WWII Film With 25-Minute 'Sequence From Hell' Crowned 'Highest-Rated Movie Of All Time'

This historical war drama has long been recognized for its haunting realism and emotional impact, earning praise from critics and audiences alike as one of the most important war films ever created.

Sharing their thoughts online, one viewer described it by saying: "It is horrifying, accurate, [and] devastating in every sense."

Another agreed, writing: "This isn't a fun and enjoyable film but it's a necessary one."

"One of the most disturbing films I've ever seen," a third person wrote, before adding: "This is going to stick with me for a long time, truly a testament to the devastating power of cinema."

On Letterboxd, a popular social platform for film lovers, users have officially voted the movie as the highest-rated narrative feature of all time, surpassing countless Hollywood classics and fan favorites.

The Soviet anti-war film is inspired by two works: the 1971 novel Khatyn by Ales Adamovich, and the 1977 collection of survivor accounts I Am from the Fiery Village, both of which documented the horrors faced by civilians during the Nazi occupation of Belarus.

The historical war film features a 'sickening 25-minute sequence from hell.' Sovexportfilm

Directed by the Soviet filmmaker Elem Klimov, who drew heavily from his own childhood experiences during World War II, the movie follows the story of a young Belarusian boy named Flyora, played by Aleksei Kravchenko, as he witnesses the brutality of German occupation firsthand.

The production was filmed in chronological order to mirror the boy’s psychological transformation—from a hopeful and innocent teenager to someone forever scarred by what he’s seen.

One of the film’s most infamous scenes is a nearly 25-minute sequence that many critics have labeled “a sequence from hell.” According to Collider, it stands as “one of the most sickening depictions of wartime” ever captured on film. In the scene, Flyora is forced at gunpoint to watch helplessly as an entire village is burned alive inside a church, a moment that leaves audiences shaken.

The film follows a carefree boy who becomes scarred by the atrocities he witnesses. Sovexportfilm

Kravchenko later revealed that while filming, he was treated as “a grown-up person” and expected “to work to the sweat of my brow.” Despite being only a teenager, he took on the emotional and physical strain that the demanding role required.

He also shared that the director attempted to hypnotize him to help manage the trauma of certain scenes, though he ultimately wasn’t responsive to hypnosis and had to rely on his own strength to push through the intense filming process.

IMDb notes that Kravchenko had to act his way through the most difficult moments completely unassisted, which only added to the authenticity of his performance.

To prepare him emotionally, Klimov even showed the young actor graphic footage from real concentration camps, ensuring he understood the full weight of the story he was helping to tell.

Reports also claim that Klimov asked Kravchenko to lose weight for the role, believing he looked too healthy for a wartime setting. According to a YouTube interview, the actor followed a strict routine where he would go days only drinking water while running long distances each day to achieve a more gaunt appearance.

Today, Come and See holds an incredible 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and ranks prominently in the Sight & Sound Directors’ Poll for the greatest films ever made — cementing its place as one of cinema’s most powerful works.

Come and See has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. Sovexportfilm

In a celebratory post on Facebook, Letterboxd officially confirmed its achievement by stating: "Elem Klimov's Come and See is now officially the highest-rated narrative feature film of all time on Letterboxd."

The platform continued: "It's the fourth film to ever take that spot after The Godfather, Parasite, and Everything Everywhere All at Once."

For those who have yet to see it, the trailer for Come and See gives only a glimpse of the film’s raw emotion and intensity — a stark reminder of the horrors of war and the human cost behind it.