Just like playing blues music can serve as solace to a troubled soul, immersing yourself in a deeply sad movie can give you a sense of catharsis. After all, everyone likes to indulge in something once in a while, and in an age of blockbusters carefully crafted to not offend anyone, there's something strangely refreshing about watching a movie that's not afraid to make you feel uncomfortable.
However, it takes more than an unfortunate ending to rank among the most depressing films ever made. A sense of existential melancholy permeates these 30 films, whether they're meant to draw attention to the plight of facing unimaginable real-life circumstances or simply invite us to explore a wide range of emotions that the Avengers can't quite express.
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
When a Czech immigrant and factory worker lost her sight in the 1960s, she desperately scraped together money to have surgery for her son so he wouldn't suffer the same fate again. Despite the fantasy musical numbers that sustain Thelma (Björk) and her own best intentions, fate and the greed of those she trusts conspire to lead her to a tragic end. The musical interludes are spectacular, but the contrast between Thelma's dream world and her real-life circumstances only heightens the sense of tragedy and injustice. The bright side: this is a period piece, and we know the U.S. health care system would never force anyone into such a dire situation today. Yo.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Depression (2011)
Sticking with problematic glee guru Lars von Trier, it's hard to argue that when you sit down to watch a movie called Melancholia you don't fully understand what's being said. (No refunds.) Here, von Trier adds a science-fiction twist to a tale of modern malaise. The titular rogue planet is on a collision course with Earth, and the two sisters deal with that fate in very different ways. The result is a series of depressive episodes, infidelity, and suicide, all of which make us give up hope of reaching some cautious peace with death.
Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Roku Channel
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Darren Aronofsky's second feature is a symphonic ode to the pain of drug addiction, like an X-rated version of the anti-drug movies you watched in high school. Over two punishing, stylishly shot and cleverly edited hours, we watch four characters' lives unravel as they try to fill their inner emptiness with drugs, from heroin to diet pills. But it didn't work out: Jared Leto developed gangrene from an infection at the injection site, Jennifer Connelly turned to prostitution to pay for her next gig, and Marlon Wayans ended up in jail and was abused by prison guards. And there's Ellen Burstyn, who starts the film as a bubbly red-headed retiree and ends it as a hollow-eyed, pale-faced amphetamine addict living in In a filthy nursing home. Drugs are bad, huh?
Where to stream: Paramount+
Tell No Evil (2022)
I know horror movies are supposed to be scary, but some movies are less scary and more relentlessly bleak. Which one is distressing in a different way? Regardless, this 2022 Danish film is as grim as ever. It tells the story of a young family who meet a nice couple and their son while traveling and accept an invitation to stay at their home. It would be a huge spoiler to tell you what happens next, but I almost want to save you the anxiety of experiencing it. Needless to say, only bad things happen, and in the cruelest ways imaginable—including to young children. There are bad feelings everywhere and one of the most hopeless endings ever. For some reason, James McAvoy is remaking this movie in Hollywood?
Where to stream: Shudder, AMC+
Sophie's Choice (1982)
In flashbacks after the war, we learn the story of Holocaust survivor Sophie (Meryl Streep), who was forced to decide which of her children would survive and which will die. Like the William Styron novel on which the film is based, this is a strong, fact-based narrative that has unfortunately become a kind of shorthand for any tough decision.
Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock, Tubi, Crackle, The Criterion Channel
Come and See (1985)
Director Elem Klimov battled Soviet censorship for nearly a decade before releasing his film, which sees the horrors of war through the eyes of a Belarusian teenager who joins forces after his village is invaded Anti-Nazi resistance group. As the occupation continued, Flaora's survival became something of a curse. The cumulative horrors (including the deliberate burning of a church with dozens of people inside, which is what actually happened) make Come and See one of the best war movies ever made—because all the greatest war movies actually are They are all anti-war.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic who carries a bottle full of booze in this critically acclaimed and darkly terrifying adaptation of writer-director Mike Figgis's semi-autobiographical novel. Trunk drives to Vegas with the intention of getting drunk enough to win an Oscar. John O'Brien (who committed suicide shortly after selling the film rights). I saw it once more than a decade ago, and as far as I know, the movie featured Cage drinking hard liquor and screaming in a dingy hotel room, interspersed with scenes of a sex worker ( Elizabeth Shue (Elizabeth Shue, also nominated for an Oscar) suffered a horrific sexual assault. I may have some details wrong, but it will be a while before I watch again to verify.
Where to stream: Max
Mist (2007)
In this nihilistic Stephen King adaptation, the titular mist (not to be confused with "The Fog" ) hangs over a small town and a group of locals are trapped in a grocery store at the end of the world, at each other's throats . Frank Darabont's film makes clear that no external evil can rival the ignorance, fear, and religious extremism we face every day. Once that's made clear, the movie moves things forward 10 steps, culminating in a finale that's either a perfect summary of its message or unbearably cruel. Maybe both.
Where to play: Freevee, Starz
Cure (1997)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's serial killer drama feels a bit like Seven early on, but as it progresses it becomes increasingly philosophical and esoteric, even as it maintains a cool detachment from all the murders it depicts. Detective Kenichi Takabe is on the hunt for the killer even as his own family life is falling apart. We eventually learn that the killer is not a murderer at all, but a man who is good at manipulating others to do things for him. The idea of the film is that there might be something otherworldly at play, but it's not that scary because we're all capable of incredibly dark deeds if we're given enough of a push.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Road (2009)
An unnamed man and his son wander a desolate, desolate, post-apocalyptic America in search of the safe haven they are said to find near its shores. Where other such stories invite us to enjoy some interesting ideas that we might be smart enough to survive (and often throw in a few zombies for good measure), The Road (like the Cormac McCarthy it's based on) clearly The collapse of civilization is unlikely to have much to admire.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men" suggests that we are no more than five years away from the collapse of civilization, after a period of war, natural disasters, and economic depression. So the idea that we still have five years to achieve this is quite promising, but beyond that, the world depicted here - where infertility has become an epidemic - is one of deep despair and A world without hope at all. As with any film here, every shot is imbued with the feeling of a world on the verge of collapse, thanks to Cuaron's careful eye as a director.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Alien 3 (1992)
While the first two Alien films struggled to elicit laughs, David Fincher's (troubled) sequel is almost certainly the most audacious and unsettling franchise in the history of Hollywood sequels. The film begins with the death of nearly every survivor from the last film (and a gruesome autopsy of one beloved character), then throws Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the most lovable character in the series, into prison. Charles S. Dutton) is a serial murderer and convicted rapist. In an era where franchises are increasingly considered to be as harmless as possible, I absolutely love its adventurous spirit, but man, is it dark.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Triangle (2009)
A twisty film that starts out like a horror movie at sea but quickly becomes more disturbing. Jesse was on a boat trip with some friends, and she had a somewhat crude explanation for the absence of her autistic son, who was supposed to be going with them. A sudden storm leaves a group of people seeking shelter on a strangely empty ocean liner - empty except for the man who keeps killing everyone. The film quickly evolves into a time-loop sci-fi thriller before discovering itself to be a mythical comeuppance.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Roku Channel, AMC+, Crackle, Freevee
Time Crime (2007)
Another sci-fi drama that deals with time, this Spanish thriller follows the tragic earthly fate of Hector (Kara Ellehad) and his wife Clara (Candra Fernandez). Hector discovers a woman in the woods, naked and unconscious. When he goes to investigate, he is attacked by a mysterious man covered in bloody bandages. While escaping, he ends up getting caught up in a strange time travel experiment that sends him back in time, back in time, where he only makes things worse. Then it got worse again. And then again. Nacho Vigalondo's extremely clever film shows that neither our best intentions nor all the time in the world can undo our most selfish mistakes.
Live broadcast location: Hoopla
Man bites dog (1992)
There are plenty of movies that make viewers uneasy because of our willingness to indulge in on-screen horror (see Rear Window for a more enjoyable example). Belgian mockumentary Man Bites Dog puts us in the shoes of a film crew hunting a vicious serial killer, and puts us through the wringer. There's a touch of tongue-in-cheek here, but that doesn't lessen the impact of the crew's growing sympathy for the killer, who ultimately becomes an accomplice in his actions. Man Bites Dog raises deeply disturbing questions not only about our tolerance for on-screen violence, but also about the extent to which we will stand by in the face of real-world horrors, even when properly incentivized. Get involved.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Heather Matarazzo makes her acting debut in Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse . Dawn Weiner is a deeply unpopular middle school student whose life is filled with a series of rejections, attacks, bullying, and disappointments. While the character is charming, this is not a film about a brave nonconformist overcoming the odds, but about the psychological trauma those who don't fit in face, and the struggle between staying true to yourself and accepting the resulting abuse. The scary choice of time, or hide your light in a bushel and hope you can find some peace.
Where to play: Tubi
Precious (2009)
Precious, the 16-year-old daughter played by Gabourey Sidibe, can neither read nor write, and as the film opens she becomes pregnant for the second time as a result of a series of rapes by her father , despite regular physical and verbal abuse from her uncaring mother. Unlike many of the characters in these movies, there's a glimmer of hope in Precious—a transfer to a new school; the attention of a well-meaning teacher—but the road to a (maybe) better place is a dark and rocky one.
Where to play: Tubi
Revolutionary Road (2008)
The horror of Sam Mendes's "Revolutionary Road" is the white picket fence of the 1950s. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite after 'Titanic' in a story about a young couple trying to survive in a stifling world, but when they try The walls close in on them before the effort to escape something more spiritually fulfilling threatens their relationship and, ultimately, their lives. The bright, clean streets of the title film "Revolutionary Road" give it a dystopian feel, like the end of the world in another movie.
Where to stream: Paramount+
Avenue (1954)
Federico Fellini, known for his films full of color and fantastical imagery, has a bit of this in his story: the simple-minded Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) is raped by a widower and street performer Bought by Zampano (Anthony Quinn), who was married to Gelsomina's late sister. Gelsomina's bright spirit and kind heart are gradually worn away by the cruelty of her new husband; when she finds companionship in another street performer, in this case a clown, Zampano's jealousy leads to Tragic, even though the strongman didn't bother to show any emotion to his wife. This is a beautiful film and a shocking one.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Plague Dogs (1982)
Snit (John Hurt) and Rolf (Christopher Benjamin) escape from a cruel animal testing laboratory in this adult animated feature based on the novel by Richard Adams ( "Watershiptown "). . I'm going to skip the details of both experiments, except to say that they were both outright cruel and completely reflective of real-life animal testing practices. Unfortunately, the world is not much kinder to these two escaped dogs than they were in their former prison. It's quite cute in its way, and beautifully animated... but animal lovers, especially, will find it tough. This is of course the point.
Where to watch: Tubi, Freevee, Shout Factory TV
Father (2020)
Anthony Hopkins won an Academy Award for his role as the titular father Anthony, who is dying of severe dementia. It's a wonderful performance in a film that tells the story entirely from Anthony's point of view, his disorientation manifesting itself in the often horrific moments of disjointedness that characterize his life as a man who has lost all connective tissue. The film, which prioritizes the perspective of the patient rather than the family or caregiver, is very human, but it doesn't diminish the experience and finds little comfort.
Live broadcast location: Starz
We are all strangers (2023)
We Are Strangers is ostensibly a romantic ghost story about lonely screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) who begins a relationship with his very mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal) , the two of them are the sole residents of a grand new apartment building. It's this relationship that draws Adam back to his home, where he discovers that his parents appear to be alive and well, even though they've been dead for decades. Beyond that, the film doesn't offer too many spoilers but goes into a very dark place from there, a strong reminder that loss is an inevitable part of life, yes, but the only real comfort is to forget and keep going.
Where to play: Hulu
Thread (1984)
This British film is particularly effective in the genre of the early to mid-1980s when nuclear war was actually bad (see also: The Testaments and The Day After Tomorrow ), taking a creepy, faux-documentary approach to telling the story of the apocalypse. . With war breaking out between the United States and the Soviet Union and a nuclear attack on a NATO base about 20 miles from Sheffield, a young couple in Sheffield are preparing to build a life and a family together. The two are separated, and that's just the beginning of the horrors faced by Karen Meagher's Ruth Beckett. The focus is on the resulting breakdown of law and social order, and the final shot is a real gut punch.
Where to watch: Tubi, The Criterion Channel, Shudder, Mubi
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
There are some bright moments in Manchester By the Sea , and it doesn't build to a completely crushing ending... but there's a lot of pain and anger along the way. Casey Affleck stars as Lee, who is surprised to find out he's been assigned custody of his late brother's son. The situation forces him to confront his past in Champion Town, and as we come to understand why the sullen, alcoholic Lee can barely get through the day, it becomes clear why his past has held him back and continues to do so. (This is too bad.)
Where to play: Prime Video
Afterglow (2022)
Initially, on the surface, Aftersun is a bright and charming tale of a vacation at a cheap resort in Turkey, involving a divorced father (Paul Mescal, whom we've already discussed) and his dislike for 's daughter (Frankie Corio) has simply seen enough. But there is an unsettling element from the beginning, and as an audience, more and more of it creeps into our perspective. It soon becomes clear that what we're watching is a memory, in which a grown woman attempts to use the memories of a child to understand her father's life and death. This fun trip quickly turns melancholy and poignant.
Where to stream: Paramount+
O. Hassard Balthazar (1966)
Robert Bresson's film begins with a donkey named Balthasar given as a gift to sensitive farm girl Marie. After a family tragedy, the two were separated, and the once-beloved beast of burden ended up as a pack animal for a family who didn't care for him much beyond his ability to work. Mary, meanwhile, ended up in a deeply abusive relationship, and although fate periodically reconnected the woman and the donkey over the years, neither lived a particularly good life, nor a particularly happy ending. . It's a cute movie in many ways, but it's definitely a bad one in the genre of depressing animal stories (maybe, the donkey is supposed to be a metaphor, but let's try not to think too much about it).
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Cries and Whispers (1972)
While I would never describe Ingmar Bergman as sentimental, what is certain is that his best films, while masterpieces of acting, directing, and screenwriting, are very sad, if not downright pessimistic. depressed. Here, Agnes (Harriet Anderson) slowly dies of cancer, while her sisters struggle with their own problems and insecurities and find themselves unable to provide the support they need. Maid Anna's excellent work and genuine care further exacerbate the family's sense of inadequacy, leaving the family unable to stay connected when they need it most.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Rapture (1991)
Mimi Rogers plays a young swinger (this was 1991, when such a term was still popular) who becomes a born-again Christian after a sect convinces her that the Rapture is imminent . Her new piety is challenged when her husband is murdered, and her despair leads her to consider ending her own daughter's life (to get her to heaven faster, naturally). That's not even the frustrating part. Rogers fearlessly depicts her character's transformation from hedonism to fanaticism to unimaginable despair, delivering the best performance of her career; so bad that this is a movie you'll almost certainly only want to see once .
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
The Pianist (2002)
When putting together this list, I struggled with how many Holocaust films to include; there are many, enough to fill a list longer than this. For better or worse, I'll let Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" speak for them all, certainly the most unforgiving of all the depictions of this particular historical horror. Based on the memoirs of Polish-Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman (played by Academy Award winner Adrien Brody), the film takes us through the entire war period; as the situation for Polish Jews becomes increasingly From bad to worse, Spearman lost everything, including his love of music, his only lifeline. Despite the tarnished legacy of Polanski's "The Pianist," "The Pianist" still achieves an astonishing feat in deftly portraying the ugliest aspects of human nature.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi
Umberto D. (1952)
Any movie can be sad, but it takes a special kind of cinematic despair to get a movie banned by the government for being too depressing. Yet that's exactly what happens in the story of an old Italian man (Carlo Battisti) struggling to keep a roof over his head after being evicted. When that proved to be too much to ask, he chose to find a home for his beloved dog before taking his own life. With a mostly non-actor cast, Umberto D. 's brutally realist style was a bit too much for the Italian government, which felt it painted a bleak picture of the country's post-World War II state, Film Historia "The export of films considered indecent to Italian society" was subsequently "banned ," said Peter Becker, director and president of Criterion Channel.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
