In recent years some of the most innovative European and American directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort: Feel-Bad Films. Systematically manipulating the viewer, sometimes by withholding information, sometimes through shock or seduction, these films have often been criticised as amoral, nihilistic, politically irresponsible or anti-humanistic. But how are these unpleasurable viewing experiences created? What do the directors believe they can achieve via the ‘feel-bad’ experience? How can we situate these films in intellectual history? And why sho ... More

In recent years some of the most innovative European and American directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort: Feel-Bad Films. Systematically manipulating the viewer, sometimes by withholding information, sometimes through shock or seduction, these films have often been criticised as amoral, nihilistic, politically irresponsible or anti-humanistic. But how are these unpleasurable viewing experiences created? What do the directors believe they can achieve via the ‘feel-bad’ experience? How can we situate these films in intellectual history? And why should we watch, study and teach feel-bad films? Answering these questions through the analysis of work by directors such as Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Lucille Hadzihalilovic, Brian de Palma, Ruben Östlund, Stan Brakhage, Bruno Dumont and Harmony Korine, this book invites readers to consider cinematic art as an experimental activity with ethical norms that are radically different from the ones we would hope to find outside the movie theatre.