The Best Movies You Never Want To Watch Again

Ranker Film
Updated June 23, 2023 181.4K votes 14.3K voters 441.4K views
Over 14.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies You Never Want To Watch Again
Voting Rules
Vote up any movie that was good, but so gut-wrenchingly sad, disturbing, awkward, scary, or gross that you would never want to sit through it again. Vote down the ones you wouldn't mind watching again - or don't think belong on the list at all.

Here is a list of the most disturbing movies that, for whatever reason, you never, ever want to watch again. This list is full of great movies that you would never re-watch. These disturbing films hit their mark: they affected you, you connected with the characters or the themes... They are great films, but you got it the first time and would be just fine to never be reminded of what you just watched. These are some of the creepiest movies, scariest, and saddest films that were ever made.

Each of these films contains at least one heartbreaking or gory scene or truly creepy character that will always be with you, even if you never voluntarily watch any of these disturbing movies again. Whether the movie vividly depicts substance use or awful acts, these are all highly acclaimed, disturbing movies that you will try to forget about as soon as you have watched them. Some of the films on this list are depictions of true-life, heartbreaking events, like United 93, or ill-fated love stories, like Brokeback Mountain. These really good, sad movies are on this list because they can still make you cry just thinking about them. 

Vote on this list of the most disturbing movies of all time, and add any movie you only want to watch once if it is not on the list. 

See also: Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry, The Scariest Movies Ever Made, and The Most Nausea-Inducing Great Films for more fun.
 

Most divisive: Silence of the Lambs
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  • Requiem for a Dream
    1

    Requiem for a Dream

    Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly
    5,313 votes
    • Released: 2000
    • Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
    Requiem for a Dream, a harrowing dive into the depths of addiction, paints an unflinching picture of four lives ravaged by drug dependency. The movie stars Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow obsessed with television fame, while Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly portray young lovers Harry Goldfarb and Marion Silver, whose dreams are derailed by heroin. Lastly, Tyrone C. Love (Marlon Wayans), Harry's best friend, struggles to escape his past in their shared downward spiral. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this intense drama weaves a tale of dreams shattered under the relentless weight of substance abuse.

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  • Schindler's List
    2

    Schindler's List

    Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
    4,960 votes
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Steven Spielberg
    Schindler's List, a poignant war drama directed by Steven Spielberg, unfolds through the life of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), an unlikely hero during the Holocaust. In Nazi-occupied Poland, businessman Schindler becomes an unexpected savior, employing Jews in his factories to spare them from concentration camps. Stern (Ben Kingsley), his accountant, and Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a sadistic camp commandant, play significant roles in this stark narrative. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. It's a gripping account of humanity's resilience amidst the darkest times.

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  • Deliverance
    3

    Deliverance

    Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty
    2,483 votes
    • Released: 1972
    • Directed by: John Boorman
    In the heart of American wilderness, four urbanites - Ed (Jon Voight), Lewis (Burt Reynolds), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) - embark on a canoeing adventure in Deliverance. This 1972 thriller, directed by John Boorman, takes them downriver into the uncharted backwoods of Georgia. The men's weekend escape swiftly descends into a survivalist nightmare, their camaraderie tested by nature's fury and human savagery. Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Deliverance is a cinematic exploration of man versus wild, where civilization's veneer peels away to reveal primal instincts beneath.

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  • American History X
    4

    American History X

    Ed Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk
    4,709 votes
    • Released: 1998
    • Directed by: Tony Kaye
    In American History X, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), a former neo-Nazi leader, struggles to prevent his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), from going down the same path of hate he once walked. Directed by Tony Kaye, this riveting drama explores themes of racism and redemption against the backdrop of contemporary American society. The film's heart-wrenching narrative is punctuated by Norton's powerful performance, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. An important subplot involves a high school history assignment, which gives the movie its title and adds depth to its exploration of past influences on present actions.

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  • A Clockwork Orange
    5

    A Clockwork Orange

    Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates
    4,882 votes
    • Released: 1971
    • Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
    In Stanley Kubrick's unsettling masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange, we follow the story of Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), a charismatic yet sociopathic delinquent living in dystopian Britain. The film, steeped in satire and black comedy, explores themes of morality, free will, and societal reconditioning. Alex leads his gang of 'droogs' on a rampage of violent escapades before he is captured by the authorities. His subsequent rehabilitation through experimental psychological conditioning forms the crux of this controversial narrative. Notably, it was nominated for Best Picture at the 44th Academy Awards in 1972.

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  • Kids
    6

    Kids

    Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloë Sevigny
    2,283 votes
    • Released: 1995
    • Directed by: Larry Clark
    Delving into the raw and unfiltered reality of youth, Kids is a riveting drama directed by Larry Clark. The narrative orbits around Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick), who prides himself on deflowering virgins, and his reckless friend Casper (Justin Pierce). Unbeknownst to Telly, a former partner Jenny (Chloë Sevigny) learns she's HIV positive, setting off a desperate quest across New York City. As their paths converge, Kids paints an unsettling portrait of teenage life. Complemented by an authentic cast and gritty storytelling, it offers an uncompromising look at the consequence-laden world of adolescence.