Good Movies that are Depressing

[G0UCONN]

Movies that are good/great that by the end, or maybe because of the ending, left you slumped out or needing a stiff drink to forget....I am sure missing some good examples but first few that come to mind:

Schinder's List
Million Dollar Baby
Boy in Striped Pajamas
Brian's Song
Reservoir Dogs
The Champ

 

[8893]

Manchester by the Sea
Precious
Moonlight
American Beauty
Philomena
Death be not Proud
Leaving Las Vegas

 

[G0UCONN]

Good call on American Beauty

Haven't seen Manchester by Sea yet

 

[8893]

Good call on American Beauty

Haven't seen Manchester by Sea yet

Schindler’s List probably defines the category, but Manchester by the Sea is up there.

Oddly, I’ll still watch it again because the acting is so great. All three leads are A+ imo.

 

[John]

Requiem for a Dream

 

[G0UCONN]

Schindler’s List probably defines the category, but Manchester by the Sea is up there.

Oddly, I’ll still watch it again because the acting is so great. All three leads are A+ imo.

Agree on Schindler's List but I don't think I saw a movie with a more gut wrenching sad ending than Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

 

[Waquoit]

Brazil
Raging Bull

 

[FartMan69]

Drive

 

[8893]

Agree on Schindler's List but I don't think I saw a movie with a more gut wrenching sad ending than Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Haven't seen that one or even heard of it. Will have to check it out when I'm feeling up for a gut punch.

 

[tcf15]

Two that come to mind are The Mist and Prisoners.

 

[Waquoit]

Haven't seen that one or even heard of it. Will have to check it out when I'm feeling up for a gut punch.

Or you could watch the BB team.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Any drama w/ Brie Larson. Short Term 12, Room, and The Glass Castle were all really good performances by her, overall good movies, but not real easy to watch.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Insomnia. Not the Norwegian original, but the remake w/ Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hillary Swank.

 

[8893]

Or you could watch the BB team.

Nah, I'm kind of numb to that drama now.

 

[8893]

My wife would include Life is Beautiful in this category. She was devastated by the second half of that movie. Admittedly, it was quite a departure from the glorious first half, but I thought it ended *somewhat* hopeful.

Speaking of movies with drastically different halves (could be its own category?), Full Metal Jacket probably fits that bill and this one.

 

[G0UCONN]

Haven't seen that one or even heard of it. Will have to check it out when I'm feeling up for a gut punch.

It is a great movie.

 

[G0UCONN]

My wife would include Life is Beautiful in this category. She was devastated by the second half of that movie. Admittedly, it was quite a departure from the glorious first half, but I thought it ended *somewhat* hopeful.

Speaking of movies with drastically different halves (could be its own category?), Full Metal Jacket probably fits that bill and this one.

Yes on Full Metal Jacket. First half Oscar worthy. When they get to Vietnam I didn't like it as much.

Stripes is another. Gets shaky when get through boot camp.

 

[Mano]

I would definitely agree with a lot mentioned so far: Requiem, Manchester (not even sure how it would impact me now that my first born is here), Life is Beautiful, Precious, Brazil etc.

I always kind of thought that Prisoners ended with some hope for our protagonist if not maybe a little cliffhangery. Moonlight too.

I would add the original Korean version of Oldboy, Kids, The Road (book was better), The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Grave of the Fireflies.

 

[iri10]

The Ice Storm
The Virgin Suicides
25th Hour (incidentally, the best "9/11 movie" whose plot has nothing to do with 9/11)

 

[G0UCONN]

I liked 25th Hour. Good call.

I have seen reference to it being a "9/11 movie" or tribute and dont get the connection. How so?

 

[iri10]

I liked 25th Hour. Good call.

I have seen reference to it being a "9/11 movie" or tribute and dont get the connection. How so?

At the time 25th Hour was being produced (just after 9/11 happened), almost every movie was busy pretending it didn't happen. Changing posters and scenes to remove references to the towers, or anything else that might remind people of 9/11.

25th Hour was different. Not only did you have the overt references to Ground Zero, Al Qaeda, etc., but just the general mood of the movie and the characters also reflected it. It had the correct mix of slightly bewildered anger and proud defiance, and that sort of intertwined with the emotions that the characters were feeling because of the plot of the movie.

Basically, if you want to give people born after 9/11 an idea of what Americans (especially New Yorkers) were feeling in the weeks and months after the attacks, that's the movie to show them.

 

[Mano]

At the time 25th Hour was being produced (just after 9/11 happened), almost every movie was busy pretending it didn't happen. Changing posters and scenes to remove references to the towers, or anything else that might remind people of 9/11.

25th Hour was different. Not only did you have the overt references to Ground Zero, Al Qaeda, etc., but just the general mood of the movie and the characters also reflected it. It had the correct mix of slightly bewildered anger and proud defiance, and that sort of intertwined with the emotions that the characters were feeling because of the plot of the movie.

Basically, if you want to give people born after 9/11 an idea of what Americans (especially New Yorkers) were feeling in the weeks and months after the attacks, that's the movie to show them.

Totally agree, and then, of course, there's this:

 

[G0UCONN]

Totally agree, and then, of course, there's this:

Hey, Trump stole and gave that same speech in Sept 2016...

 

[CL82]

I'll second Million Dollar Baby. You just kind of sit there afterward and go "Wait... what? Noooo. But... What the [heck] just happened?"

Grand Torino isn't as bad but that's a tough ending as well.

 

[Dove]

The Perfect Storm

The Departed

Mystic River

Children of Men