10 Heart-Breaking Moments Of Self-Realisation That Defined Great Movies

3. Groundhog Day - The Nightmare Of Forever

For a comedy film, Groundhog Day is both surprisingly complex and surprisingly depressing: without Bill Murray, it could well have descended into a nihilistic horror movie with a tagged on happy ending for family audiences. But with Murray bringing his usual brand of pathos mixed with irresistible charisma, the film is notably lighter than some of its darker elements should add up to.

The most difficult part of the film to watch, aside from the laughs it is successfully played for, is the sequence in which Phil realises that he is both immortal and perpetually trapped reliving the same day, no matter what he attempts to do. The revelation itself is comical, as Phil's shock turns to anger and desperation, but his decision to kill himself carries a jarring emotional weight that doesn't fit the rest of the film.

Beneath the artifice of comedy, Phil's situation is awful, and though the film is generally quite light-hearted, the ominous tone beneath the surface is sub-consciously insistent, and pushes through in moments like this to great effect.