Good movies that depress you

[Kizi]

Movies that you like and that are perhaps generally considered good films, yet somehow leave you feeling sad, hopeless or depressed to some degree (I use the word depress lightly, I know real depression is serious). Expect spoilers here.

Donnie Darko. I like that film but I've only watched it once because of how empty and miserable I felt after watching it.
Same with American History X, though it's been less than a year since I watched it for the first time.
Inception. I guess the only thing that bugs me is the ambiguity of the ending.

Spoiler: Inception spoiler

Whether or not he's still dreaming.

So I suppose main character deaths and too much ambiguity do that to me. I may add more if and when I can remember any.

Anyway, what are your movies that make you feel drained?

 

[capper42]

Requiem for a Dream is pretty exhausting to watch, and leaves you feeling thoroughly depressed, but it's still pretty great.

To be honest there's loads of great films that leave you feeling down after watching them, and I don't think films can be great despite being depressing, I think some are great because they're depressing.

 

[itsthesheppy]

There Will Be Blood is pretty dark. I felt like crap after Reservoir Dogs and No Country For Old Men.

I tend to avoid movies that leave me feeling like shit afterward. It's like... if I wanna feel bad, I can stand in the bathroom and look at my aging, deteriorating body for free.

 

[shrekfan246]

Schindler's List.

I suppose considering the subject matter it would be a bit weird if it weren't like that, but still. Absolutely fantastic film, great directing, great acting, no pulled punches, just really hard-hitting overall. Even clocking in at three hours like it does, I felt like there were some parts they could've actually spent more time on.

 

[Tom_green_day]

The Village did a bit, what with the scariness of the setting etc, however I'll have to go with Shaun of the Dead. I know it's a comedy but the inevitability of death, and although the main due are there for comedy we can still see they're scared.

 

[Esotera]

Pan's Labyrinth and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon are the first things that come to mind. The only movies that really depress me tend to be the ones that don't actually change their character that much from the start of the film (sort of, I guess).

 

[Glasgow]

Schindler's List.

I suppose considering the subject matter it would be a bit weird if it weren't like that, but still. Absolutely fantastic film, great directing, great acting, no pulled punches, just really hard-hitting overall. Even clocking in at three hours like it does, I felt like there were some parts they could've actually spent more time on.

The segments with Amon Goeth were very well done. The movie was good overall.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I recently watched The Fly again.

It's amazing how this movie shifts on a dime from "enthusiastic scientific pursuit" to "relentless body horror drama".

The movie even opens with a score that just screams "prepare for horrible events".

 

[SckizoBoy]

Inception. I guess the only thing that bugs me is the ambiguity of the ending.

Spoiler: Inception spoiler

Whether or not he's still dreaming.

The thing about that bit is that it's to do with his character development, now that he's reconciled with Mal (after a fashion), all he cares about is getting to be with his kids again, so when he turns away, the viewer realises he doesn't really care, 'cos either way, he's gotten what he wished for.

Anyway;

A Bridge Too Far

This film needs more love... brilliant film, particularly the scene with the para playing the flute... everything is covered with soot and/or blood, except that flute, which is pristine. And he's playing music composed by a German. Tis all quite poignant.

Other than that... ehm...

Grave of the Fireflies
Stalingrad
Spartacus

amongst others, I'm sure... ¬_¬

 

[Epic Bear Man]

Heat. Mainly because of Al Pacino's little girl. Throughout the film he's constantly ignoring her, as he's trying to catch De Niro's character.

Spoiler

And Al Pacino ends up walking into a room seeing that his little girl cut her wrists in a bath tub and tried to commit suicide.

 

[COMaestro]

Seven Samurai. Fantastic film and the ending is just a bit of a downer, seeing how the lives of common villagers can begin to flourish while those of the samurai are coming to an end.

 

[smearyllama]

Seven Samurai. Fantastic film and the ending is just a bit of a downer, seeing how the lives of common villagers can begin to flourish while those of the samurai are coming to an end.

Forgot that one. I didn't find it that much of a downer, but I can see what you mean.

OT: Y'all ever watch Apocalypse Now? That movie felt like work to finish, especially the three and a half-hour Redux. I felt emotionally exhausted by the time the credits rolled. Knowing what the cast and crew went through to actually complete the film added a lot to that.

 

[shadow_Fox81]

Seven Samurai. Fantastic film and the ending is just a bit of a downer, seeing how the lives of common villagers can begin to flourish while those of the samurai are coming to an end.

everything by kurosawa at that era gets me a bit down, Rashamon, Ikiru and Throne of blood aswell as the seven samurai.

particularly ikiru for me, the scene in the divy pub where Takashi Shimura starts singing (this is career performance for me).

 

[Vault101]

isnt it kind of odd that we hold things that make us sad in higher regard? that we think thease things are more "deep" thats part of the reaosn I think some people defended ME3's original ending

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The last movie that depressed the hell out of me (and was quite good all the way) was Moneyball. Man that movie is bleak without being excessive or unrealistic about it. Just... bleak. And heartbreaking. I hadn't felt this sorry for a character in a while. And I mean this in a good way. A lot of people are bound to bring up Requiem for a Dream... that's fine, but I can't help roll my eyes at all the low jabs at drug addiction.

 

[a7xman]

I'd probably go with I Am Legend. The original ending, where Will Smith dies, kind of seems as a metaphor for society. Even though we may know of a way to fix our degeneration, we refuse to accept it. We're all likely doomed to watch our failures overcome us. Could also go with Shutter Island, where DiCaprio chooses a lobotomy over the knowledge of his past crimes, or Pirates 3, where Will is forced to leave Elizabeth behind. Yeah, he's alive, but what good is immortality when you can't spend it with the one you care most about?

 

[surg3n]

Into The Wild.

Awesome film, a bit slow, and depressing as hell. The soundtrack is by Eddie Vedder, which is just the cherry on top IMO.

 

[davidsoc]

Had to respond to this one: there is a list for various reasons

Seven Samurai
Heat
Resevoir Dogs
Throne of Blood

Yes Kurosawa had an amazing knack for what you are talking about...but at the same time it seems to be within the Japanese Film making culture....probably directly attributed to him

The Killer is another excellent one

 

[mduncan50]

Chasing Amy. The only thing worse than having someone you love walk away, is realizing that it was your fault.