Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools films rely on for their success. It can be challenging to win audiences over with a trailer, but once 15 of your friends mention how great a movie was, your interest might finally be piqued. Some great films, however, don’t get audiences talking immediately. Some particularly powerful movies leave audiences stewing in silence, contemplating what they just experienced, for minutes, or even hours, after viewing.
If you’re looking for a shocking or heart wrenching film that might leave you speechless, Reddit users have recently compiled a comprehensive list of the ones that left them “sitting in silence for 10 minutes after watching.” Feel free to take note of the films you haven’t yet experienced, and be sure to upvote the ones that left you at a loss for words as well.
#1
The Green Mile.
Some friends and I went to see this in the theater. We walked out in silence, sat in the car for a good 30 minutes in silence (long drive to the theater), and one of us finally said, ‘Wow.’
#2
Saving Private Ryan. As people got up and left it stayed quiet, nobody said a word.
The opening scene, my god. Heard the veterans could smell diesel when they saw that.
#3
Schindlers List.
#4
Se7en…
My mouth was open after watching this the first time and I felt a heaviness that I haven’t felt in a movie before this.
#5
Up, 3 mins in
#6
The fox and the hound.
I’m 36 and have refused to watch it again since I was a kid.
#7
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
#8
The Pianist, a movie from 2002 about a Jewish pianist during WWII.
Loved this movie with a masochistic passion, because it hurt just as much every time I watched it. But Adrien Brody’s acting in it was phenomenal.
#9
Coco broke my heart, when Miguel sings Recuérdame to Coco that set me off, and when her picture was on the Ofrenda the next year and Hector could finally be with his family I just lost it. Such a beautiful film, I watched it for the first time not long after I lost my grandmother 🙁
Talk about UGLY-CRYING. Can’t make it through that scene without sobbing.
#10
Dead Poets Society.
I was just shocked how much it touched me.
#11
Marly and me. Didn’t say anything for a good while after that.
I wish I could say I was silent. But I was like 7 when I went to see it, and my mom tells me I left the movie theater fucking sobbing uncontrollably, to the point where strangers stopped us to ask if I was okay. LMAO.
#12
Grave of the fireflies.
This! I got a Studio Ghibli set for my birthday from my husband. We started a movie marathon, watching all the movies from the set. We stopped after this one because both of us were bawling. We both just kinda sat there trying to pull ourselves back together.
#13
Requiem For A Dream
#14
Jojo Rabbit
Holy cow, did that one deliver a gut punch. Such a good film. The silence in the theater, when that one was over, was nothing I’d experienced before.
#15
Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind.
Oh man. I watched this in the theater with my partner at the time. Looking back, our relationship was in its death throes, and that was a reaaal uncomfortable watch. We had a 30-minute drive home from the theater, and I’m not sure we said a word the entire drive.
#16
Clockwork Orange, watched it at 15 years old. Word of advice: don’t do that. I was shook.
#17
American history X
#18
First time I ever watched Shutter Island. Leo got me good. Real good.
#19
Parasite.
Parasite made me silent after the movie ended, silent with no radio playing on the drive home, silent when I went to bed, and silent when I woke up. That’s not hyperbole.
It’s not a movie, but the last episode of The Good Place.
#21
The Mist. The whole theatre slumped out in silence. What a gut punch
#22
Children of men.
I had no idea what to expect from the movie and was only looking for something to fill the time while out of town on a business trip. I saw a movie theater within walking distance from my hotel and went there. I was stunned. I recommended the movie to anyone who was willing to hear me talk about it.
#23
We Need to Talk About Kevin.
#24
City of God.
This also broke my heart and just did a number on me well after the film ended. It was one of those movies I was glad to have seen but wished I hadn’t. My son was very little at the time, and I just cried and held him for a very long time after I turned the TV off.
#25
Full Metal Jacket when I saw it in the theater in 1987
#26
The Prestige.
I thought it was pretty amazing that the movie blatantly reveals what’s happening but it’s not till the very last *second* you understand the scope of what Robert was doing.
That alone left me saying “…holy s**t”
Then I learned that the entire movie was intentionally setup with the three step structure of a magic trick and I said “Hooooooly s**t!”
#27
*No Country for Old Men* (2007)
#28
Everything Everywhere, All At Once.
This movie had me crying and laughing at the same time (not even crying from laughing too hard, but actually crying) — so good.
#29
Memento
#30
Inception. I’m still impressed how good and tricky it was.
#31
Oldboy (the original from Park Chan Wook, not the remake).
This was the first movie I’ve watched where the twist came out of nowhere. I was enjoying the fight scenes and I’m thinking, Yeaaah, kick some ass and get your revenge.
Then the plot twist happened and my jaw dropped.
#32
Not a movie but The Haunting of Hill House. After every episode I sat in silence for a bit to take it all in.
#33
Midsommar. Saw it in theaters and I had to take a shower when I got home. Now it’s one of my favorite films though!
#34
Promising Young Woman. I was so filled with rage and despair and realized I really needed to talk to someone about the film but at the same time couldn’t recommend it to just anyone to watch it.
I watched the entire movie while on an airplane and I didn’t have headphones, so I could only read the subtitles. Even with subtitles, I was absolutely drawn in.
I had to rewatch it (with sound!) when I got back home.
#35
Infinity War. I’d avoided all spoilers and the snap had everyone just silent.
Yeah, the audience was in shock. It reminded me of watching The Empire Strikes Back as a kid. Someone said as the credits rolled something like, ‘Did…did the good guys just..LOSE?’ It was unexpected, since Star Wars was such a triumphant ending. I remember we all liked Empire but were shocked at what happened.
#36
Disney’s Soul. Put me through a good ol existential crisis.
Criminally underrated movie.
#37
Arrival
#38
Not a movie, but Game of thrones season 3 episode 9. The Red Wedding…
The lack of music during the credits was just right
#39
12 Years A Slave
#40
Once Were Warriors.
I sat staring at the screen for ages. WTF? I had to watch it again immediately because I was very confused as to whether I enjoyed it or not. It was just as moving the second time.
#41
The Menu.
That movie was wild.
#42
wasnt at the end but that scene in hereditary… i had to pause it on my tv and stare at the wall for a bit
#43
The original *Saw*.
Those last few minutes were wild.
I watched it by myself when it came out; I was 14. Few endings have made me feel as upset and fucking EMPTY as that one.
#44
Interstellar in IMAX, opening day. Drove all the way home in broad daylight in complete silence
#45
Amadeus
#46
All quiet on the western front
#47
Mulholland Drive. I was like “what the hell did I just watch?… total mindfuck of a movie.
#48
Blair Witch Project. I was young at the time and believed all the marketing hype that it was “found footage”. My friend and I just sat there in silence afterwards…
Later I learned it wasn’t a documentary…
#49
Dancer in the Dark. It was Bjork’s only movie and the end scenes are haunting. The whole theater sat in stunned silence. It took over an hour for me to fully snap out of it.
#50
Der Untergang (Downfall)