Why It's Awesome: Darren Aronofsky's incredible addiction drama graduates beyond the mere trappings of other self-consciously cool drug films, employing a hip, MTV-inspired style to lure viewers into a false sense of security, at which point he turns the tables on them and delivers gut punch after gut punch of raw, devastating emotion. Performances across the board are outstanding, though it's Ellen Burstyn who, as a desperate, deluded mother looking to lose weight, was robbed of an Oscar win by Julia Roberts (who unfairly took the gong for her decent performance in Erin Brockovitch). Stylistically amazing and absolutely unforgettable, there is no film like it. Why You Can Only Watch It Once: The horrifying trip Aronofsky takes viewers on will be too much for most to handle once, let alone inflict it upon themselves multiple times. The horror of seeing these lives ripped apart by their addictions is heart-wrenching, and if you're not in tears by the time the credits roll, you must have a heart of stone. Again, watching it once allows you to declare that you've seen it and it's a great film, confident in the knowledge you never have to enter cinematic Hell once again.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
