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People Break Down Which Movies They Believe Are Absolutely Perfect

People Break Down Which Movies They Believe Are Absolutely Perfect
Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

What does it take to make a perfect film?

Flawless casting? Strong writing? Camerawork? Or maybe it's something you can't quite explain, you just know it when you see it.


Reddit user Brian_Ye asked:

What movie is, in your opinion, a perfect movie?

So let's go over what Reddit had to say, and then open the floor to hear from you guys so we can argue about it!

12 Angry Men

12 angry men GIF by elCinema.comGiphy

"The most impressive one I've seen is Twelve Angry Men. The entire film is centered on a jury deliberating a decision in a single room. It had a strong hold on me." - No_Elk5745

"The camera work really does it for me. As it gets lower and closer throughout the whole film to give the feeling of it getting more cramped and claustrophobic in there. Very cleverly done." - xSamxiskillz

"Great movie, but from a legal standpoint, the actions in the jury room would lead to a mistrial, and the juror would likely have some serious legal issues against him." - eatababy

"I tell you what I like about that film. To a certain extent, the protagonist is a classic liberal: he uses logic, evidential argument and impartiality to persuade and reason with the other jurors. He doesn't get angry or aggressive."

"So much, so good, but in real life, honestly, you know that if the film concludes this way, it's just a fantasy. Some people will NEVER give up their prejudices-will NEVER see sense."

"There is one last juror who is like this. He's a bigot and proud of it. Then the film makes that leap."

"Instead of pretending that it's a perfect world and reason always wins in the end, the protagonist steps up and goes further. He sees that reason isn't going to work, so he FORCES the last man: he uses the power of numbers and the strength of his personality to crush the bigot."

"The people who wrote and acted in that film went through at least one world war, and it shows. Idealism is great, but sometimes you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty to save a man's life." - Plumb789

Jurassic Park

Well There It Is Jurassic Park GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Jurassic Park. Perfect blockbuster. Great casting, great effects , great music, character development, great story , all around great movie." - djethoth

"I think the beauty of Jurassic Park is that it doesn't try to do anything that it knows it can't do. It doesn't try to be political, or preachy, or anything like that. It provides great entertainment, with solid characters and a convincing plot, all while posing an interesting scientific question for those interested." - Dudeman5566

"I would have to agree. Most great movies can have one or two drawbacks to make them just half-believable i.e. the audience has to do a lot or some of the work on their part to believe the story/setting/etc. Jurassic Park literally showed us another living and breathing world." - Molotov_Viking

Shawshank Redemption

Happy Shawshank Redemption GIFGiphy

"Shawshank Redemption."

"One of the great things about this movie is the incredibly moving ending and the story behind it. Originally Frank Darabont ended with the scene of Red looking out of the bus window and leaving it to our imaginations what happened next."

"He had to be persuaded to include the now-ending of Red and Andy meeting on the beach. Those final ten seconds turn one of the greatest movies ever made into arguably THE greatest movie ever made." - Extreme-Kangaroo-842

"Brooks' final monologue is one of the greatest pieces of writing ever." - jimjangofett

"Stephen King is a phenomenal storyteller. This movie is proof that, given the right people, his stories can make really good movie adaptations; even though there are so many bad ones." - Snailsinwigs

The Incredibles

"I'd say The Incredibles. Manages to be kid-friendly with the action but also carries dark, dark themes that got me in the gut when I watched as an adult" - CreatorCaz

" 'You are Elastagirl! Pull' *whack* 'yourself' *whack* 'together' *whack* "

"Edna is one of the best side characters in any movie ever and that line is a family favorite when someone is being indecisive." - Stormdanc3

"One of the very few movies to star a married couple. So many films rely on a romance arc to carry character development, and it's nice to have a film that shows people who are past that initial rush and still love each other."

"Also, it wasn't until I'd seen it a dozen or so times that I realized the bulk of the movie is set in the late 60's/early 70's. It's an under-the-radar period piece."

"It's a beautifully crafted film, and parents everywhere are thankful to Pixar for creating so many movies that are interesting for the entire family and can hold up through dozens of rewatches." - BitwiseB

Princess Bride

idk how to tag this cary elwes GIFGiphy

"The Princess Bride. There's a shortage of perfect movies in the world. It would be a pity if someone didn't mention this one." - lizzieb77

"I'm not one to rewatch movies too often but I'm certain I've seen this one over a dozen times, nothing else comes close." - Statechemist

"Excellent casting for a group of whimsical, yet charming, characters in a story that is somehow able to walk the knife edge of being silly but not stupid, fully embracing cliches and tropes while staying original, being fully aware of itself without being self-deprecating, and still filling the space with enough seriousness to keep the story moving and compelling."

"It's endlessly rewatchable and quotable and good for all ages. Endlessly fun and charming in a way that any changes would simply detract from it." - IAmTheKingOfNoPants

Silence Of The Lambs

hannibal and clarice GIFGiphy

"Silence Of The Lambs is an absolute masterpiece, the portrayal of Hannibal Lector's character is nothing short of perfection." - Hannibal_the_dentist

"Anthony Hopkins managed to capture that type of menace that makes the primal part of your brain crawl in just the way he would look at other characters and the camera." - sayest

"I didn't get around to seeing this movie until like a few years ago because I thought too much time had passed and maybe it was outdated."

"Holy f*ck, that movie floored me. It was so good." - buttwhisperer

Shrek

Shrek Smile GIF by PeacockTVGiphy

"Shrek. No jokes here, Shrek is a masterpiece that is as good today as it was when it released" - NabbyNab14

"Shrek has one of the best messages for kids. The ending at the wedding is literally just the movie telling kids that you're beautiful for who you are on the inside, but actually showing it."

"Like, in a lot of princess movies the point is also that you're beautiful for what you are on the inside, but the princesses are also beautiful on the outside so it's not very powerful. Shrek says, no she's still beautiful even without being beautiful on the outside." - Passname357

Terminator 2

terminator 2 GIFGiphy

"Terminator 2. A big reason for me is Robert Patrick. His acting and mannerisms of the T-1000 still impress me with every single viewing. He stole the show." - Disthrowaway5678

"Hands down the best sequel ever made." - TheMeanGreenGoblin

"When he tilts his head down while angling his gaze up and moves so fast without breathing heavy... Arnold played killer-robot well, but Patrick played scary-killer-robot-on-a-mission flawlessly." - iamnotdownwithopp

"The scene in the mall where he unloads the 9mm and doesn't blink. This was not by accident. He trained at weapon ranges to be able to fire like this and have zero reaction just the way a terminator should." - Ragnarok314159

"The scene with John riding the bike and him running behind him - Robert Patrick had to tell Edward Furlong to ride the dirt bike faster because Robert could easily catch up to him and tap him on the shoulder. He might have ACTUALLY been a Terminator..." - arkady2009

"I think it's probably the greatest sci-fi action movie ever made."

"It's scope is so focused on what needs to be told and shown. It has great action choreography and it's filmed perfectly. The script is fantastic in its ability to fully form the characters and their motivations. It's fantastic." - bongo1138

Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse

Spider-Man Movie GIF by Spider-Man: Into The Spider-VerseGiphy

"Spiderman: into the spider-verse." - noqms

"This. The animation does a better job of feeling like a comic book came to life than anything in the MCU (except maybe Ragnarok)."

"On top of that, the story is excellent, and the music combo is perfect. Good music elevates the movie, and Into the Spiderverse nails that as well as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, etc." - gimlithepirate

"100% this. Spider-Verse is absolutely phenomenal. Great animation, lovable characters, and some of the most beautiful shots I've seen in any movie, period. It's a total treasure." - thunderboltkaiju

"The Leap of Faith is 100% a perfect sequence. It starts with him sitting there after he's been tied up and abandoned. Character hits bottom. Ends with the Comic book slamming down showing the Miles Morales Spiderman in the new iconic black."

"Thing gives me chills."

"The mirroring in this movie is amazing. All the failures of Miles in the first half are victories in the second half."

"And it's marked by that one moment - Miles stuck in that chair while his dad talks to him. And the ultimate lowest moment, the hardest hit. His dad tells him he loves him and that he doesn't have to say it back."

"Earlier in the movie he had to be forced and at this moment it's the thing he wants to do the most. They're both in pain having lost Aaron. And he can't tell his Dad he loves him."

"Miles Morales can't. Spiderman can."

"And that's the trigger. That's the slow raising of his head with the lightning in his eyes and the start of the song." - ogier79

"Little details I noticed:"

"When Miles tried to leap earlier in the movie, he initially picked a somewhat high apartment building before chickening out and picking a lower one. Now, for his moment of truth, he's on a skyscraper."

"When he jumps off the skyscraper window, the glass breaks when his fingers pull away because they were still sticking to it when he jumped. The spider-heroes' adhesive power is triggered by stress and released by relaxation. So, when Miles made his leap of faith, he was still nervous."

"As Miles fell downwards, the camera frames him in an upside down shot to give the appearance that he's rising."

"During the failed leap of faith, Miles hits a flagpole which bounces him into other street objects until he is left helplessly falling with his screams of terror (AHHHHHHH) stylized in onomatopoeia."

"This is contrasted in the successful leap, where Miles - instead of hitting a flagpole and crashing, loops around a flagpole - using it to spring himself upwards with a triumphant bellow (WOOOOO), similarly stylized in onomatopoeia."

"SO GOOD." - MrProdigal884

OK so you've read everyone else's passionate arguments about their perfect movies - it's your turn to geek out and get gushy. Tell us which movies you loved and why.


Double Standards That Make People Angry

Reddit user Extreme-Minute-4746 asked: 'What double standards make you angry?'

angry girl in black and white striped shirt
Photo by Julien L on Unsplash

Double standards are an unfortunate part of society.

A double standard is when two or more individuals or sets of people are treated differently when they should be treated the same.

A good example is the difference in the way my brother and I are treated when we cook. I'm big on baking and have a natural talent for it. Whenever I bake anything, even something complicated, like cheesecake, I'm given minimal praise, if any at all. This is because I'm a woman, and in my family culture, women are expected to be able to bake.

My brother isn't as good a baker as me and rarely does it, but when he does, he is praised for subpar brownies because he's a man and it's amazing he can even cook as well as he does.

I'm not the only one who has experience with this.

Redditors have identified many double standards in society and are eager to share.

It all started when Redditor Extreme-Minute-4746 asked:

"What double standards make you angry?"

Civil Service

"As a federal government employee, why do I have to follow all kinds of ethics rules, but politicians and judges don’t?"

– mittychix

"F**k, right? I have to spend six weeks reviewing documentation and hearing out dozens of random companies to award a £100k contract but the minister who runs my department can give his mate's company a multi-million£ contract to run ferries without even getting quotes - DESPITE THAT COMPANY NOT HAVING AND FERRIES AND THE PORT IN QUESTION NOT HAVING CAPACITY FOR THEM."

"I left the civil service after that one."

– Disco_is_Death

"This. Yeah I could get in trouble for accepting a gift over $50 (like I have that much influence anyway) but politicians and judges get lobbied millions..it's infuriating."

– gtbeam3r

"Yes. And they get to keep their jobs for being completely dysfunctional, but if I pulled a fraction that garbage, I’d be fired."

– TrekJaneway

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

"That some people expect you to respect their no, whilst they will most definitely not respect yours."

– IvyBloodroot

"On that note, respecting someone as an authority is often equated to respecting someone as an individual."

"Eg. Teachers who say if you don't respect me (as a superior), I won't respect you (as a person), when they're really not the same thing."

– Paperonia

The Bullied

"School bullying."

"The kid getting picked on has essentially no power. Go to a teacher? Get labeled a snitch and tattle tale. Don't do anything? You're just made an easier target. The moment they fight back, they're the ones who end up dealing with detention, suspension, expulsion, etc. You have more power as a bully in the schools than the victim."

– FriskeCrisps

"It's because bullied people are usually rule followers, and the school wants the problem dealt with as quickly as possible. Best way to do that is to expect the rule follower to follow rules, rather than the rule breaker to suddenly change their ways."

"Fairness ends up on the chopping block."

– darsynia

Services Cliff

"I'm 41 years old and have Cerebral Palsy. If I try to find anything related to the disease - how to deal with it, any kind of ongoing care - it is virtually impossible because all the care is just for children with CP. It's like once you turn 18 the world just doesn't care anymore."

– Zechnophobe

"I’m autistic and in the same boat. “How to deal with a child who…” I'M ASKING FOR ME."

– aroaceautistic

A Two-Way Street

"People who are obsessed with the idea of kids being respectful towards adults, but don't treat kids with respect in turn."

"Edit for example: I went to a very old-fashioned school where the rule was that when an adult entered the room, even in the library and break/lunch, every student in the room had to immediately fall silent - mid sentence, mid word, didn't matter - and stand up until we were given permission to sit back down again. If we didn't, we were chewed out and sometimes even given detentions. The argument was that it trained us into respect, but I was also brought up to believe it's rude to interrupt, and it felt like the teachers were constantly interrupting us."

– MerylSquirrel

"My father in law is like that. He’s “kids should be seen and not heard” type of old school."

"But then he wonders why the children in the family all steer clear of him and why they disregard most things he says."

– Macintosh0211

Doctor, Doctor

"This might be a bit controversial, but I’ve come across a couple of doctors who demand special treatment away from work but preach and practice treating all their patients equally."

– kimchi-pancake

"They charge you a fee or cancel if you’re 5 minutes late but have no problem leaving you waiting for hours. I’ve waited an hour in the lobby and another in the actual examination room."

– SadComfort8692

"Same! i can understand if it’s out of their control but i could hear her, clear as day, giggling with her coworkers about her weekend. i waited 20 in the lobby and 20 in the exam room. i love a good gab but, for f**k’s sake, do it later! if i yapped outside for 20 minutes, it would be a $50 fee and another 4 month long wait to be seen again."

"I suddenly had a $50 i-can-hear-you-nattering-through-the-wall fee. she laughed but it’s been collecting interest ever since…"

– manyfeetball

Alcohol Is Alcohol

"Beer drinkers act like they aren’t alcoholics because they don’t drink hard liquor. Ok sir you just drank 25 beers and then looked at me sideways for drinking a g&t at the family reunion."

– Brainfog_shishkabob

"Same goes for the “sophisticated” wine drinkers..."

"Stop judging me for enjoying a drink on the terrace a few times a year, when you empty 1-2 bottles each evening..."

– 2Madam_Mimmm

"That’s definitely the way it is. I’ve got a snotty alcoholic family member, that THINKS she’s sophisticated, because she drinks high dollar wine, out of very expensive glasses."

"Yeah, pissing yourself and passing out, in front of the mailbox, are definitely the traits of a sophisticated person."

– sweathogbrooklyn

Mr. Mom

"Fathers taking care of their kids."

"I take my kids to doctor appointments, dentist appointments, take them to school, and pick them up. I do all that stuff."

"Every single f**king time, it's, “Dad’s babysitting today?” Or some stupid comment like that. No, I’m not babysitting. I’m being a f**king parent!"

"I hate the double standard that dads can’t do stuff like that with their kids."

"I can’t take my daughter to the park without being questioned or looked at funny either."

"People need to give dads more respect. A lot of us bust our a**es too. I work hard. I take care of my kids, I play with my kids. I clean the house. I do laundry. I don’t stop. I don’t rest, I don’t relax."

– moms-sphaghetti

"Give us changing tables in the men's room!"

– Da1UHideFrom

"Nothing bugs me more than when a place only has changing tables in the women's bathroom."

"It's 2023, I take my son to the aquarium by myself sometimes... Looking at you London SeaLife centre 🤨"

– AstonVanilla

Household Split

"The laundry is always a wierd one. My wife is a much better cook than me. And she hates me cooking when she's in the house. So to compensate I do all the laundry, including ironing before someone mentions it, and all the washing of dishes."

"But even at work, this doesn't seem to be understood as possible. I complained my washing machine had broken and the comment was 'Oh no, what's wife's name going to do?'"

"To which the answer was 'Wonder why I haven't done the washing this week.'"

"But it's infuriating."

– RelativeStranger

Justice Is Bought

"The American justice system. You can afford the best and many more lawyers when you have money."

– TooAfraidToAsk814

"Justice is blind, but the b*tch sure can smell money."

– burgher89

Worship

"I am supposed to respect people's religion, but people aren't supposed to respect my non-religion."

"Particularly when their religion instructs them to not respect my non-religion."

– GeebusNZ

"It kinda makes my head spin that there are people who I get along well with who, per their religion, think I deserve to be tortured in agony for all eternity."

Daztur

Yup, me and my non-religious self have personal experience with that last one!

well-dressed woman holding shopping bags
freestocks on Unsplash

Money is tight for many people.

But sometimes paying more is better than pinching pennies.

Keep reading...Show less

People tend to have a lot of opinions about other people's workplaces, whether or not they've ever worked in that industry themselves.

There are some professions, like teaching and retail, where people will assume they know all there is to know, even if they've never set foot in that position, and there are others, like the CIA, where people view these positions as elusive and awe-inspiring.

But there are beliefs that people share that frustrates those who are actually in the industry.

Redditor Madalyn_Robert asked:

"What's a myth about your profession that you want to debunk?"

Veterinarian Secrets

"Veterinary medicine is not a happy-go-lucky career choice where you get to deal with cute animals rather than people. Most of your patients are sick or scared, and every case involves a fraught negotiation with their stressed-out human."

- Drabby

The Truth Behind Anesthesia

"Anesthesiologist: you're not asleep you are anesthetized. When you're asleep and someone stabs you, you wake up."

- Drsuprane

"Even more terrifying, anesthesia doesn’t exactly prevent you from feeling what’s happening, it (in effect) disrupts the timing clock that allows different parts of the brain to talk to each other. You won’t be able to remember it or be conscious to experience it, but somewhere some part of your brain is receiving those pain signals and is trying desperately to tell the rest of your brain what’s happening."

- Steaveee

Preventative > Reactive

"Maintenance is worth doing and is definitely worth paying for."

"People say, 'I don't know why we pay those maintenance guys, nothing ever breaks around here!'"

"The reason Germany and Japan (and South Korea) became and remain such manufacturing powerhouses is because they know the value of maintenence. If you keep everything in clean good working order, you end up with minimum down time. Working maintenance into manufacturing schedules keeps output level, because you have no unexpected downtime."

"It's the same for your car or your home. Setting aside time and resources for maintenance means you won't lose unexpected time and resources when things break. Good maintenance will spot things before they break and switch them out. That's worth paying for."

- TriviaBanal

The Power of a Reboot

"IT. Rebooting is NOT a waste of time and solves a remarkable number of problems."

- gfhggdssgg

"Instead of using shutdown, use restart."

"Modern versions of windows have something called fast startup, which basically hibernates when you shut down. You don't get the benefit of a reboot."

- gerwen

Giant, Flying Puzzles

"Commercial aircraft are built almost entirely by hand. Like 96%. There's very little automation in the process."

- Kalepsis

"Authentic, handcrafted commercial airliners."

- Keyspam102

"Free range, GRASS FED, Authentic, handcrafted commercial airliners!"

- Wiggly96

Doing Library Things

"I am a public librarian. While curating books is still a portion of the job, much of it these days is taken up by database assistance and training, program development and teaching, and public education. It’s much closer to school teaching, but for adults and without grading homework, than it was in the past."

- SmallDarkCloud

Rate the Emergency

"If you go to the ER via ambulance, it does NOT mean you will be seen quicker."

"ERs take the sickest people first, definitely not the ones who come in by ambulance first."

- DoIHaveDementia

Not in Charge

"Teachers have very little say in anything. We advocate the best we can but most of the time, it’s out of our hands, including holding children back who desperately need help."

- chasindreams22

Define "Recycled"

"Print industry. Your paper isn’t as recycled as you think it is."

- mullett

True Lawyers

"That all lawyers make absurd amounts of money. The ones that won't sell their entire life for big bucks tend to make pretty average money."

- dudeblackhawk

"Yes! Some months I barely make enough for all my expenses. Some months I make a lot of money. Some months I make absolutely nothing. Having a private practice in my country means financial instability. The Estate does pay me to represent people who can't afford a lawyer but it pays very bad and takes forever to get that money."

"Also, we're not all like in the movies. Most of us actually care about the people we represent and we try our best to help them."

- ZucchiniAnxious

Not Everything Is Memorized

"I can write code. I cannot debug most of your Windows problems without googling them."

- Resies

Underpaid and Overworked

"School Custodian here and we are NOT overpaid cleaners. What would you pay someone that can paint, Sheetrock, tape/mud, patch concrete/asphalt, operate/repair commercial landscaping/snow removal equipment, operate/repair commercial custodial equipment, restore various types of floors including vct/hardwood/carpet/tile, replace toilets/faucets, air filters, belts, trim/fell trees, shovel roofs, etc?"

"Not all of us are cleaners/janitors, which are vital and underpaid as well. Some of us are Jack/Jill of all trades and you want to pay us peanuts?"

"All employees of a school are important and administrators shouldn't try to balance their budgets on the backs of workers when I've seen an exponential amount of administrative salary and stupid purchasing decisions, not to mention unfunded mandates from the state."

- Nutella_Zamboni

Speech-to-Language Complexity

"There is sooooo much more to the speech-language pathologist scope of practice than working with kids who stutter or can't say their 'r's."

"An entire half of the field is in the adult medical setting working with people who have dementia, swallowing disorders, oral cancer, strokes, Parkinson's disease, and voice disorders, plus some other niche areas like transgender voice or accent modification."

"The pediatric half of the field also works with AAC devices, social skills, literacy development, syntax, executive functioning, writing, feeding, and more."

- bibliophile222

Realistic Therapy

"Therapist here, specifically a couples therapist."

"Therapy is not just about venting or having someone agree with you all the time to make you feel better. Yes, we validate and listen and venting happens at times. But we also challenge you, encourage you to set goals and make change, and sometimes give 'homework.'"

"Therapy is an active process and if you want to see change you have to be willing to make change. I think the media has really warped people's ideas and they expect miracles to happen by showing up without any effort. I wish I could do that for you! But I need you to partner with me to make things happen."

"Also, very few therapists actually have you lay on a couch."

- Dependent-Citron4444

Well, Then.

"Scientist (more specifically, molecular biologist in biotech)."

"I am not hiding the cure for cancer, and I don't know s**t about actual medicine."

- DaOleRazzleDazzle

It's surprising how much we often think we know about other people's professions, and it's probably annoying to them to hear misconceptions day in and day out from the general public.

This is a great reminder of how much we can learn from each other, even just in the workplace.

Person holding two vintage photographs of family portraits
Cheryl Winn-Boujnida/Unsplash

How well did you really know the people who are no longer with us?

Many of us present our best selves to our friends and relatives but do you share with them your deepest, darkest insecurities and secrets?

Maybe you do. But there are plenty of others who take their secrets to the grave.

But those closely guarded secrets or the truest identities can come to light posthumously in many forms, giving a glimpse of who they were to the people they've left behind.

Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor WhoAllIll asked:

"What secret was revealed when cleaning out the home of a deceased family member?"

Not everyone had pure morals or ethics.

Shady Business

"Elderly aunt had a hidden room with staircase to basement area no one knew about. She and her son had a meth lab. This was in the 90’s in Philly. Blew us all away."

– pekepeeps

Here's The Story

"We all knew this one uncle had a second family. We expected drama at the funeral."

"No one was expecting his third family to show up. Wife. Three kids. This new family knew the rest of the family by name from pictures. How we are all related, names, hobbies. That was a wildly bizarre experience."

– z-adventure

Late Discovery

"My dad passed away in 1994 (I was 28). While going through his safe I found some adoption papers. While reading through them I got excited at the prospect I might have a brother out there somewhere (I was raised as an only child) but couldn't understand why my parents never told me that they'd adopted a child but never told me. After rereading them, I realized that they papers were about me. After confronting my family about this turns out everyone - family, close friends, I mean everyone, knew I was adopted. Except me. That was a fun day."

– rolandblais

You never know about a person.

Once Upon A Cash-tress

"Many years ago I went with my dad and aunt to clean out my great uncle’s apartment after he passed away. He was never married, no kids, and lived (we thought) very poor. Tiny apartment with a twin bed, table and chair, a couple of pots and pans, a couple pants& shirts, and that’s basically it."

"As we stripped the bed and moved the mattress, we were shocked. He had hundreds of stacks of 10 dollar bills, wrapped in rubber bands, under his mattress. They were all 10 dollar bills. He lived during the Depression and didn’t trust banks, apparently, but we had no idea he had so much cash. He never spent it on anything. Just bundled it and saved it under his mattress. Some of the bills were so old and yellowed. It equaled thousands of dollars. We had no idea."

– Sostupid246

The Neat Hoarder

"My grandfather, who spoke English as a third language, was a bit of a hoarder. Lots of old sh*t stockpiled in his basement, but well organized. Imagine a generic episode of Hoarders, but with a prepper OCD vibe."

"Everything was sanitized, stacked/nested, and grouped logically. It was like the stock room for a store that wasn't yet sure what products it was selling and wanted to be ready."

"So we find a cylindrical container that was kinda heavy for its size, and it had the label 'OLD PENIS'. It was one of those black plastic film containers."

"Hesitant, but curious, we removed the lid."

"It contained a collection of one-cent pieces which had been minted in the first half of the 20th century."

"Part of me was disappointed, part of me was relieved."

"Edit: I'm glad so many people got a chuckle from the mystery of my grandfather's old penis. It was an innocent typo, but he was a jovial man and would have enjoyed knowing it made so many people laugh."

– funkme1ster

Unpublished

"We knew my originally British, naturalized Canadian great-grandmother had been an enthusiastic amateur historian, who had been fascinated by Britain’s war with Napoleon - not for the least reason because she was herself tangentially related to the Duke of Wellington’s family, via a cousin’s marriage to his son’s nephew, or some connection equally obscure and tenuous."

"What we didn’t know is that, likely in preparation for a book she never wrote, as a young woman she had actually interviewed several dozen elderly English, French and Spanish veterans about their experiences during that war - including three actual survivors of Waterloo (two English, one French), and an aide-de-camp to Spanish General Francisco Javier Castaños, at the time he handed the Napoleonic army its very first defeat in the field, and captured nearly 20,000 French troops at the Battle of Bailen (1808)."

"But there it was, stored in a wooden egg crate under her iron-framed bed, among old calendars, untested recipe clippings and copies of Family Circle magazine: a manuscript with nearly three hundred pages of transcribed military memoirs - all laid out in three languages (in which she was fluent) in her elegant, Spencerian hand."

"My parents donated her manuscript to the Imperial War Museum, where no doubt it will never have human eyes laid on it again."

– theartfulcodger

These Redditors share heartwarming discoveries.

Preparing For The Onward Journey

"My dad was in hospice at home for a couple months before he died of lung cancer, and when I went to clean out his house I found that he had already sorted and packed away most of his personal treasures in couple storage bins. It was heartbreaking all over again thinking of him sitting there packing up his own life knowing it was coming to an end."

– F0regn_Lawns

Messages From Beyond

"When my husband died a few years ago i found several notes/letters he had scattered in various places around our home, written to me in advance (he had terminal cancer & knew he was dying). some were marked 'open when you can't stop crying' 'open when the holidays are too rough' 'open when you have to put one of the cats to sleep'."

"They didn't contain any secrets, but they are heartbreakingly beautiful."

– miss_trixie

Sweet Keepsake

"My dad kept a handwritten note in his wallet containing my mom’s old address, phone number, and directions to her house from when they first started dating in the 70s. He had moved it from wallet to wallet over the years. ❤️ He just died this past March and that was one of the first things we found."

– Jinx5326

Scavenger Hunt

"That my dad hid money all over the house, not huge amounts mind you, but $60 here, $120 there. Felt like a bit of a scavenger hunt when we were cleaning out his stuff. He was always a bit of a sneakily generous guy, always gave me and my brothers a secret handshake with money tucked in his palm when we’d go back to school after a weekend home, etc, so wouldn’t be surprised if he’d done it intentionally. Made us smile every time we found some, iirc I think the final total was somewhere around $800."

– Mzunguman

Photographs are treasures.

When my family cleaned out the house of my father's aunt who lived in America, we found stacks of vintage photographs well before the advent of digital photography.

There were photos of my great aunt in Japan from when she was a teenager to photos of her and her husband at a Japanese internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming.

There were no secrets uncovered but it was so profound poring through images capturing decades of her life captured on film.