# Depressing movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287 "2004-10-20T21:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/21 "2004-10-21T01:40:54Z")
**Raise the Red Lantern.** Actually, this one is both supremely depressing _and_ incredibly disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/22 "2004-10-21T01:48:37Z")
Try _Lorenzo’s Oil_ . Just ignore Nick Nolte’s very bad accent. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/23 "2004-10-21T01:59:33Z")
Cast Away. Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. 30-47% of all anime. Gallipoli [or so I’ve heard] All Quiet on the Western Front ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/24 "2004-10-21T02:00:31Z")
**In the Bedroom The Mother Night, Mother Bonhoeffer Stalingrad AI Brief Encounter** ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/25 "2004-10-21T02:50:37Z")
I was coming in to offer the following which have already been said, so consider this a seconding of: **Leaving Las Vegas** **Requiem for a Dream** **Boys Don’t Cry** And one I haven’t seen mentioned yet: **High Art** Good call on **In the Bedroom** , I’d forgotten all about that one. ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/26 "2004-10-21T03:11:35Z")
**Remember the Titans** had a pretty depressing ending. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/27 "2004-10-21T03:21:03Z")
**The Last Picture Show** **Midnight Cowboy** ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/28 "2004-10-21T03:46:58Z")
I’m gonna print this thread cos I love depressing movies and haven’t seen all the ones mentioned here… so thanks, everybody. I add: **Kids Remains of the Day Manchurian Candidate (the original, natch) Crossing Guard You Can Count on Me Indian Summer Days of Wine and Roses** **Kids** is not for the faint-hearted. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/29 "2004-10-21T03:52:10Z")
I’m completely lost on what the title of this movie was, I only saw it once. It starred James Woods as a guy who goes to LA to make his fortune, only to get addicted to drugs. He ends up living in a dump, and at the end of the film, he’s going on about how his big break is just around the corner, as he chops up a mountain of cocaine. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Now _that_ was a depressing movie. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/30 "2004-10-21T03:54:48Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > I’m completely lost on what the title of this movie was, I only saw it once. It starred James Woods as a guy who goes to LA to make his fortune, only to get addicted to drugs. He ends up living in a dump, and at the end of the film, he’s going on about how his big break is just around the corner, as he chops up a mountain of cocaine. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Now _that_ was a depressing movie. Um, no - but it reminds me of another depressing James Woods movie, **Videodrome**. Also, reference in my previous post to **Indian Summer** should’ve been **Indian Runner**. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/31 "2004-10-21T04:06:10Z")
The half of **Dogville** is quite depressing, not to mention rather sadistic. The last ten minutes, however, is morbidly happy in comparison. I’m starting to get the feeling I’m the only one here that saw that movie…or at least, the only one who wants to admit to it. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/32 "2004-10-21T04:26:00Z")
Does _Of Mice and Men_ count? ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/33 "2004-10-21T06:10:44Z")
_Brian’s Song_. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/34 "2004-10-21T06:12:27Z")
For more suggestions, you may want to look at [this older thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=101121) and [this one too.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=195909&highlight=Chinatown) However, if you click these links, beware of spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/35 "2004-10-21T07:11:04Z")
Some that haven’t been mentioned yet… Pelle the Conqueror Breaking the Waves Jean de Florette 1984 Monster Jude Iris The Accused All pure hopelessness and despair, especially “Pelle the Conqueror”. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/36 "2004-10-21T08:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=Martha] It was NZ, wasn’t it? It was from NZ - starred Maori actor Temuera Morrison, last seen playing Jango Fett in AotC, and directed by Lee Tamahori, last seen directing the awful last Bond movie, Die Another Day. Bleak, violent stuff, and I don’t think anyone in NZ quite bought Tem Morrison as an intergalactic bounty-hunter after seeing him as Jake The Muss, violently abusive family man. Can’t watch him in AotC without picturing him saying “Trouble with you Jedi is you’re too damn lippy.” Of course, AotC was depressing for its own reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/37 "2004-10-21T08:49:34Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > The half of **Dogville** is quite depressing, not to mention rather sadistic. The last ten minutes, however, is morbidly happy in comparison. > > I’m starting to get the feeling I’m the only one here that saw that movie…or at least, the only one who wants to admit to it. Nope, I saw it too. And yeah, I have to admit that my description of it to a friend was “well, it had a happy ending, in my opinion.” A second for “Grave of the Fireflies” My own nomination is “Farewell, My Concubine.” Very beautiful, and very sad. Two friends being ground under a millwheel of history. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/38 "2004-10-21T10:04:01Z")
Breaker Morant. But the nominee for all time I would think would be ‘Paths of Glory’. Not only depressing, but infuriating. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Certainly\_If\_You\_Please](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Certainly\_If\_You\_Please](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Certainly_If_You_Please)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/39 "2004-10-21T11:34:09Z")
“Irriversible” Not only depressing but graphically horrifying ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287/40 "2004-10-21T12:22:04Z")
Perhaps you should go for a Bait And Switch movie—i.e., one which is billed as a comedy but is actually really depressing. _Muriel’s Wedding_ springs to mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/270287.md?page=3)