Usually, when we love a movie, we’re happy to watch it over and over again. However, there’s a threshold where loving it so much you’ll watch it on repeat becomes loving it so much you want to see it for the first time again.
When the internet was asked which movies they wished they could watch for the first time again, these were some of the answers given.
*The Matrix.*
“I went into it not knowing anything. I hadn’t even seen a trailer. Not only was I blown away by groundbreaking special effects, but the story was incredible and the twist shook my perception of reality.”
*Pulp Fiction.*
“I was young and was just at the age where I was starting to appreciate dialogue and nuance in film. And that movie just blew me away. It was so different at its time.”
It was different then, but the way it still holds up today shows what a quality piece of cinema it is.
*Back to the Future.*
“I’m 23 and only just watched the first one a couple months ago for the first time. My parents wanted both me and my younger sister to watch it, so we all made it a movie night,” explained one user. “[…] Even though I knew a lot about the movie’s plot to an extent, there were still things I didn’t expect and I actually liked it. It felt nice to watch a movie that didn’t follow every overused trope for once.”
*Jurassic Park.*
“Oh man, I was 14 when it came out. The moment they first see the dinosaurs! The entire theater gasped. It was amazing.”
Today we’re so used to both CGI and practical effects of such high caliber, it’s hard to be impressed by anything anymore!
*Lord of the Rings.*
“I still watch them once a year every year. Those books have had a more profound effect on my life than any other art I’ve experienced. To have the movies come out only a year after I first read them was unbelievable luck. Giving visuals and voice to that story is something I wish we could all experience for the first time again.”
*Memento.*
“[…] maybe I should write this down to remember to watch it again,” the person who answered said jokingly.
On a more serious note, someone else replied, “It’s my favorite movie. I watched it again last night after staying away from it for a few years, and it still wasn’t close to the same as the initial experience.”
*Star Wars.*
The original trilogy, one answer specified.
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Another replied, “I was spoiled about The Twist so young I don’t even remember how or when I learned it. I’ve just always known Darth Vader is Luke’s father. I’m so jealous of people who got to find out in the theaters — I can’t even imagine how it felt to have your mind blown like that!”
*Interstellar.*
“I wish I could experience the whole thing again for the first time. It’s okay on a second viewing, but I was so invested in it the first time around, and that docking scene! It was so intense I was on the edge of my seat holding my breath! Second viewing isn’t as intense, but man, that first time.”
*Forrest Gump.*
Heralded as one of the greatest stories ever told in film, Forrest Gump is such a timeless classic that’s a joy at absolutely any age. It doesn’t lose anything as time goes on, and that makes it truly special.
*The Usual Suspects.*
Heralded as one of the greatest plot twists ever shown in film, The Usual Suspects continues to shock those who have yet to see it, and remind those who have seen it just how good it is.
*Parasite.*
“I watched it after it won Best Picture. I had never heard anything about the movie before the Awards. Holy [expletive] it was incredible. The last 15-30 min of that movie is the most bonkers thing I’ve seen in a while.”
“Same boat dude,” said one reply. “I went in completely blind (I didn’t even know the basic plot of the movie) after it won best picture and it was one of the best movie viewing experiences of my life.”
*The Prestige.*
“Definitely this! First time watching and then every other time after that are totally different experiences. I’d like to feel the first time watch again.”
“No other movie depends on rewatches more than it,” urged one response, really driving home the importance of seeing all the details hidden throughout.
*The Princess Bride.*
Spoilers ahead for if you still haven’t seen The Princess Bride . Which, if you haven’t, go watch it now!
“I watched that recently with a friend. They were blown away that the man in the black mask was Farm Boy. I envied the naivety.”
*Pride and Prejudice.*
“Not only telling about rom-com plot story in general, but also tells more about woman’s reputation on society and cultural norms.”
Any movie that allows you to learn while you’re enjoying it is a good one to keep going back to.
*The Blair Witch Project.*
“[… but] the hype around it being ‘real’ in a world where the internet wasn’t what it is today will never be experienced again.”
While it’s true that it might now have the same cultural impact, the initial fear felt when watching it still can’t be denied today.
*Fight Club.*
“I spotted a few things on my first viewing, then a few more on my second, then more on my third, then more again on my fourth.”
“Dude I saw it at release, several times in theater and would notice new stuff every time,” added another reply. “All these years later I still catch little nuances I missed before. Its pretty brilliant that way. […] That movie is still just fascinating, some of the dialogue is just incredible. It seems to just get better with every watching.”
*Alien.*
“No movie before or since has riveted me to the edge of my seat like that film. I’ve never had as powerful an emotional experience during a film as that one,” answered one user.
“I remember when the lights came up at the end noting how I’d contorted into a pretzel-like shape in my seat,” said another in agreement. “Absolutely gripping.”
*Saving Private Ryan.*
“I have never before or after sat in a full theatre that was that was stunned to the point of absolute silence. That 20 minute Omaha beach landing scene was mind blowing.”
*Silence of the Lambs.*
“Completely forgot how much Hannibal’s dialogue intrigued yet frightened me way more than the typical horror movies of those times (weird deformed people and creatures–Leprechaun, Swamp Thing, Freddy, Jason, etc.— chasing and murdering teenagers). I’m just now realizing [ Silence of the Lambs ] was my first psychological thriller.”
*Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.*
“It really made me appreciate the strangeness of life and love. Cinematically too it is breathtaking. So strangely beautiful and damning at the same time.”
