Recommendation for dark/gritty/depressing films

[Acier]

Some of these stretch "realistic" a bit, or only fill 2 requirements. But a good movie is a good movie, amirite? I'll try to not repeat, but I won't make any promises
Welcome to the Dollhouse
The Usual Suspect
A Clockwork Orange
Girl, Interrupted
Brick
Bunny and the Bull
Delicatessen
Chinatown
Boogie Nights
Trainspotting
Bronson
American History X
This is England
Primer
Heathers
Misery
Se7en
Silence of The Lambs
Zodiac
Grave of the Fireflies and Watership Down if you don't mind animated
The Limey
The Devil's Backbone

I'll add more later if I feel like it, most of these are on Netflix instant if you have that service. Also, most of the people in this thread have good taste, so I won't bother repeating some that I agree with wholeheartedly.

 

[Pinkamena]

Thanks for reminding me of Lilya 4-ever. God, what a sad movie.

 

[ToMegaTherion]

A serbian film... It's the most deppressing movie I've seen
oh The mist to

 

[Ladyzilla]

How has no one mentioned "Das Experiment" yet? Warning: contains sexual assault-memory triggers.

 

[Jingle Fett]

I found Children of Men to be depressing as hell. I mean it's a well-made movie and all but it was definitely darker, gritty and depressing.

Other worthy mentions:
The Pianist
Sin City
There Will Be Blood

 

[razer17]

Memento, Irreversible, Clockwork Orange and The Audition are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. DogTooth was pretty depressing as well, although I also thought it was pretty boring.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Pink Floyd's The Wall. Watched it so many times after a break-up

 

[Skin]

Hard Candy was either one of the smartest movies ever made, or one of the worst, depending on the writers intent. It's the ambiguity that bothers me so much.

Spoiler

I felt bad for the pedophile who was being tortured by this psychotic little girl. I hated her much more than I did him... Was this the intent? Or was this just a lowest common denominator "get revenge on the pedo's" torture porn flick?

Requiem for a Dream is overrated as hell. When the final 4 minutes of the movie have to carry the entire film, you know something went wrong. Yes the final 4 minutes are haunting in context, but that does not make the film that good.

I don't really get sad with films. It is just too hard to get attached to a character that has been on the screen for only an hour. Television shows are where the hard hitting tear jerkers are. There are quite a few, but some odd ones are The Sopranos - in which the final scene had blown my mind before I watched it multiple times and started to feel so utterly depressed, and Futurama, in which Luck of the Fryish had me shedding some truly manly tears.

 

[the Dept of Science]

Amores Perros and Gomorroah

Both Spanish language (set in Mexico and Spain respectively). Both very well made but they fall under that depressing category of nothing nice happening to any of the characters ever. You leave both of them wondering if there is any good left in the world at all.

 

[Pinkamena]

Danny the Dog.

 

[ChaoticKraus]

There's a American remake too, but i've heard that it is inferior.

Who did you hear that from? It's actually a very good remake with great performances from both of the leads. I would consider just about as good as the original.

And yes I agree that they definitely fit the description for this list.
The American remake is called Let Me In.

Word of mouth, many Swedes get very touchy when it comes to American remakes so you may be right. I have only watched the original so i can't judge.

 

[nickd007]

Reservoir Dogs--crime movie that is violent and depressing
Chronicle--don't know if this is your kind of thing, but I was surprised at how tense it was. Really serious, really sad movie after you get past the initial goofing around.

 

[Ytomyth]

Might be too well-known to even make it to this topic but The Green Mile is really one of my favourite depressing movies.

 

[Cerise Dio-enne]

120 Days of Sodom(Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975), The Devils(Ken Russell, 1971), Enter the Void(Gaspar Noé, 2010), Julien Donkey Boy(Harmony Korine, 1999), Mysterious Skin(Gregg Araki, 2005), Kids(Harmony Korine, 1995), The Basketball Diaries(Scott Kalvert, 1995), Begotten(E. Elias Merhige, 1990), Caligula(written by Gore Vidal, produced by Penthouse's Bob Guccione and directed by Tinto Brass, 1979)