There are films in almost every genre that are better the second time watching, from thrillers to horror to comedies. Most audiences are focused on the plot the first time they watch a movie. Many features have such beautiful, unique cinematography or layers of countless details carefully placed throughout their entirety.
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that most movies are single-serving affairs. However, several moviemakers create rich plots with piles of metaphors that viewers can not grab all in just one round. Plus, some hidden moments and meanings only reveal themselves when watchers are prepared to focus on every tiniest element.
We are excited to introduce some films getting better with a second watch. If you want to understand the depth of their stories, multiple rewatches with hints and explanations shared online might help. Here we go!
#1. Tenet
Source: Warner Bros.
Tenet is a 2020 science fiction action thriller film directed and written by Christopher Nolan, who also produced with his wife Emma Thomas. Its timeline was so unique and Nolan-trademarked that if you only watch it for once, you’ll probably understand a few of it.
#2. Memento
Source: Newmarket
Memento is a famous work of Nolan. His storytelling in this movie will blow your mind until you rewatch it and see through it all. The movie is like a big puzzle with plenty of pieces that can only make sense after rearranging several times.
#3. Grand Budapest Hotel
Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Grand Budapest Hotel is a quirky Wes Anderson film that has a similar stylistic approach to his other films. Although this film isn’t too complex, you need a rewatch to truly appreciate its cinematography and beautiful imagery in setting and costumery.
#4. Primer
Source: THINKFilm
The first time you watch Primer, it’s a struggle just to keep track of the “rules” that govern its fictional technology. In truth, this movie is so confusing that it may take multiple viewings to fully make sense of it, but you’ll be off to a good start when you rewind it for round two.
#5. Inception
Source: Warner Bros.
Inception may be less tricky in the way it plays with time and space than Christopher Nolan’s other films, but its climax impacts audiences and evokes reinvestigation of every detail from it. Besides, you will not get bored soon with the fictional topic of dreams.
#6. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Source: A24
The movie is inspired by the multiverse theory. The Daniels’ feature has lots of significant points that only reveal themselves after the second analysis and more. This movie really lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.
#7. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is an extended, trippy rumination on the nature of human evolution. The phrase “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that” is one of the most quotable lines in movie history. The film actually consists of multiple, individual segments, which seem at first like they have literally nothing to do with each other.
#8. Arrival
Source: Paramount Pictures
It is possible to grasp the basics of the movie’s inventive structure on your first viewing, but you’ll want to watch it again to really appreciate the nuances and see how gorgeously it all fits together in retrospect.
#9. Mulholland Drive
Source: Universal Pictures
David Lynch is no stranger to complexity. Mulholland Drive almost requires a second viewing because of its warped perception of reality, fantasies, and dreams. Rewatching it practically creates an entirely new masterpiece.
#10. 12 Monkeys
Source: Universal Pictures
Like many other mind-toasting movies, 12 Monkeys plays with time. After an epidemic kills off 99 percent of the world’s population, one man is sent back in time to retrieve information about the apocalyptic virus. Of course, it will never be that easy to understand the whole thing. So, rewatching it is a suitable option.
We would love to read your comments about these blockbusters and your favorite mind-boggling films. Be sure to leave them in the zone below, hit the like-share button, and keep enjoying your moment with more cool content on our site!