The 30 Most Depressing Movies Ever Made
Just as turning on the blues can be a balm for a troubled soul, immersing yourself in a deeply sad film can give you a sense of catharsis. After all, everyone likes to wallow every now and then, and in an era of well-crafted blockbusters designed not to offend anyone, it’s oddly refreshing to watch a film that isn’t afraid to make you feel bad.
However, it takes more than just an unhappy ending to join the ranks of the most depressing films of all time. These 30 films contribute to a pervasive sense of existential darkness, whether they call attention to the plight of people facing unimaginable life circumstances or simply invite us to explore the breadth of emotions that The Avengers can’t quite channel.
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
A Czech immigrant and factory worker in the 1960s loses her sight and desperately tries to raise money to provide an operation for her son that will spare him the same fate. Despite the fantastic musical numbers supporting Selma (Björk) and her own good intentions, fate and the greed of those she trusts conspire to bring her to a tragic end. The musical interludes are impressive, but the contrast between Selma’s dream worlds and her real life circumstances only heightens the sense of tragedy and injustice. The upside: This is historical material, and we know that the American health care system today could never put anyone in such a terrible situation. Ugh.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Melancholia (2011)
Speaking of problematic master of fun Lars von Trier, it’s hard to argue that you don’t get exactly what it says on the tin when you sit down to watch a film called Melancholia . (No refunds.) Here, von Trier adds a sci-fi twist to the story of modern maladies. The titular rogue planet is on a collision course with Earth, and the two sisters deal with this fate in different ways. The result is a series of depressive episodes, infidelities, and suicides, all escaping the hope that we can make some kind of careful peace with death.
Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, The Roku Channel.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Darren Aronofsky’s second feature, a symphonic ode to the suffering of drug addiction, feels like an X-rated version of the anti-drug movies you watched in high school. Over the course of two harrowing, stylishly shot and expertly edited hours, we watch four characters’ lives unravel as they try using drugs – from heroin to diet pills – to fill the empty spaces inside. Things don’t work out: Jared Leto gets gangrene from a contaminated injection site, Jennifer Connelly turns to prostitution to get money for her next album, and Marlon Wayans ends up in prison and is abused by guards. And then there’s Ellen Burstyn, who starts the film as a cheerful red-haired pensioner and ends as an ashy, empty-eyed amphetamine addict in a squalid nursing home. Drugs are bad, mmmk?
Where to watch: Paramount+
Speak No Evil (2022)
I understand that horror movies are supposed to be scary, but there are also some that are less scary than relentlessly dark. What makes you sad differently? However, this 2022 Danish film is as dark as it gets. It tells the story of a young family who, while traveling, meet a cute couple and their son and accept an invitation to stay at their home. Telling you what happens next would be a major spoiler, but I’d almost like to spare you the fear associated with it. Needless to say, only bad things happen, and in the most cruel ways imaginable, including to young children. There are bad feelings all around and one of the most hopeless endings. For some reason there’s a Hollywood remake coming out with James McAvoy?
Where to watch: Shudder, AMC+.
Sophie’s Choice (1982)
In flashbacks immediately after the war, we learn the story of Holocaust survivor Sophie (Meryl Streep), who during those years was forced to decide which of her children would live and which would die. As with the William Styron novel on which the film is based, it’s a powerful, fact-based narrative that has unfortunately become something of a shorthand for every difficult decision.
Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock, Tubi, Crackle, The Criterion Channel.
Come And See (1985)
Director Elem Klimov battled Soviet censors for nearly a decade to release his film, a truly harrowing look at the horrors of war through the eyes of a Belarusian teenager who joins the anti-Nazi resistance after his village is invaded. As the occupation continues, even Flyora’s survival becomes a curse; the accumulated horrors (including the deliberate burning of a church with dozens of people inside, an event that actually took place) make Come And See one of the best war films ever made, because all the greatest war films are actually anti-war .
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for playing a suicidal alcoholic who drives to Vegas with a trunk full of booze and the intention of drinking himself into oblivion, in writer-director Mike Figgis’ critically acclaimed and terrifyingly dark film adapting the semi-autobiographical novel by John O’Brien (deceased committing suicide shortly after selling the rights to the film). I saw it once over a decade ago, and as I recall it involves nearly two hours of watching Cage drink hard liquor in a dark hotel room, screaming and crying, interspersed with scenes with a sex worker (Elizabeth Shue, also an Oscar nominee, was subjected to horrific sexual assault. I may have some details wrong, but it will be a while before I can look at it again to check.
Where to stream: Max
Fog (2007)
In this nihilistic Stephen King adaptation, a major fog (not to be confused with The Fog ) envelops the town, leaving a bunch of locals at each other’s throats after they find themselves trapped in a grocery store at the end of the world. Frank Darabont’s film makes it clear that there is no external evil that can even remotely compete with the ignorance, fear and religious extremism that we face on a daily basis. Once this is made clear, the film takes another 10 steps forward, ending on a note that either perfectly conveys the message or is unbearably cruel. Probably both.
Where to watch: Freevee, Starz
Treatment (1997)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s serial killer drama starts out somewhat reminiscent of Seven , but as it goes on it becomes increasingly philosophical and esoteric, despite maintaining a cool detachment from all the murders it depicts. Police detective Kenichi Takabe searches for the killer even as his own family life falls apart. The killer, as we eventually learn, is not a killer at all, but someone who knows how to manipulate others into doing his work for him. The film plays with the idea that there may be something otherworldly at play, but it’s less horrifying than when it shows that we, each of us, are capable of incredibly dark things, provided we’re given enough push.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Road (2009)
An unnamed man and his son wander a dark, desolate post-apocalyptic America in search of a rumored safe haven that can be found just off the coast. While other stories of this type invite us to have a little fun with the idea 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) ) makes it clear that there is hardly anything to appreciate in the collapse of civilization.
Where to watch: Starz
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s book 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 do all this is quite encouraging, but otherwise the world depicted here, in which infertility has become an epidemic, is a world of deep despair and a complete lack of hope. As in any other film, here, thanks to Cuarón’s careful eye as a director, there is a sense of a world beyond the boundaries in every frame.
Where to watch: Starz
Alien 3 (1992)
While the first two Alien films were hardly laughable, David Fincher’s (problematic) sequel is almost certainly the franchise’s boldest and most unsettling entry in the history of Hollywood sequels. The film opens with the deaths of nearly all of the previous film’s survivors (and a grisly autopsy of a beloved character), followed by Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) being sent to a prison colony where the most sympathetic character (Charles S. Dutton) is a serial killer and convicted rapist. In an era of franchises that are increasingly designed to be as innocuous as possible, I’m a big fan of taking risks, but my goodness, this is so bleak.
Where to watch: Starz
Triangle (2009)
A twisty film that starts off like a nautical slasher film but then quickly turns into something much more disturbing. Jess goes on a boat trip with friends, offering a somewhat sketchy explanation for the absence of her autistic son, who was supposed to be joining them. A sudden storm finds the group seeking refuge on a strangely empty ocean liner—empty except for a man who proceeds to kill everyone. The film soon turns into a time-loop sci-fi thriller before revealing itself to be a punishment of mythological proportions.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, The Roku Channel, AMC+, Crackle, Freevee.
Crimes in Time (2007)
Another mind-bending sci-fi film, this Spanish thriller follows the tragic and temporal fate of Hector (Carra Elejalde) and his wife Clara (Candela Fernandez). Hector notices a woman in the forest, naked and unconscious. While about to investigate, he is attacked by a mysterious man covered in bloody bandages. While escaping, he finds himself at the center of a bizarre time travel experiment that sends him back in time to a past that he only worsens. And then it gets worse again. And again. Nacho Vigalondo’s devilishly clever film suggests that neither our best intentions nor all the time in the world can erase our most selfish mistakes.
Where to stream: Hoopla
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Plenty of movies prime audiences for our willingness to wallow in screen horror (for a more hilarious example, see Rear Window ). The Belgian mockumentary Man Bites Dog puts us through the motions, putting us in the shoes of a film crew tracking a brutal serial killer. There’s something of a tongue-in-cheek style here that in no way diminishes the impact of the crew’s growing sympathy for the killer, who ultimately become complicit in his actions. Man Bites Dog asks deeply uncomfortable 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, or even join them given the right incentives.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Heather Matarazzo makes a stellar debut in Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse: Dawn Weiner, a deeply unpopular high school student whose life becomes a series of rejections, attacks, bullying and disappointments. While the character is charming, this is not a film about a brave nonconformist who overcomes all odds, but about the psychological trauma faced by those who don’t fit in, and the terrible choice between staying true to yourself and accepting what you receive. violence. or hide your lantern in a bushel in hopes of finding some peace.
Where to watch: Tubi
Precious (2009)
16-year-old Precious Gabourey Sidibe cannot read or write and is pregnant for the second time at the beginning of the film as a result of a series of rapes by her father, although she is physically and verbally abused by her uncaring mother. on a regular basis. Unlike many of the characters in these films, Precious has a hint of hope – transferring to a new school; the attention of a well-meaning teacher, but the path to (perhaps) a better place is dark and thorny.
Where to watch: Tubi
Revolutionary Road (2008)
The horror in Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road is in the 1950s white picket fence style. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite after Titanic in a story that sees the walls closing in on a young couple trying to survive in a suffocating world, before their attempts to escape into something more spiritually fulfilling endanger their relationship and ultimately , their lives. The bright, clean streets of Revolutionary Road from the title seem as dystopian as the apocalypse of another film.
Where to watch: Paramount+
La Strada (1954)
Federico Fellini was known for his films filled with color and fantastical imagery, and this is in his story of the simple-minded Gelsomina (Julietta Masina), bought by the widower and street performer Zampano (Anthony Quinn), previously married to Gelsomina’s late sister. . Gelsomina’s bright spirit and kind heart are gradually erased by the abuse at the hands of her new husband; when she finds companionship in another street performer (in this case a clown), Zampano’s jealousy leads to tragedy, although the strongman doesn’t bother to show his wife any affection. This is a beautiful film and a devastating one.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Plague Dogs (1982)
Snitter (John Hurt) and Rowf (Christopher Benjamin) escape from a cruel animal testing laboratory in this adult animated film based on the novel by Richard Adams ( Watership Down ). I will skip the details of the experiments that these two were subjected to, except to note that they are both extremely cruel and fully reflect the actual practice of animal testing. Unfortunately, the world at large isn’t much kinder to the two escaped dogs than their former prison. It’s cute in its own way and beautifully animated… but animal lovers especially will have a hard time. This is certainly the point.
Where to watch: Tubi, Freevee, Shout Factory TV.
Father (2020)
Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his performance as Anthony, the titular father at the end of his life living with severe dementia. It’s a brilliant performance in a film that tells its story entirely from Anthony’s point of view, his disorientation playing out as the often horrifyingly disjointed moments of a life losing all its connective tissue. By privileging the point of view of the patient rather than the family or caregivers, the film is extremely humane, but it does not soften the experience and there is little comfort in it.
Where to watch: Starz
We are all strangers (2023)
A seemingly romantic ghost story, All of Us Strangers follows lonely screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) who begins a relationship with his very mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal), the only residents of an imposing new apartment building. This relationship prompts Adam to return to his family home, where he finds his parents seemingly alive and well, despite having died decades ago. Without offering too many spoilers, the film goes to some very dark places, providing a powerful reminder that loss is an inevitable part of life, yes, but also that the only real comfort is to forget and move on.
Where to watch: Hulu
Threads (1984)
A particularly effective take on the “nuclear war is actually bad” genre of the early to mid-1980s (see also Covenant and The Day After ), this British film takes a chilling, mockumentary approach to the end of days . A young Sheffield couple prepares to build a life and family together when war breaks out between the United States and the Soviet Union and a nuclear attack occurs on a NATO base about 20 miles from the city. The two are separated, and that’s just the beginning of the horrors that Karen Meagher’s Ruth Beckett faces. The emphasis is on the resulting breakdown of law and public 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 moments of light in Manchester by the Sea , and the ending doesn’t lead to a completely devastating conclusion… but there is a lot of pain and anger along the way. Casey Affleck plays Lee, who is surprised to learn that he has been given custody of his dead brother’s son. The situation forces him to confront his past in the titular town, and as we begin to understand why sullen, alcoholic Lee can barely make it through the day, it becomes clear why his past is holding him back and will continue to do so. (This is so bad.)
Where to watch: Prime Video
After the Sun (2022)
At first and on a superficial level , Aftersun is a vibrant and charming look at a cheap resort holiday in Turkey involving a divorced father (Paul Mescal, whom we’ve already talked about) and a daughter (Frankie Corio) he doesn’t know. really seen enough. But there are unsettling elements from the start, and a growing uneasiness creeps into our perspective as viewers. We soon realize that what we are seeing are flashbacks, an adult woman’s attempts to understand the life and death of her father using only her childhood memories. This joyful journey soon becomes something melancholic and very poignant.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
Robert Bresson’s film begins with the gift of a donkey named Balthazar to a sensitive farm girl, Marie. The two are separated after a family tragedy when a once beloved beast of burden turns out to be little more than a beast of burden for a family who cares nothing for him beyond his ability to do the job. Meanwhile, Marie ends up in a deeply abusive relationship, and although fate brings the woman and the donkey back together from time to time over the years, neither of them has a particularly good life, and neither of them has a particularly happy ending. It’s a wonderful film in many ways, but it’s definitely a firecracker in the genre of depressing animal stories (and maybe the donkey is supposed to be a metaphor, but let’s try not to think too much about that).
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Screams and Whispers (1972)
While I would never call Ingmar Bergman sentimental, his best films, while masterpieces of acting, directing and writing, are certainly deeply depressing, if not entirely pessimistic. Here, Agnes (Harriet Andersson) slowly dies from cancer, while her sisters struggle with their own problems and insecurities, finding themselves unable to provide the support they need. The good work and sincere care of the maid, Anna, further exacerbates the feeling of inferiority that prevents the family from uniting when it is most needed.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Rapture (1991)
A young swinger (this is 1991, when such terms were still in common parlance), played by Mimi Rogers, becomes a born-again Christian after a cult convinces her that the Rapture is imminent. Her new piety is challenged when her husband is killed, and her despair leads her to consider taking the life of her own daughter (to get her to heaven faster, of course). And that’s not even the worst part. Fearlessly depicting her heroine’s transition from hedonism to fanaticism and unimaginable despair, Rogers gives the best performance of her career; It’s a shame that this is a film you’ll almost certainly only want to see once.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Pianist (2002)
In compiling this list, I struggled with how many films about the Holocaust to include; there are many of them, enough to make an even longer list than this one on its own. For better or worse, I’ll let Roman Polanski’s The Pianist represent the whole, and it’s certainly one of the most unsparing portrayals of this particular historical horror. Based on the memoirs of Polish-Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman (played by Oscar winner Adrien Brody), the film takes us through the war; As the situation of Polish Jews gets worse and worse, Szpilman loses everything, including his love for music, which is his only lifeline. Although its legacy has been tarnished by director Polanski , The Pianist remains a stunning achievement in deftly depicting the worst of humanity.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi
Umberto D. (1952)
Any film can be sad, but it takes a special touch of cinematic hopelessness for the government to ban a film as too depressing. However, that’s exactly what happened with the story of an elderly Italian man (Carlo Battisti) struggling to keep a roof over his head after being evicted; when this proves too difficult, he decides to find a home for his beloved dog before he commits suicide. Umberto D.’s grim realism, performed primarily by non-actors, proved too much for the Italian government, which felt it painted too bleak a picture of the state of the nation after World War II. subsequently “banned the export of films considered unflattering to Italian society,” according to Peter Becker, film historian and president of the Criterion Channel.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel