Ever forgotten you’ve watched a film?

[Skeptisk]

Over Christmas we watched various films. Some we had seen and some new. My wife suggested Page Eight saying I had recommended it in the past. I was sure I hadn’t seen it. We watched it. I liked it. But as it finished I realised I had seen it before! Normally I recognise films I’ve watched immediately or quite quickly.

Maybe I have seen other films twice without knowing!!

Ever happened to you?

[bobbo89]

All the time these days with Prime and Netflix, too easy to stick a film on and not really take notice of the title being more interested in the description and what others have rated it.

The number of times I've put a film on, got half an hour in and realised I've already watched it a year or so ago.

[boxst]

I’ve watched countless films on aeroplanes and fallen asleep or just forgotten I’ve watched them. So when they appear on Netflix / whatever then there is this weird sensation I’ve seen the film before but can’t remember the plot/ending.

[272BHP]

This usually happens past the age of 50.

I know

[sherbertdip]

Constantly - I'm in my 60s.

[asfault]

No quite the opposite actually and it's a bloody curse.
Movie comes on TV and I think oh yeah havnt seen that in a long time.
During the intro my mind will have raced though almost every good scene line and special effect before we get a word from a character...

[leef44]

272BHP said:

This usually happens past the age of 50.

I know

And all this time, I thought I was the only one. I noticed this since I reached 50.

I used to only watch terrestrial channels and whatever films I've recorded from them so I might watch a few films a month. Now my son's back home and he subscribes to Netflix and Disney+, we seem to be watching much more films.

I used to be able to instant recognise a film from the first few seconds. Now I can end up not knowing that I've seen a film before until after the first hour. Other times, I remember bits of scenes but can't remember the story so I don't even know the ending (all the suspense and excitement again!)

[Monkeylegend]

I often forget what day it is let alone a film I might have watched several years ago.

[Ffordd Ar Gau]

If one has forgotten they have watched a film, how will one remember that they have forgotten that they watched said film…?

[Monkeylegend]

Ffordd Ar Gau said:

If one has forgotten they have watched a film, how will one remember that they have forgotten that they watched said film…?

Good point.

[Actual]

CheesecakeRunner said:

I find it particularly annoying that Netflix doesn’t easily highlight that you’ve watched something before...

Netflix needs setting that says you did watch this film but you fell asleep after x minutes.

[Hub]

Yes, I watch a lot of films and don't tend to re-watch many so I now try to rate all that I've seen on IMDb as an indicator that I've seen them before

[mac96]

I was only surprised that the vote isn't 100% 'Yes'.

When a film was something you saw in the cinema on Saturday evening I can imagine remembering them all, especially as you had to pay each time. But nowadays, when you can watch several per day if you had time? And with all the franchise type films? I have no idea which Die Hard films I have seen. All? Maybe.

[gavsdavs]

Frequently. I'm also highly tolerant to watching the same movie over and over and enjoying something new about it each time.
I generally realise i've seen a film before but point B tends to mean I stick with it and get something else out of it

[Pitre]

Not just films. I watched Would I Lie to You the other day and didn't realise I'd seen it before until about 20 mins in. D'OH.

[Gompo]

Yes here too. I'm 40 y/o, it's only in the last 10 years or so I've started watching films more often, at one point it was probably 10 a year; then went through a period of possibly close to 100 a year. Fewer now but still quite a lot, although I am sure there are people who may manage one a day. Viewing habits are personal and can change, I'm generally not one to watch a film for a second time unless I've either forgotten enough to make it worth a re-watch, or it's something relatively 'light', usually a comedy, where knowing what happens doesn't really spoil it.

I try to rate everything I watch on IMDB now, so a quick look at a film on there will reveal if I've seen it or not.

[richhead]

i had a brain injury a few years ago, so memory not the best, i remember some things but not others, its great, i can watch a film over and its like the first time, not so great remembering gf name tho, im lucky she understands.

[vindaloo79]

Groundhog Day ?!

[richhead]

vindaloo79 said:

Groundhog Day ?!

very much, its funny, some things are clear as day, but others blank, was a car crash, also gifted me with epilepsy, so wouldnt recomend it