
Some movies just hit you in a place that you would totally rather be left un-hit. Personally, as much as Kubo and the Two Strings was an amazing, brilliant, and poignant piece of animation... I'm also pretty sure watching it should only be undertaken by trained professionals who are following established safety protocol and have appropriate equipment on hand.
Watching Kubo requires:
- A beverage to rehydrate while you sob.
- Something cuddly to grip onto while you sob.
- Some moisture wicking device like tissue or a handkerchief to dab away your tears while you sob.
Kubo should avoided by anyone triggered by depictions of memory disorders like dementia or Alzheimer's, anyone who has lost a parent, anyone who has fought to protect a child from toxic family, or anyone who has recently been turned into a magical monkey.
One Reddit user asked:
What animated movie affected you most emotionally and why?
The comments get pretty intimate, obviously, so proceed with caution. There will be talk of loss, death, abuse, etc.
Ellie's Adventures
Man, the scene in Up when he gets the house to Paradise Falls and sits down...then he finally reads Ellie's book of adventures, something he hadn't been able to do since he thought she was disappointed that they never got there while she was alive.
Then he realizes she kept filling it out the entire time and was extremely happy with her life with Karl. "I've had my adventure. Now it's time for you to have yours."
The final words he see from her letting him know that she doesn't want him to be a bitter old man, but rather, find a new purpose in life beyond her. Honestly, it's such a fantastic movie about loss, it's hands down my favorite Pixar movie.
UP is emotional terrorism. I cry at multiple points during that movie and it is starting to scare my 3yo.
"Superman"
Iron Giant.
"You stay. I go. No following."
When he closes his eyes and says "Superman." -- it's wrecking me right now just thinking about it.
- gcanyon
I'm a 50 year old man, and when he closes his eyes and says, "Superman" as he meets the missile, I completely lose it. Every. Time.
- Zampaneu
A Story To Tell
Brother Bear
I have a story to tell you. It's kind of about a man and kind of about a bear. But mostly, it's about a monster.
Gets me every time.
Hearing Koda say I don't think I like this story always makes me want to cry.
I bawled watching this, the whole story is so heartbreaking, and beautifully done.
Humans Have Surprisingly Little Humanity
Wall E. It just broke my heart how wall E was left alone and what all happened. Wall E knew love more then any of the humans.
- areyyyyy
Wall-E also just rips humanity a new one. It's an amazing takedown of how the rich have abused this planet and mollified everyone else to help them destroy it. I saw it 8 times the first week it came out.
- piedrift
I related because Wall-E was just this lone entity that wasn't know about. Then when he was first discovered was nearly blown to pieces. Even then, he was so desperate for companionship, he took care of Eve.
So much compassion from someone so misunderstood...
An Under-Appreciated Hero
Big hero 6 "I am satisfied with my care"
My friend and I went to watch this movie when we were in high school. We were the only older kids in the theater. Everyone else was a parent to an elementary aged kid. We were crying laughing at some of the jokes and just crying at the end. That movie doesn't get the appreciation it deserves.
- rahws
This movie isn't one moment of crying, I cried most of the movie. Maybe I just need a big squishy hug.
My Grandfather died days before it hit home video release. Despite being in my thirties, he was the first relative who I had lost. I sat down and watched this movie in silence. And again. And again. The ability to watch the characters grieve and not just wrap it up in a tight bow helped me walk away in a more stable place.
I have not seen it again since but it is not because it isn't good, just too much emotional baggage I want to leave behind.
Such A Treasure
Treasure Planet.
It was my dad's favorite.
I really relate to Jim Hawkins.
"I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)" by John Rzeznik (lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls) is a banger and really relatable.
It captures the feeling of wonder and adventure that I desperately wish I had in my life but never have and likely never will.
The scene where Jim is freaking out because he feels that he failed and Silver comforts and encourages him still makes me cry. It's just such a lovely movie about growing up and how important the voices of others are in building our images of ourselves, and the way they use music and the body language of the characters to convey emotion is extremely well done.
As a kid I longed for a Silver to come along and believe in me; as an adult, I try my best to be the Silver for the youngsters I know.
That's the exact movie I was thinking of!!! It does such a phenomenal job of showing the inner change from boy to man that happens in life as well as the thoughts and challenges of a growing boy. I could relate deeply with it. Also, it's the only Disney movie I really could relate with at all, me being male.
I love how you can clearly see the emotional damage Jim hides deep inside and the way he shoves down. You can see how he acts out or closes up and acts like nothing can get to him which is something I think us guys can relate to hard core.
The song "I'm Still Here" hits me at a very personal level.
Also, this kid who's got all this emotional crap balled up inside him isn't at all portrayed as weak like I think society sometimes portrays men who show emotion. And it's so uplifting to see how he tries so hard to be strong on his own with no one to teach him how to deal with all he's been through, and then eventually have someone who opens up emotionally as well and helps him.
Anyway, as a guy, it's a beautiful thing to watch and wish that maybe someone will eventually allow you to show your emotional side, value you through it, and help show you to way.
The Best Film I'll Never Watch Again
Grave of the Fireflies. I don't generally tear up, but this one made me sob
It's a brilliant movie, and a terrible trap. Most of Studio Ghibli productions are feelgood stories. Grave of the Fireflies gives you 2 days of depression.
It's the best film I will never watch again.
It's legitimately difficult to watch. And the worst part (something I learned the last time it came up in a thread like this) is that it's based on a short story that's semi-autobiographical. Though even if it wasn't, it's so realistic, a lot of the circumstances undoubtedly happened to a lot of people as part of the war. It's not even a story you can pretend didn't or couldn't happen.
Love It. Can't Watch It.
I love Coco. I can't watch Coco. That movie makes my wife and I ugly cry before we even get to the end, because it emotionally takes us back to the day we lost our first son. And I'm not even entirely sure why - the movie isn't about someone losing a child - but the whole thing is just beautifully put together and I think maybe the struggle to not be forgotten just hits home when we're thinking of an infant nobody but the two of us and a doctor ever even saw alive.
Ugh. I'm tearing up now just thinking of the music from the film.
Doing The Right Thing In A World That's Not Right
Princess Mononoke, because it forces you to stare at humanity's worst and best and accept it.
True nature of the human condition explained by a genius with that script.
A couple of my favorite moments in that movie are really early on when the boar demon is attacking the village. Ashitaka's sister is leading people working the fields back to the village and someone falls down so she turns and pulls her little knife to face down the demon. Ashitaka has been, until this point, asking the demon to turn aside and leave the village alone. Only once he sees a life directly endangered does he start to fight the demon.
Every minute of the movie is about trying to do the right thing in a world that's not right.
Grandma Is Still Here
Moana. The scene where her grandma died and reincarnated into that giant manta ray. And the one where she came to Moana after she failed on the first attempt to restore the heart. Just the line "There is nowhere you could go that I won't be with you."
And when Moana confronted Te Ká and she's barreling down at Moana. The visuals of that scene, the song, the lines "they have stolen your heart from inside you, but this does not define you"
This is my answer too! My grandma died shortly before we saw the movie in theaters. I absolutely sobbed when her spirit came down through the village and out into the water. Actually crying right now thinking of it.
This is mine too. No magic - no Prince Charming to come and take care of everything for her -- just Moana learning from Maui and then doing it on her own. When she says, "let her come to me" I stand up and cheer.
The music is good also. In the song, "I am Moana" I love the lines:
"But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are
The people you love will change you
The things you have learned will guide you
And nothing on earth can silence
The quiet voice still inside you
And when that voice starts to whisper
Moana you've come so far
Moana listen
Do you know who you are?"
For Moana's name, I substitute my own. Shivers up and down my back each time.
- cnacvno
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
It's highly believed that it is important to learn history as a means to improve our future.
What is often overlooked is that what is taught in history class is going to be very different depending on where you went to school.
And this isn't just internationally, even different regions of the United states will likely have very different lessons on American history.
This frequently results in our learning fascinating, heartbreaking and horrifying historical facts which our middle or high school history teachers neglected to teach us.
Redditor Acherontia_atropos91 was curious to learn things people either wished they had learned, or believe they should have learned, in their school history class, leading them to ask:
What isn’t taught in history class but should be?
The Irish Troubles
"The troubles."
"Too many people in America do not understand why a wall straight through Ireland would be a BAD idea."
"I’m referring to the Brexit referendum and possible outcomes."
"If people were wondering why we were talking about walls through Ireland in the first place."- CLCVS.
Forgotten elements of World War II
"What the Japanese did to the Chinese during WW2."
"Unit 731."- CaptainMcBoogerJew.
"Japan gets off easy for their war crimes in WW2."
"They killed an estimated 16mil Chinese civilians and another 8mil soldiers"
"Also, Pol Pot."
"Didn't know who he was until I was like 25."
"Worst dictator all time (in terms of percentage of population he decimated)".
The truth about the American Revolution
"That the American Revolution was part of a wider cold war type of conflict with France."
"The American Revolution was basically the UK's equivalent of the US version of Vietnam."- vinsant7.
The Dark side of Swedish history.
"As a Swede, I'd like to know more of all the horrible sh*t my country has done throughout history."
"It's a damn shame we're trying to hide our history."
"For example, Swedes killed a metric sh*t ton of all Polish people when we were at our strongest."
"That's the kinda sh*t we don't get to learn."- mogwandayy.
Colonization
"Basically what Belgium did to the Congo."
"A lot of people are telling me that they are taught about this actually."
"I'm glad to hear it because I wasn't taught about this in the USA during my public school days (1995-2008)."- EconArch.
The truth about "heroes".
"While teaching about historical Heroes they should also tell students about the unspeakable things some of them did."
"Many famous figures throughout history who are pillars of morality actually did many terrible things." - User Deleted
Intolerance for Mental Illness
"The dark history of mental illness treatments."
"I think it's worth learning about."- 7dayexcerpt.
Slavic Mythology
"Slavic mythology in Slavic countries."
"Don't get me wrong, I love both Greek & Roman mythology and as a person from the Balkans both of those cultures are part of my country's history and had great influence over not only my region but the entirety of the continent & the western world but I wouldn't mind knowing more about Slavic mythology as well."- ShorsShezzarine.
The truth about the CIA
"How the CIA was made and all the shady things they did over the years."- ALargeChip.
There is a lot about the history of our world, not to mention our own country which shouldn't be ignored.
And it's from learning from our mistakes that we really improve our future.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
So apparently we are in the endemic phase of this nonsense.
We have light at the end of the tunnel.
So what now?
Where do we go from here?
Normal seems like an outdated word.
How do we get back to normal though?
Is it even possible?
What are reaching back to?
Life pre-Covid.
Those were the days.
If only we could bring them back.
Redditor hetravelingsong wanted to discuss our new normal in this hopeful "endemic" phase. So they asked:
"What’s something random you miss about pre-COVID times?"
I miss people being sane. Though that maybe election cycle issues not COVID. We'll never know.
I thought I was Alone...
"Being able to grocery shop after 11 pm."
Reading_Rainboner
"Hell yes. I miss the days where the Walmart across the street was open 24 hours."
Small_Tax_9432
let's just go...
"I miss spontaneity... everything now seems to have a barrier of difficulty."
iidosee
"I live very close to Disneyland so I have an annual pass. My friends and I would just go there after work and hang out and grab a bite to eat."
"Now, we have to reserve a day to go. And most of the time, the days are at 'full' capacity so we couldn't even reserve. I don't want to schedule to hang out at Disneyland for a couple hours for July. So yeah, I definitely miss the 'lets go eat at Disneyland tonight?' texts."
mymymissmai
Not til 24-25
"Functioning global supply chains. Ah, the product you want has got microchips in it? 9 month wait."
richard-king
"Minimum, I'd been saying for a while now that I wouldn't expect a true return to normalcy in terms of electronics prices till 2024-2025. Although Crypto crashing through the floor really took some of the pressure off graphics cards which I really appreciate."
statiiic
WTF?!?!
"How affordable everything was!"
Disastrous_Hour_6776
"Yep. Today I was bagging up my things at the grocery store and I heard the cashier say to the lady behind me 'thats $78.12.' She had -- 2 boxes of Kellogg's corn flakes, a carton of 12 eggs, milk, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, a small cheese cake, English muffins, coffee, and a small whole frozen chicken that could maybe feed 3 people if the meat portioning was small."
SnowyInuk
Sushi
"My favorite sushi place. It was good quality, close by, kid-friendly, and not too expensive."
InannasPocket
All of this... it was a simpler time.
NASTY
"As a retail worker, just how f**king NASTY some people have gotten."
DmitriPetrov*itch
"They applauded you for being an essential worker but won’t vote for policies that’ll raise minimum wage while insisting a wage cap for heavily paid employees."
sketchysketchist
CHANGES your DNA...
"Some of the people closest to me became very bitter and petty over the last 2 years. So many people have the 'crazy eyes' now."
__--__7
"So true and holidays with the family is like who has the biggest tinfoil hat building contest. How many jumps does your brain have to go through to think that the Covid vaccine CHANGES your DNA into the patented DNA so that the government now controls your body."
"So like vaccinated people now have a singular DNA set. I feel like I still have a chunk of my brain just broken off due to that comment alone. I was also told by same family member that I could never donate blood again due to the vaccine. I guess it is so my patented DNA doesn't affect people?? FYI my vaccinated butt just donated today fine and multiple other times after the vaccine."
tyreka13
Homeward Bound
"House prices."
adrianinked
"I'm resigned to never thinking I have a chance on owning property where I live. I'm 30 and just can't imagine it anymore. And I don't want to live anywhere else so, whatever."
Osdab2daf
"That didn’t happen because of the pandemic. That was already happening regardless."
CH11DW
Oh Mickey
"All Day Breakfast at McDonalds."
hutch2522
"It was honestly hell to do, and not very popular. ITs margins aren't anywhere dinner and lunch specials. ON top of that, the temperatures are such that They require its own grill, meaning that if you have 2 grills in shop, you are down 50% of lunch capacity."
Freyas_Follower
Way back when...
"Hanging out with friends. And I mean waaaaaay before Covid. Like 2006 back when I had some friends."
LoocsinatasYT
I miss the old days. Maybe we'll get back there.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
What do you believe?
Is there a GOD in the sky?
Is he guiding us and helping us?
Life is really hard. Why is that is a big entity is up there loving us?
Atheists have taken a lot of heat for what feels like shunning GOD.
What if they've been right all along?
Maybe let's take a listen and see what they really think.
Redditor __Jacob______ wanted to hear from the people who don't really believe all that "God" stuff. They asked:
"Atheists, what do you believe in?"
I'm waffling between G-O-D and nothing. So please give me some education.
911
"We need to look out for each other because help isn't coming."
cknipe
Peace Out
"More than 2 decades ago, a priest was giving a sermon in my church and he said 'our faith requires you to believe without question. Why call it faith if you have to ask questions?' I haven't returned to church. Not until my wedding day but you know what I mean."
asiangontear
Delusion
"When I was young I used to think that after death you would have access to a PC that you could see absolutely anything about your life. Stats, any question you had no matter how obscure, replays of moments, perspectives of others in relation to you. No matter what you wanted to know, if it was relatable to you, you could see it. I know it's silly, but as time goes on I just want it to be real, and I don't think I'd have any issue allowing myself to fall into that delusion."
eggwardpenisglands
I think nothing happens...
"Realistically, I think nothing happens. We literally experience nothing after death. Same thing that we experience before birth. We don't exist, so it's nothing. I think the tenant that we should follow while living is to try to be happy and healthy while minimizing the damage we do to each other."
"What I would LIKE to happen after death is whatever you believe in, exists. I think Christians should get to go to heaven if they truly believe in it, Hindus and Buddhists get reincarnated, and everyone else also gets to experience what they believe they will experience."
"'I would still experience Nothing. Maybe it's one of those things where at the moment of death their brain makes them experience what feels like an infinitely long moment in time where they experience their afterlife. I just think it would be neat for everybody."
Better_Meat_
Shrug
"Best advice I received from a dear senior on their way out. 'You win some, you lose some' shrug. Nothing divine, life is that simple and wonderful, accept it and move on."
Tune_Kindly
It all sounds pretty simple. Why are people so up in arms about Atheists?
Whatever
"I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do."
imCIK
Cool with Empty
"Nothing. [Serious]."
rumblingtummy29
"I feel this way about death. When I was 5, my grandfather died and my cousin simple said, he is dead, that means you are gone forever. Everything ends up dying, even plants and animals. I'm now in my 40's and still have this simplistic view of life and death. People think I'm ambivalent to life and death but it's just what it is."
thepigfish82
puppet-masters...
"I think a lot of religious people struggle with the fact that we are all just swirling units of chaos. There is no grand plan or great orchestrator. I think that’s why people who are prone to religion are also susceptible to things like Q anon and the Cabal and all that. They REALLY want to believe that there is some almighty puppet-master who determines all of humanity’s fate."
Lngtmelrker
“we’re living in a society!”
"Just be a kind and empathetic person not because you’re worried about some cosmic justice, but because it’s the right thing to do. If there is some being that created us there’s no way they actually care about believing in it or adhering to some rules from over 2000 years ago."
"Also a big thing for me is that I find the idea that you need religion or the Bible in order to have morals and ethics pretty dumb. It’s pretty f**king clear that most evangelicals have neither. But my main thing is being a good person simply because, as George Costanza once said we’re living in a society!' If you’re only a good person in order to make it to heaven you probably aren’t actually a good and moral person."
conservative_genius
That's All
"You're born. You live. You die. That's it. After you die you cease to exist, the same as before you were born."
serefina
Believe what you want. We're all here together. So let's focus there.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
The list of what irritates me is endless.
I mean... breathing too loud or dust can set me off.
I'm a bit unstable, yes.
But I'm not alone.
So let's discuss.
Redditor Aburntbagel6 wanted to hear about all the times many of us just couldn't control our disdain. They asked:
"What never fails to piss you off?"
I feel like this article can go on forever. Let's get some highlights.
Wasted Time
"Meetings that could and should have been an email."
Sirena609
Lotto People
"Getting stuck behind people playing the lottery at a corner store."
thenuggetlover
"I also used to work in a gas station and you’re SO right. I f**king hated the lottery people. Especially since my store had a small staff and there was usually only one of us working at a time, which meant that I couldn’t get any of my other work done as long as they were there."
"And you’re right, it’s also pretty sad to watch. I had one lady who used to come in every day and spent hundreds and HUNDREDS of dollars on scratch tickets. One day, she won $200 after spending probably around $600 and she was so excited and saying she can 'finally pay her bills.'"
i-am-your-god-now
Aware...
"No situational awareness. Job, home, shopping, driving. Think for one minute and go about. OBSERVE!!"
Dizzy-Foundation8122
"My mom is one of those people who leave the shopping cart in the middle of the damn aisle and proceed to walk twenty feet away. After correcting her a million times to no effect I just walk away now so people don’t know I’m with her."
OutrageousEvent
Shut Up!
"Endless barking in the middle of the night, I love animals but that sh*t I can't stand."
Acceptable-Lemon2924
"Endless barking in general drives me up a wall. One of my friends dogs was barking almost an entire gaming session the other day. I wanted to reach through the computer and smack him for letting it go on."
bangersnmash13
Kindness
"People being mean to service workers, especially if the workers are very young."'
scaryboilednoodles
All of these things. I hate them all.
Admit It
"People who never accept fault when they mess something up. Like, why blame a million people when it was clearly you who did it???"
Quirky-Area-8978
From Above
"My upstairs neighbors."
lutzow89
"I had terrible neighbors at my previous apartment. It was a one person studio for students, but her boyfriend was clearly living with her illegally and he was loud."
"One night we knocked n the door at 3 AM because of the loud music and an unknown girl opened the door. I just thought they were having a little party. But the next door I saw the girl living there come home with a suitcase after having been away for the weekend... Her BF was cheating on her in her own apartment."
Th3_Accountant
Move Away
"People who sit directly next to me at the airport, movie theater, any other place where you can choose a seat when there is PLENTY of other seating."
BacardiPardy33
"I can’t YES this enough and the ones who can’t park for crap so they park so close you can’t open doors on one side of the car or the ones who park directly behind when you pulled through so the door won’t open to load groceries."
BacardiPardy33
It's Over
"People who try to restart old drama. Like I'm done with you, just leave me alone."
Tired_Potatos
"Yep, half the reason I've basically quit playing one of my favorite online video games. People keep bringing old crap up or sh*tting on on someone who used to be our friend. I got tired of it so I just ejected the game out of me."
CaucasianHumus
AHHHHH!!!
"People walking too slow in front of me with no way to get around them. It’s even worse if it’s a couple or group taking up the whole sidewalk. HAVE SOME SPATIAL AWARENESS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!"
_-v0x-_
Life in general pisses me off. I'm easy.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.