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Topics: Horror, Nostalgia, Aliens, Film and TV
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Horror, Nostalgia, Aliens, Film and TV
Users on Reddit are all in agreement over the one film they watched which left them 'terrified', 'distraught' and even 'traumatized' as kids.
Movies are a powerful medium and can take us on a rollercoaster of emotions. From grief to joy and fear to amazement, the very best films touch us deeply.
While we look back on some with fond nostalgia, others can leave a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons.
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Now, movie enthusiasts have taken to social media to discuss the blockbusters that traumatized them most as a child - with many admitting their scars have lasted long into adulthood.
You might instantly have a title that comes to mind on this topic.
For me, it's Gremlins - I'm not embarrassed to admit those sly, dragon-hyena hybrid creatures haunted my nightmares for years on end.
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But Reddit users appeared in agreement over one family classic in particular.
Taking to the site's R/AskReddit thread, one user posed the question: "What Movie Did You Watch that Traumatized You at a Young Age?"
The post received more than 20,000 responses, with many feeling passionate about the topic.
But there was one answer that really resonated with people.
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Topping the list was Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, E.T.
Led by Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Robert MacNaughton, it depicts the beautiful friendship between three human siblings and an extraterrestrial lifeform stranded on Earth.
But E.T himself was enough to spook us as children, with people remembering it as a 'horror' film.
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One person shared: "Glad to see E.T. at the top of the list, that scene where he was all white TERRIFIED me as a kid."
A second agreed: "I CAME HERE TO COMMENT ET. Specifically the scene of him dressed like an old lady. It still creeps me tf out."
A third took dramatic measures after seeing the movie, commenting: "I was so scared of E.T. As a kid that I cut the tape in the VHS Cassette so no one could ever watch it again."
A fourth said: "I wasn’t ready for when he’s found in the field and he screams. I’m convinced the first half of the movie is a horror movie."
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I reckon E.T was traumatizing for a different reason though - and I'm not alone.
As one user put it: "When they first show ET's face after he's running around in the dark I started screaming from fear... By the end I was crying because I loved E.T and thought he was going to die."
Despite all this, E.T has a near-perfect 99 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics hailing it 'a piece of movie magic for young and old.'