# Depressing Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2001, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482 "2001-11-27T11:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/1 "2001-11-27T11:26:28Z")
So last night I saw **Of Mice And Men** with Gary Sinise and Jon Malkovich. Damn it was a depressing film. I hadn’t read the book so I didn’t know beforehand how the story ends. So it got me thinking what movies have you walked out of feeling more depressed than when you walked in. Recent depressing films I’ve seen: **Requiem For A Dream** - I was all excited as I really enjoyed Darren Aranofsky’s previous film **Pi**. But jeez, this film, _everyone_ suffers. **The Virgin Suicides** - My ex took me to see it. The theater was packed with teenage girls (first warning right there!), and when I walked out they were all just staring blankly at the credits. A good film but also one that just doesn’t make you want to feel happy. Of course there are some older depressing films like **Bladerunner** (but only the Director’s Cut) and **State Of Grace** (with Sean Penn and Gary Oldman). What other films (recent or old) did you walk out feeling less than happy? ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/2 "2001-11-27T11:58:35Z")
[Welcome to the Dollhouse](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0114906) was a terribly depressing film. The story of an awkward young Jr. High school girl with no magical Hollywood make-over to give her a happy ending. Just pure adolescent hell exactly as I remembered it. \<\\> ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/3 "2001-11-27T12:00:54Z")
If you know someone with cancer, and want to become severely depressed, rent **One True Thing** excellent, but it will break your heart. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/4 "2001-11-27T12:03:27Z")
Here’s a few of my favorites **Memento American Beauty Full Metal Jacket Seven Apocalypse Now** ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/5 "2001-11-27T12:14:02Z")
**Brian’s Song** Makes even macho men wanna cry **The Miracle Mile** with Anthony Edwards, about a coming missle attack. Disturbing… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/6 "2001-11-27T13:32:30Z")
**The Life of Brian** ends on kind of a downer. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/7 "2001-11-27T13:44:25Z")
**Blue Velvet** - if not depressing, surely disturbing as hell. **Leaving Las Vegas** - squished me flat. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/8 "2001-11-27T13:49:45Z")
The Deer Hunter ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/9 "2001-11-27T14:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Genseric \* > American Beauty Whoa, whoa, _whoa_! With all due respect, back the truck up! SPOILER AHOY A movie in which a character dies _happy_ is depressing? In that case, I would definitely recommend that you stay away from _The Ice Storm_, the title I came in here to name. If a character’s dying happy is grounds for depression, I’d hate to think how one dying in a completely meaningless accident would affect you. _American Beauty_ isn’t about living or dying, it’s about living or _not living_. Like the tag line suggests, **look closer**. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/10 "2001-11-27T14:13:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\ ***The Life of Brian** ends on kind of a downer. \*\* But it also ends with a peppy song and dance (sort of…) number. _Annnnd…Allways look on the briiiiight side of life…_ ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/11 "2001-11-27T14:16:52Z")
Just last weekend, Labmom and I saw _The Man Who Wasn’t There._ We enjoyed the Cohen brothers craft and the performances by the entire cast, but as soon as the movie was over my wife turned to me and said, “Well **THAT** was a bummer!” ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/12 "2001-11-27T14:20:54Z")
[Plague Dogs](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0084509). And it’s a cartoon too… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/13 "2001-11-27T14:26:11Z")
[Johnny Got His Gun](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0067277) is the most depressing film I’ve seen. I didn’t see the remake of _Of Mice and Men_, but I did see the original with Burgess Merideth and Lon Chaney Jr. (BTW: The Bugs Bunny characters, one a “smart” guy and the other “I want a little rabbit. I’ll hug him and pet him…” were taken from those characters.) I’d call it more “sad” than “depressing”. Ditto _Brian’s Song_. The other films mentioned (those that I’ve seen anyway) were “sad” or “ironic” or “darkly humourous”, but _Johnny Got His Gun_ was just downright _depressing_. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/14 "2001-11-27T14:41:36Z")
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon also had a quite depressing ending. Spoiler: All of the main characters are either dead, or in deep scarring depressions for the rest of their lives, having FINALLY got their respective soulmates, only to instantly lose them to death, which they had to watch. I remember thinking at the theater, “well that’s depressing.” -me ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/15 "2001-11-27T14:49:21Z")
While it’s one of the greatest pieces of _anime_ you’ll ever see, _ **Grave of the Fireflies** _ is also one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen! ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/16 "2001-11-27T14:53:28Z")
The Bicycle Thief: > **[Bicycle Thieves (1948) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522/)** > > Bicycle Thieves: Directed by Vittorio De Sica. With Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri. In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen. He and his son set out to find it. Brief plot synopsis from the site: A man who has been unemployed for months is finally given a chance at a job putting up posters. He and his family have been living in poverty for months, and are very exited to hear the news. The only requirement for the job is a bicycle. His wife pawns the sheets off of their own bed in order to buy the bicycle. And, as you can tell from the title, it is stolen on his first day of work. Now, without it, he and his son search the crowded streets of Rome for the only thing that can give him back his dignity as a man. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/17 "2001-11-27T15:10:26Z")
I hereby nominate [The Sweet Hereafter](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120255) as the most depressing movie ever. Great film, but what a downer! Man, this film has it all… [SPOILERS] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dead schoolchildren! Shattered dreams! Parapalegic teens! Sexual abuse! Adultery! Sleazy lawyers! Drug abuse! Dysfunctional families! Alienation! YIKES. ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/18 "2001-11-27T15:16:26Z")
Yep, gotta go with **Labdad** on _The Man Who Wasn’t There_. Good performances, good story, but a bummer nontheless. However, the most depressing movie I’ve ever seen is _Angela’s Ashes_. I read the book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Frank McCourt’s story is fascinating. But seeing the grinding poverty and unrelenting misery on the screen for two-plus hours just wore me out. After leaving the theater I wanted to take the gas pipe. Zap! ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/19 "2001-11-27T15:19:33Z")
Ironically, **Happiness** was one of the most depressing movies I’ve ever seen. As was \*\* What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482/20 "2001-11-27T15:23:26Z")
Oh, and I’ve got to add _The Conversation_, one of my top-three favorite movies of all time. Saw both it and _Deliverance_ for the first time on the same night. Still haven’t completely recovered my good mood. And that was 1988. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depressing-movies/95482.md?page=2)