Movies That Blew People's Minds When They First Watched Them
Reddit user ambitchious70 asked: 'What movie blew your mind the 1st time you watched it?'
There's nothing more thrilling than going to see a movie inside a theater for the first time.
The anticipation builds as the lights dim, all the previews are finished, and the production company and studio distributor titles appear–signaling the movie you've been waiting for so long to see is about to begin.
Is going to be awesome? Will it tank? Who cares?
It's all about taking in the moment and experiencing the story unfolding without knowing what happens next.
That is the magic of cinema.
Curious to hear from moviegoers, Redditor ambitchious70 asked:
"What movie blew your mind the 1st time you watched it?"
People were invested in these movies.
The First Reality Show
"The Truman show. I actually heard about this movie and the plot years before watching it, but I never watched it because I assumed it would be boring and hard to get through. So wrong. I already knew the plot and yet I was still in a trance while watching it unfold."
– Working-Still-2881
"I'll Be Back"
"T2 judgement day."
– rhb4n8
"Came here looking for this. Was then and still is the best sci-fi action movie of all time. Nothing else comes close except Aliens."
– Ltimbo
One Of Christopher Nolan's Best
"Memento probably was the only movie I ever watched then immediately watched again and even enjoyed it better the second."
– kdubstep
Audiences were riveted by the following commercial box office successes.
Total KO
"Fight Club. In 1999, I had never seen anything else like that movie."
– yeahwellokay
Action And Tension
"Snatch. By far my favorite heist movie."
"The intricately woven story made my young adolescent self appreciate chaotic filmic storytelling."
– RaccoonaMatata42
Welcome To Jurassic Park
"Jurassic Park, but can you blame me? I was like, four."
– Casca_In_Red
"The effects. I saw it in theatres and seeing the dinosaurs for the first time walking across the field was AMAZING. Then. THEN. THE T-REX. Plus all the characters were fantastic."
– MaximumGooser
Revisiting these never gets old.
Long, Long Ago...
"The opening scene of Star Wars in the theater in 1977, mind blown."
– Tac0Tuesday
"I was 7 in 77 and I will never forget. What an opening scene. Pan. First ship goes over. Damn. Second one just keeps coming and coming and coming. Brain melts."
– PlaMa2541
A Tarantino Classic
"Pulp Fiction. It was just so different from anything else when it came out.. the bouncing around between stories, the caliber of actors, all seen in a way we'd never seen them before, the number of shocking moments that were also humorous in a sick way. I remember coming out of the theater thinking how much I loved that movie but I wasn't really sure what the hell was going on."
– Realistic_Fact_3778
You can only really enjoy a shocking ending once.
The Twist Revelation
"The Arrival third act reveal is a moment I wish I could experience again..."
– DeathisLaughing
"Arrival was the first movie that gave me a real 'oh sh*t' moment. It does a great job of keeping you just confused enough about what’s going on to want to know more, and then the pin drops."
– FishInferno
A Parent's Worst Nightmare
"The Mist, that f'king ending. I don't wanna watch that again in my life."
– Maso_TGN
"Dude. I only first saw this a couple months ago because it was on Netflix and I didn’t have any background. That movie stuck with me for weeks. I haven’t experienced that since I was a kid. And the funny thing is, there is no one element that is really spectacular. The effects were mediocre for the time and barely serviceable now. The writing isn’t great. The actors are all second rate. But man, the way it all comes together is a stroke of genius. One of the biggest surprises I’ve seen In Years."
– Ltimbo
I was blown away after seeing the movie 1917 in theaters.
I heard about the British war film being composed of two extended tracking shots, and I initially thought the movie was going to capitalize on the apparent gimmick.
But as I got immersed in the story, I became less interested in looking for possible film cuts and clumsy transitions and was more engrossed in the two soldiers on their important mission–making me feel I was right there with them.
What an incredible feat effortlessly pulled off by director/co-writer Sam Mendes.
When it was all over, I was in tears and I was slackjawed at the impressive cinematic masterpiece I had just witnessed.
Cinema aficionados love to enjoy discussing and engaging in debates about their respective favorite films.
While there are many excellent movies in historical cinema, fans also enjoy trash-talking the absolute worst films ever made.
What they don't disclose, however, is the fact that they embarrassingly enjoy campy films and appreciate revisiting them behind closed doors.
Curious to hear about the films moviegoers secretly enjoy and appreciate while being cognizant of the fact that they're total garbage, Redditor HorsesSuck120 asked:
"What movie do you enjoy that you will 100% agree is a bad movie?"
Action movies don't aim to win an Oscar. Nevertheless, there's definitely an audience for them–even the really bad ones.
We Dig That One-Liner
"The Core. I’m paraphrasing here, but there’s a portion in the movie where everyone says it can’t be done; but one guy takes a drag on a cig and says: 'but what if…we could'. The entire movie progresses on that point."
– tucktan
Oldie But Goodie
"Flash Gordon was released in 1980, but re-released this year in 4K. Bad, but in the best way. (And that Queen soundtrack!)"
–NumericTrack9
It Kept Their Afloat
"Deep Blue Sea. I mostly enjoy that one unexpected scene. Check it out!"
– shiru2k1
Priceless Cast
"Street fighter with Raul Julia as Bison and Kylie Minogue as Cammy."
"Oh, and a Samoan bloke as E Honda, because 90’s."
– Molongoloid
From Zero To 60
"Gone in 60 Seconds . Say what you will , but I can watch this everyday."
– kindalikeacoustic
Campy films will always have a place in some moviegoers' hearts.
Dumb And Fun
"Fool’s gold. It’s a dumb movie that makes no sense but for some reason I go back and watch it at least once a year and enjoy it every time."
– milkynipples69
Can't Beat Funny
"Accepted. It's terrible and hilarious, has Justin Long at the peak of his teen movie years, and features Lewis Black as a version of himself as a jaded professor. So good."
– burnt00toast
We Love Ah-nold
"Batman & Robin is certainly a bad movie. I love it so much. It’s worth watching for Arnold and his puns alone. But the whole movie is just campy fun."
– randomnbvcxz
Sometimes we prefer the quantity of fantasy and animation films–regardless of quality.
Chilly Reception
"You know what killed the dinosaurs?"
"The ICE AGE"
– mr_blanket
Extraordinarily Egregious
"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It's so much fun and I love the Nautilus."
– jim_deneke
Wolverine Wouldn't Approve
"Van Helsing. It's Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale ala the glory days of 2004. It's got a 27% on rotten tomatoes,. 6/10 on IMDb but there's something about the dry jokes smattered in what's supposed to be high tension scenes, or scenes of sexual tension. The special effects aren't the greatest but at the same time it also adds to the experience."
– Jakows
Hands down, the worst movie ever made in my opinion has to be the campy 1995 erotic film noir Showgirls directed by Paul Verhoeven.
The trite premise and performances in the unintentionally comedic drama were so embarrassing to watch, but the movie wound up becoming more entertaining for those reasons.
Elevating the rewatchable factor of Showgirls is the DVD commentary by solo comedy performer David Schmader, who leaves plenty of repeatable quotes that are absolutely hilarious.
Highly recommended viewing.
If one were to really think about it, the villains might be the true hero of any story.
Of course, their actions remain indefensible and their behavior appalling, nor should we ever be rooting for them to succeed.
However, without the villains, where would any story go?
It's the villains who create conflict in our favorite books, films, and television series, and ultimately draw us into the story and keep our attention.
Even if we don't find ourselves sympathizing with villains portrayed by certain actors, it's hard not to find ourselves fascinated by them!
Sometimes, it's hard to even take our eyes off them.
What Keeps Everyone "Watch"ing...
“'You don’t think I’d explain my plan if there was the slightest chance you could stop me do you? I did it 35 minutes ago'.”
"Purely based on that, Ozymandias from Watchmen."- Reddit
What keeps everyone going down the "Portal"...
"GLADOS" .
"'We both said a lot of things you're going to regret'."- nitol91509
The Nurse No One Wants On Call...
"Nurse Ratched, just because of how implicitly she tortured the inmates."- soladi6766
You Never Know What You'll Get From Him...
"Gul dukat."
"He goes from evil Hitler type to loving father on the run from his government to crazy possessed madman in a single series."- soladi6766
His Smile Makes You Quake In Your Boots
"Christoph Waltz in 'Inglorious Bastards' is the first that came to mind."- jwps28
inglourious basterds eating GIF by The Good FilmsGiphyDefinitely Not One Of The Boys
"Homelander is definitely one of them."- PrettyMuchDeceased
Perhaps The Greatest Of All
"Hans Gruber."
"Alan Rickman portrays him so well."- rirop27057
Even If His Behavior Is Anything But Justified
"Boyd Crowder (played by Walton Goggins) in 'Justified'."
"He's not particularly strong in season 1, but by season 2, you just want him to keep getting away to have more."
"The fact that he's Raylan's frenemy, and not just a generic evil guy was such a nice touch."- dvoecks
Timothy Olyphant GIFGiphyFOUR!
"Shooter McGavin."
"Do I need to even describe why?"- xacayeg163
Effortlessly Creepy
"V.M. Varga in Fargo Season 3."
"I think he gets forgotten a bit because most thought the third season as a whole was a step down from the first and second seasons (and everybody loves Billy Bob in Season 1), but every time Varga was on screen was incredible."
"The teeth, the bizarre yet intimidating manner of speaking, the general weirdness and obscurity of who exactly he is and his background was so well done."
"Thewlis is amazing."- TJTrapJesus
Tragic And Horrifying
"Magneto."
"There are times when you are able to sympathize with him and his actions almost seem justified."
"Most likable villain in my opinion."- rirop27057
x-men apocalypse GIF by 20th Century FoxGiphy"Wrong LEVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Yzma from 'The Emperor’s New Groove'."- phantom_avenger
That Quill Though!
"Dolores Umbridge."- soladi6766
In His Defense, He Was Defending His Home...
'Al Swearengen from 'Deadwood' played by Ian McShane."
'It’s the story of a villain defending his village."- fallonyourswordkaren
ian mcshane deadwood GIFGiphySometimes a smile can be even more terrifying than a scream or a yell.
Honestly, who's been able to get any sleep after seeing Pennywise smile through the sewer?
There are plenty of excellent movies we claim as our personal favorites.
But perhaps the best form of flattery is when we pay respect to a brilliant cinematic masterpiece by acting out memorable scenes from a particular movie.
Curious to hear the opinion about cinema from aficionados, Redditor janearcade asked:
"What is the greatest single movie scene ever filmed?"
The point of arrival has big potential for a lasting impact.
Welcome To Oz
"It's when Dorothy steps out of the house into Technicolor and into a new world. It changed film. The emotional aspect is unreal. That scene is forever engraved."
– janesaysmore
The King Of Beasts
"When the T Rex showed up in Jurassic Park."
– 123phantomhive
"F'king amazing scene. The water in the cup moving before you can even see the T-Rex is such a scary thing. Bloody brilliant scene."
– whingingcackle
Introducing, Indy
"The opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark set the bar awfully high"
Shocking moments on celluloid are forever cemented in our brains.
The Hatching
"The original chestburst scene from Alien."
– Novel_Board_6813
Choose Your Weapon
"A giant worm breaks into Reba's basement and then the camera pans over to the wall of guns. :)"
– sofakingdead
Traumatizing Opener
"The first 12 minutes of Cliffhanger when Sylvester Stallone could no longer hold onto his friend's suspended girlfriend after they're both stuck halfway above the abyss of a canyon."
– anon
Lights, camera, and plenty of action in climax.
Gunslingers Galore
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: the showdown at the Sad Hill cemetery."
– YouKnowWhatYouAre
Frying The Shark
"I will die on the hill that the ending to Jaws is an example of the perfect climax."
"Quint is dead, Hooper is indisposed. The Orca is sinking rapidly and Brody is trapped in the cabin. A combination of hope, despair, thrill, and terror, all wound together by brilliant cinematography and John Williams' famous soundtrack leads to the ultimate duel of man vs. beast."
"Brody is on the parapet, rifle in his hands, watching the shark circle closer with the oxygen tank jammed in its teeth. Brody goads the shark into attacking. 'Come on... Show me the tank.' He growls. 'Blow up'"
"The shark begins its final approach."
"Brody fires the first shot. It misses wide right, whizzing through the water as a trail of bubbles. He fires again, missing the tank. Williams' score escalates, becoming louder than even the bang of Brody's rifle. He squints down the sights harder. 'BLOW UP!' He fires again, missing. Down to the last bullet. The shark's snout breaches the water, its eyes lock onto Brody's."
"Smile you son of a-"
"Bang"
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOM"
"An eruption of sea water, blood, and shark matter. Hunks of flesh rain down. Brody opens his eyes. His expression lights up with triumph. Then he cheers, a release of all his stress, terror, and grief, now a glowing victory."
"The shark's corpse falls to the ocean floor to the melody of a piano. Hooper resurfaces to reveal he's alive. The two men laugh, mourn the loss of Quint, then paddle home on a makeshift raft."
"'I used to hate the water,' Brody muses."
"Hooper chuckles. 'I can't imagine why.'"
– TheGreatJaceyGee
Terror In Pitch Darkness
"The night vision sequence in Silence of the Lambs is great suspense."
– teradactyl-rex
The long take sequence in Joe Wright’s Atonement remains, for me at least, one of the most captivating cinematic moments captured on film.
The five-minute tracking shot featuring James McAvoy as a wounded British soldier wandering past a series of vignettes on Dunkirk beach was glorious to watch on the big screen.
Accompanied by the hauntingly exquisite Academy Award-winning score by Dario Marianelli, the scene alone elevates what already is a heartbreakingly well-crafted film to another level.
Movies mean a lot of things to a lot of people.
We'll never really predict how films can effect us.
But when it's a cartoon or supposed G rated flick, we think we're safe from sadness and trauma.
THAT'S A LIE!!
Ask anyone who has seen 'UP.'
Kid's films can be heartbreaking.
Some are even designed that way.
Redditor ladanyilatz wanted to hear about what movies left humans SHOOK to our cores. They asked cinema watchers:
"What 'child-friendly' movie left you traumatized?"
Bambi, it's always Bambi for me.
Crumbles
The Dark Crystal Cristal Oscuro GIF by FilminGiphy"The Dark Crystal. The part where the Skeksis Emperor dies and his face crumbles apart still haunts me."
passiveagressivefork
I Can't
"The first Land Before Time movie is a lot darker and sadder than the sequels that followed."
Asdjeia
"I sob like a ten-year-old girl."
rhcpgirl84
"I took my kid to see it. Big mistake. Of course when I was a kid, my dad thought Old Yeller would be a good movie to take 4-year-old me to."
No_Antelope_6604
Real Bad
"Where the Red Fern Grows."
Lolamess007
"Wilson Rawls spoke at my grade school. Yeah I am old, lol. He said the book was almost all true which is even scarier. I remember him saying the silver trophy for Annie was made up, but the really bad stuff was real."
squidgylynn
"Most of our class were crying as we read the ending of the book in class. lol..."
Jukebawks
Don't Leave
"E.T."
BadDoctor666Satan666
"Duuude I first saw ET when I was like 5. I was totally fine with it up until ET was face down in the water, pale, dying. That's the part that freaked me out to the core and I couldn't watch it again for 6 years."
theowlsfavoritejoke
"This exact same thing happened to me! Apparently I was inconsolable and did not watch the movie again in years. So traumatic."
Banyazz
Glasses On
Macaulay Culkin Handshake GIFGiphy"My Girl. When Vada starts crying about how he needs his glasses, it gets me every time."
rojarty
I can't even talk about 'My Girl.'
Look Away
Giphy"Old Yeller…"
on_e_ill
"I had to watch this with the whole class in primary school. Literally everyone in my class was crying. I still haven't recovered."
anonswiftt
Freak house...
"Monster house scared me. LOL."
Tinktaylor143
"It made me sad for the poor lady that got turned into a freak house... she never deserved any of it. All she wanted was a happy, quiet life with her husband."
DannyZorua
"My friends and I decided to watch that last year for kicks because we heard it was weird, and although we're past the age where it would scare us, it was freaking weird. The whole time I was wondering whose idea it was to make that into a kid's movie... or to make it a movie at all."
Historic
"The fox and the hound."
fraoch13
"I watched the fox and the hound one time when I was a child, and I will never watch it again. My husband suggested it for a movie night with the kids one time. No, just no. I'm not doing that to my children."
Fionngirl14
"Don't shield them from amazing things. People need to experience sorrow and joy to grow. I saw the movie like a hundred times as a kid."
MosquitoRevenge
Nightmares
"The Witches with Anjelica Huston, that scared the crap out of me."
Accomplished-Teach10
"Came here to say this. Absolutely terrifying. I don’t think I ever recovered. I recently watched the new version and regretted it - I could still see Anjelica Huston and those messed up rats."
justvisiting112
"I loved that movie as a kid. I don't know why, but I was fascinated by the witches even though they were bad. My cousins were too scared to watch it with me so I had to watch it by myself."
Anatuliven
Charlie
All Dogs Go To Heaven Food GIFGiphy"'All Dogs go to Heaven.' The 'You can never come back' scene gave me nightmares."
cocoapuff1721
"Oh my God yes or the scene where they hit Charlie with the car or the one where the boss dog almost dropped his other dog into water with aggressive fish."
Tropilic
All these movies kill me. Never again.