One day, many years ago, two friends of mine had a conversation about the just-opened Holocaust Museum in Washington. "Oh my God, Jen," said one, "have you been?" Jen replied that she hadn't, but was desperate to go; how was it? My other friend paused, and then said, deliberately and excitedly: "It was Out. Of. Control."
Despite the constant warnings that we're all "triggering" each other with traumatic experiences and stories and concepts, people seem to crave nerve-jangling and emotion-shattering stimulus wherever we can find them. They bungee-jump, and ride rollercoasters, and yes, go to Holocaust museums—all so that they can experience the sensation of being "out of control" in a controlled setting. After 120 years of moviemaking and moviegoing, it's almost impossible for films to...