Dafoe and Gene Hackman, are investigating the disappearance of three Civil Rights activists in a small Mississippi town. But the town's residents are horrifically racist to the town's black population. This racial violence is what makes this film so disturbing to watch - all the more so, when you realise it is all based on a true story.
Ranking at 37th, American History X is the highest ranked film on this list. It also highlights America's modern-day struggle with race relations.
Edward Norton plays a reformed neo-Nazi who is trying to stop his little brother going down the same route. It is a brutally upsetting film with the infamous curb-stomp scene making it too traumatic for a rewatch.
At 48, the Pianist is the second-highest film on this list.
Holocaust films are always a difficult watch. The Pianist is no exception. It is an unflinching look at one of humanity's darkest moments.
But it also has an Oscar-winning performance from Adrian Brody. Yet its unrelenting look at the depravity of humanity makes it too upsetting to watch again. This is particularly relevant, as it is based on a true story.
Hotel Rwanda ranks 169th on the top 1000 films of all time.
From genocide in Europe, we go to the Rwandan Genocide where the Tutsi were systematically executed by the Hutu. We are a violent, self-destructive species.
However, in all this darkness, we see some hope in the form of the real-life Paul Rusesabagina who sheltered one thousand refugees in his hotel. There are some who question the true nature of heroism, but that doesn't take anything away from this brilliant if tear-jerking film. With great performances from Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo and Joaquin Phoenix, it even made me cry.
Paul Greengrass' docudrama ranks 632nd on the top 1000 films of all time.
From heroism to Africa, we go to heroism in the US. More specifically heroism on 9/11. Yes, that 9/11. If you know anything about 9/11, you already know what this film is about. That's what makes this film so tragic.
It is a true tale of courage and valour, which is told powerfully. It's the only film on this list I've been brave enough to watch twice, but I'm definitely not brave enough to watch it for a third time. Now, let's take a moment to remember all the heroes on the United 93 flight.
Number 655 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Kite Runner.
Although not as traumatic as is source material, the Kite Runner is still a rough watch. It details an adult man returning to his childhood home of Afghanistan, so that he can right the wrongs of the past. However, Afghanistan has since been taken over by the Taliban and the country he knew has long gone.
If you're wondering why this film is so upsetting, it wasn't just the horrific stoning scene, but the complete loss of childhood innocence.
Denis Villeneuve's drama ranks as number 160 on the top 1000 films of all time.
This film sees two siblings on a discovery of self-identity which has horrifying consequences for all involved.
I once said that Old Boy has one of the most shocking plot-twists of all time, but Incendies is a close second.
Set against the backdrop of the Lebanese Civil War, it's guaranteed to give you PTSD.
Clocking in at 674th on the top 1000 list, we have the Flowers of War.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: more people need to know about the Rape of Nanking. The Japanese massacred a Chinese city, shooting the men and raping the women.
The Flowers of War captures this horror in stark detail. It also looks gorgeous on screen. And it's certainly not style over substance. Along with Hotel Rwanda, it's one of the few films that made me cry. There are some who argue that Christian Bale, as a white man, had no business being in a Chinese story, but that takes nothing away from the excellent child actors or the terrifying social context.
12 Years a Slave is the third-highest ranked film on this list at number 72.
Is there any wonder why 12 Years a Slave won the Best film Oscar? It is a fantastic if harrowing depiction of one of America's darkest periods.
With Chiwetel Eijofar giving the performance of his career, this film pulls absolutely no punches. Every time it raises your soul up, it then punches it back down.
Have I missed any films? Let me know in the comments below.
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