10 Harrowing Movies You Can’t Watch Twice
9. Irreversible
Irreversible is easily one of the most uncomfortable movie-watching experiences you'll ever endure, purely for the length and graphic nature of its rape scene.
Gaspar Noe's psychological horror about a woman who is subjected to sadistic sexual violence and then beaten into a coma is torturous viewing, but it stops short of being crass. The entire thing plays out in reverse, first depicting the acts of vengeance the victim carries out before chronicling the events which inspired it.
By framing the story this way, Noe forces the viewer to think more deeply about the implications of revenge and gradually changes their perception of the protagonist.
Despite its pitch-dark subject matter, Irreversible is artfully shot throughout, but most viewers will come away never wanting to set eyes on its visuals again. Hell, most right-minded people will struggle to make it thought the first viewing.