There are movies out there that are incredibly thought-provoking. By pointing out certain problems in the world, these movies open our eyes and remind us to constantly question the very structures behind our upbringing, whether we take them for granted or not. These movies can be extremely unsettling and disturbing, taking us to very bleak places from which there may be no hope for escape for the characters, but there is always hope that we can learn from their experiences. Movies can go a long way in helping us consider the world.
But whenever your a**hole friend watches these kinds of movies, especially if he screens them right after coming home from whatever film class he's currently dabbling in, something distinctly different happens. When it comes to these kinds of movies, your friend is sure to only understand them on a surface level. After all, your friend has a soft spot for knee-jerk reactions. He adores jumping to conclusions, and, in the case of these kinds of movies, immediately disowningand denouncing the possibility of anything positive coming fromWestern civilization, going even further by vaguely lumping all of humanity together into a destiny of damnation. Right from the start, it's pretty safe to say that in your friend's presence you shouldn't watch The Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, any of the Terminator or Planet of the Apes movies, Night of the Living Dead, Dr. Strangelove, Network, Bamboozled, The Butterfly Effect, Thelma & Louise, 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien3, The Hunter (2011), Moon, Life, The Break-Up, The Bodyguard, the ending of the 1966 Batman, or It's a Wonderful Life. But click "next" for 15 movie experiences that especially disheartened, exhausted, drained, or otherwise completely and utterly jaded your a**hole friend for life. At least until he sees a movie with a happy ending the following night.