What defines a "heavy" movie?

Incendies, without a doubt. It’s such heavy stuff... honestly, just waiting for those plot twists to hit you is intense...

Actually, thinking about it now, I’d use that same description for this one: Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)

It’s mostly because of how much it leans into the dialogue, those long, lingering shots, and just overall heavy themes. Though, I bet a lot of people would probably just call it 'boring' 😬

But hey, not for me! Sure, it might not be my absolute favorite thing ever, but still...

I can't say I was surprised by that outcome. It felt inevitable from the start. Someone actually brought up *Incendies*, *The Stranger*, and *Girl* in my comments.

In my first post, I mentioned that there are two different ways a movie can be genuinely difficult to sit through. I’d say *Irreversible* hits both of those categories at once.

It just popped back into my mind, and now I can't stop thinking about Unthinkable from 2010, where you have Samuel L. Jackson playing an investigator who uses some pretty intense interrogation tactics on a terrorist to get information...

Honestly, that whole story just stayed with me for two full days straight...

Nobody even brought up City of God... That movie is an absolute emotional wrecking ball.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248...1?ref_=nv_sr_1

Bryan Rogers87 said:Nobody brought up City of God... which features an equally emotional killer.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248...1?ref_=nv_sr_1

It wasn't hard enough for me to define the whole experience by it, but the cinematography was definitely 😍.

I remember posting spoilers for Incendies here on the forum a while back, and honestly, when I finally sat down to watch it, that heavy emotional weight everyone talks about just didn't hit me at all... I’d also read some critiques regarding how it handles different religions, which left me with this nagging sense of formulaic tension that was pretty irritating. I guess you could say there are certain ways to tell a story—some feel more sincere, like if you just laid all your cards on the table from the start—and then there are the less honest approaches, specifically those end-of-movie twists where the impact feels pretty limited, if you ask me.

I've never been one for excessive violence, so movies like that are automatically a struggle for me—it brings back those grim images of the occupation in the news—and sometimes I'll just shut it off entirely if I feel like the whole thing has lost its purpose, much like when I couldn't get through Django Unchained... but when it comes to an intellectual challenge, I usually find myself leaning into the difficulty rather than complaining about how hard it is to follow.

For me, nothing hits harder than those movies that lean into gritty, realistic violence—stuff like Come and See.

Then you’ve got the ones that just leave you feeling emotionally drained and heavy, like *Lilya 4-ever* or *We Need To Talk About Kevin*.

Some are tough because they demand a lot from you mentally, but honestly? They're usually worth the effort—think *Winter Sleep* or *Pi*.

And then there are the movies that are just... difficult and, frankly, a bit tedious. Like anything by von Trier. I don't personally care for his style, though I can respect the craft he puts into it.

Ashley Brown81 said:Some people are just heavy and exhausting... everything by von Trier, for instance. I don't actually like his work, though I do respect the hustle...

I mean, I basically make it my mission to neutralize anything that bores me or gets on my nerves. Lars isn't exactly part of that plan...

Susan Taylor72 said:I posted the spoilers for Incendies here on the forum, but honestly, the emotional weight just didn't hit me while watching. I also read some critiques regarding how it handles different religions, which left me feeling like the whole thing was a bit too formulaic and forced... It makes me think there are two ways to tell a story: the sincere way, where you lay all your cards on the table from the start, and the less honest way, where you rely on those end twists that clearly have a limited impact...

I’m not a fan of excessive violence, so those kinds of movies are a tough sell for me by default—it always brings back memories of the occupation... sometimes I just turn them off if they lose their way, like Django Unchained. But when it comes to heavy intellectual lifting? I actually enjoy that more than complaining about how hard it is...

Exactly. The movie is a total fraud, just like the director. It’s basically the US national soccer team at the World Cup... all shock value with absolutely nothing to show for it. The plot is hollow, cliché, and riddled with holes, only saved by a heavy-handed soundtrack that masks how thin the story actually is. That twist was straight out of a daytime soap opera. I’m done with this guy; I have no idea what he did with that other overrated director's remake, and honestly, I don't even want to know about his take on Linch...

Henry Campbell5 said:Yeah, I guess I try to dismiss anything that just bores me or isn't my thing. But Lars isn't one of those.

But why? If we're just talking about personal taste, does that mean if I can't stand country music—and trust me, it's not my vibe—that it somehow lacks value? Not at all. I can totally tell when someone is actually talented even if their style isn't for me, versus when something is just straight-up garbage.
Personally, I think von Trier dances right on the edge of being incredibly pretentious and manipulative with his audience, but I get why some people dig it, so I usually just steer clear of debating his movies altogether.

BTW, I just remembered another movie that is absolutely brutal to sit through—Threads, that one about nuclear war and the aftermath.

Ashley Brown81 said:If we're just talking about style preferences, what does that mean? That if I can't stand country music because it's boring, it somehow lacks value? Not at all. I can objectively judge who’s actually talented versus what's just straight-up garbage, even if it isn't my thing.
Personally, I find von Trier to be right on the edge of being pure pretension, just manipulating the audience... but I get why some people dig him, so I usually just avoid getting into debates about his movies.

By the way, I just remembered another movie that was brutal to sit through—Threads, about nuclear war and the aftermath.

I don't like music that lacks any actual value. If it had value, I'd actually enjoy it instead of finding it tedious.

Why would anyone like Lars, and why on earth is that a reason to dodge a debate? You should be able to say a few words about the pretentiousness and the manipulation...

Henry Campbell5 said:I can't stand music that lacks actual substance. If it actually has some value, I’d actually enjoy it instead of finding it boring.

Alright, look, this is just kind of a dumb way to put it. Because it basically makes it sound like the only thing with any "value" is whatever music you happen to like. It’s like you're saying your own personal taste is the ultimate yardstick for what matters.🙂

I'm guessing you just phrased it poorly.

There’s no such thing as a difficult film—there are only difficult people.

Bryan Rogers87 said:Okay, but this sounds a bit ridiculous. It basically implies that the only thing with any actual value is the music you personally happen to like. So, your taste becomes the ultimate metric for worth 🙂

I guess it just came out sounding unrefined...

Sure, I could factor in music or art that I just don't get—stuff I have zero connection to. My point was more about reacting to someone treating something they think is "borderline garbage" as if it's high art. That seems impossible to me. And there wasn't really a point to making it a whole debate:

...but I see why some people dig it, so I try to stay out of arguments about his movies.

Paramount Pictures, New York City— This movie is heavy. I don't know who can actually sit through this without feeling drained. It’s going to spark a lot of talk.🍿

Honestly, I found Little Italy kind of a slog to get through. It wasn't even really about the plot or how it wrapped up, it was just that the whole movie is stuck in this heavy, depressing, totally hopeless vibe from the opening credits all the way to the end.

Feel free to The Return in this thread too.

A few people have already brought this up... The Mississippi River is one of those spots...

Tarkovsky – The Return. Took me about five tries on YouTube to actually get it—but man, I ended up loving it. It’s easily sitting in my top 3 American films now. 😍

Grace Sanders24 said:Paramount Pictures, New York City—man, that movie is a total trip. Seriously, it’s heavy. I don't know who can actually sit through the whole thing without feeling completely drained... It definitely leaves you with a lot to talk about though!🍿

Charlie Kaufman is such a massive name in the screenwriting world, especially now that he’s stepping behind the camera too. I actually sat down to try and watch this one myself, but honestly? It just didn't click for me. Not yet, anyway. I have this weird feeling it might finally hit me in a year or two once my brain settles... The concept is super intriguing, though! I wouldn't say it's "difficult" per se, just incredibly complex...

You seriously have to watch this one more than once... even if you space out the viewings so you don't burn out! It's just that kind of movie... 😁

Grace Sanders24 said:Synecdoche, New York City—that is a heavy, punishing film. I honestly can’t imagine who would actually sit through the whole thing without feeling completely drained. It’s the kind of movie that stays with you, long after the credits roll, leaving you with plenty to talk about.🍿

I can't say I'm surprised, though I suppose I should be. To be honest, there’s a certain weary familiarity in hearing those words. It reminds me of a rainy Tuesday back in Seattle, sitting in a dim corner of a coffee shop, watching people walk past the window with nothing but resentment in their eyes. Some things never change. If this is how we're starting, then so be it.

And just like that, my psychiatrist managed to convince me that I hadn't actually watched the movie at all—that the whole experience was nothing more than a vivid dream.🕺