What's the most memorable piece of media you have experienced?

[Chalarm]

Just curious of what books or movies or even music gave you the best experience with said form of media. I don't expect that these will be life changing moments, could just be a story that has stuck with you through the years or made you think for a second after finishing it.

My personal memorable experience was with Metro 2033 (spoilers for said book), with a combination of both the game and book. I played through the game first and upon completing it loved it for atmosphere and gameplay but didn't have a real understanding of the plotline, just seemed like a generic story of fighting monsters and saving the remenants of humans from this ambiguous threat of the "dark ones" by nuking them out of existance. Now I can chalk up alot to my obliviousness at the time, but I didn't realize the game had multiple endings so when it ended I was confused about these scenes where the "dark ones" seemed to subtely help my character in moments that didn't lead to anything by the end of it.

Well, having enjoyed the game so much I picked up the book and read through it. By the end it reveals these "dark ones" aren't some evil force but just a new species that appeared in this apocolyptic world and are only in conflict with humans because they can't communicate. So it was at the moment of finishing the book that I soon realized the game had a choice ending and without even giving it a second though I had virtually performed genocide on a species just because I assumed they were a threat, exactly as the character in the book did.

 

[Sophor]

While it's always hard to compare media ("apples and oranges") what comes to my mind first is The Anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, especially the movie Ed of Evangelion.

It's a classic, but for whoever hasn't seen it: Let'S call it a surreal psychologically deconstructing mecha anime. (Sounds weird? It is, but in a good way)

At the time I wasn't in a good place mentally, not too unlike the protagonist. Depression and especially anxiety was big, was draining and crippling. It's hard o put in words but the end of the movie strung a nerve with me, the music hit home perfectly and the utter destruction of the world to this somber tune was healing in a way. I won't try to put it in words because that would devolve into unreadable ramblings but it helped me to see myself in a better light, to take responsibility for myself and to stand up for what I want.

Now to leave on a less sad mood, let's talk about Furi for a moment. A relatively short action game in a beautiful and unique art style with an interesting and twist-y background story. Think dark souls, or better yet Sekiro but reduced to the dueling aspect, as a boss rush, and with a sprinkle bullet hell. No game ever got me as much in the zone as this one. Once you get it you react without thinking ad just submerge yourself in these automatic reactions. There's always a certain elegance to that, I feel

 

[TheDarkScribe]

I'd have to say Takashi Miike's Audition. It is the most subversive film I've seen, I know there are plenty of others that people will point out but to me it's the most original and best constructed. I think it comes from how Japanese Cinema is run.

Now, by subversive I mean, the film lures you into a sense of docile viewership, to the point you are almost bored. The film actually starts to bore you with this kind of sad relationship with this Japanese man who works at casting actors and actresses. And he, or his friend, I forget which now, decide they will use the casting process to find him a girlfriend as he's a widower. He latches onto this young woman who used to be a ballet dancer and the film takes us on a first date. It's drawn out with lots of silence in the film. And just when you are about to give up they hint at a some weird backstory for the woman. Just a little taste then it gets boring again.

And then... then the last 20 minutes is an assault on your mind as this young girl shows how twisted she is. Some people find it just too disturbing, I remembering that being brought up during the like top 100 Horror FIlms of all time on AMC. I was just getting into horror films and Japanese horror and this one just left me feeling shocked. Yeah, there are more shocking ones now but it was 1999 and it was so expertly crafted.

 

[GamerGuy]

Avengers, the first film. The camera going around the original team, Hulk screaming in anger, Hawkeye drawing his bow, Widow reloading her firearm, Iron Man hovering down, Cap at the ready, and Thor flipping Mjolnir in his hands was the absolute hype. The entire theater was going freakin bonkers.