8 Movies Too Upsetting To Watch Twice

7. American History X

large american history x blu-ray3 Lots of little boys aspire to be like their big brothers. It's cute, knowing that their bond is so strong that one tries to emulate the other. It should make a parent proud. Unless the older brother is a neo-Nazi. In that case, maybe keep the little brother away from him. Sadly, that's not the case in American History X. Edward Norton stars as Derek Vinyard, a skinhead who used to commit hate crimes with his followers in L.A. After he's arrested for murdering two black men, Derek is sent to prison where he forms an unlikely bond with another black prisoner. Over time, Derek learns the error of his ways and sheds his neo-Nazi image. But when he's released from prison, he's disturbed to find his little brother Danny has followed in his racist footsteps. American History X is a disturbing watch throughout. One particularly gut-wrenching scene involves Derek and his gang breaking into a supermarket and terrorizing the Mexican staff, grabbing one older woman and pouring milk all over her. Another is the infamous "curb-stomping" scene, in which Derek crushes a man's skull on the sidewalk. The real kick in the gut comes at the very end, when Derek gets through to Danny and convinces him to turn a new leaf. But when Danny gets to school, he is gunned down in the bathroom by a black kid he insulted earlier in the film. The movie ends with Danny dying in Derek's arms.
Contributor
Contributor

Nick DeNitto developed a passion for film in high school and has been writing about it ever since. Aside from WhatCulture, he writes for StageBuddy.com and FestivalOfFilms.com/blog. He is affiliated with the National Board of Review.