re: Name 5 movies that were better the second time you watched them

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I never said movies "can't get better on successive viewings" or "you can't enjoy successive viewings of a movie" or "you can't find 'anything new' in a successive viewing." None of that is true.

The short answer is that, most films do not and should not REQUIRE successive viewings to "get" or "understand" them. Those phrases are flexible to the genre of the film. For instance, in a horror film, successive viewings often get worse because tension release is known after you see the movie once.

Longform: I start from this:

1. The director and his intent are more important than the viewer
2. You can never have the same experience twice
3. But you are always watching the same thing

In most cases, directors are making films specifically for ONE viewing, unless explicitly stated by the director or by the rules of the film. Obviously, they cannot control the fan who wants to consume content over and over again. But the idea of a film is tell the journey of a protagonist who meets obstacles, overcomes them and changes over time. That's one path. Therefore, a competent and successful director, will create a film that has all necessary parts of the story, the character, and the overall theme in its film front and center. If he or she is not successful at that, the film will fail to connect with the intended audience.

A film that REQUIRES successive viewings to understand the film, unless explicitly defined as such, is a failure.

Films that support successive viewings and films that support one singular experience should be celebrated.

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directors are making films specifically for ONE viewing

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