# Please recommend some dark, dramatic movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434 "2009-01-01T03:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/1 "2009-01-01T03:11:46Z")
I don’t get out much. I might hear some buzz during awards season, or I’ll see trailers on TV, but it’s hit or miss. Santa brought me some good ones and I’d like more of the same. Movies like _The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada_, _Gone Baby Gone_, and _There Will Be Blood_. I loved _No Country for Old Men_. I don’t mind movies that are showcases for actors but I like some story along with the acting. The movies don’t have to be modern, or in color, and I’m fine with subtitles. I don’t like gratuitous sex or violence or seeing children in peril. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/2 "2009-01-01T03:29:32Z")
Dark and dramatic, eh? Hmm… [Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292963/) [Laura](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037008/) [The Man Who Wasn’t There](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243133/) [The Usual Suspects](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/) [Glengarry Glen Ross](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/) That’s all I got. No gratuitous sex or violence, no children in peril. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/3 "2009-01-01T03:33:09Z")
Actually, I take back the Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead recommendation. That does get pretty violent. I’ll replace that with [A Simple Plan](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120324/). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/4 "2009-01-01T03:40:14Z")
Woo hoo! I haven’t seen any of those. Thanks, **Sefton**. 😃 I don’t mind violence – I just don’t like long, drawn out torture scenes. I liked _Chinatown_ and _Blood Simple_, hated _Marathon Man_. ETA: I **have** seen _A Simple Plan_. Loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/5 "2009-01-01T03:46:07Z")
**Mystic River** comes to mind immediately. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/6 "2009-01-01T03:53:36Z")
> [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](#): > > **Mystic River** comes to mind immediately. Yep. Movies like that. Or (speaking of Sean Penn), like _King’s Row_, even if it **was** cleaned up for a 1940’s audience. (Claude Rains molested his daughter.) Times like this are when I wish I hadn’t seen every Bette Davis movie ever made. Now there’s some dark drama. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/7 "2009-01-01T03:56:47Z")
And I don’t know why Sean Penn made me think of _King’s Row_. I confuse that movie with _All the King’s Men_, which is another good one. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/8 "2009-01-01T04:05:04Z")
[American Gangster](http://www.netflix.com/Movie/American_Gangster/70060009?trkid=64596) [The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford](http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Assassination_of_Jesse_James_by_the_Coward_Robert_Ford/70044698?trkid=64596) [Notes On A Scandal](http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Notes_on_a_Scandal/70052704?trkid=64596) [A History Of Violence](http://www.netflix.com/Movie/A_History_of_Violence/70032597?trkid=64596) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/9 "2009-01-01T04:07:07Z")
Heavenly Creatures, an early Peter Jackson movie is good. Based on the true story of two girls who have this obsessive friendship and end up killing one girl’s mother. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/10 "2009-01-01T04:11:11Z")
Why don’t you give **In Bruges** a try? I heartily endorse it as a two-thumbs up winner and the fact that it hasn’t gotten much attention (not on this side of the pond at least) is a plus. I don’t want to give anything away other than I think you’ll like it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/11 "2009-01-01T04:12:29Z")
[Road to Perdition](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0257044/) [In Bruges](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/) (some dark comedic elements as well) [Friday Night Lights](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0390022/) (much more than a sports movie) [The Final Cut](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0364343/) (smart SF with good performances from both Robin Williams and Mira Sorvino) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/12 "2009-01-01T04:19:18Z")
Very Bad Things Citizen Ruth Showgirls The Substitute Mulberry St. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/13 "2009-01-01T04:23:22Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > [Road to Perdition](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0257044/) > [In Bruges](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/) (some dark comedic elements as well) > [Friday Night Lights](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0390022/) (much more than a sports movie) > [The Final Cut](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0364343/) (smart SF with good performances from both Robin Williams and Mira Sorvino) Given the criteria in the OP, I wouldn’t recommend **In Bruges**. The film graphically portrays Colin Farrell accidentally shooting a six year old boy in the head. although personally I loved the movie. I’d recommend: [The Kremlin Letter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065950/) [To Live and Die in L.A.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090180/) [Sharky’s Machine](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083064/) [Sleuth](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/) (The original, not the remake) and what the hell, I’ll go ahead and recommend [The Quiet Earth](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089869/), if you’re into sci-fi. On edit: Can’t forget two of my favorites no one else I know seems to have heard of: [Sorcerer](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076740/), based on the equally excellent [The Wages of Fear](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046268/). ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/14 "2009-01-01T04:28:27Z")
try a double feature of **Night, Mother** with Sissy Spacek, and **Mother Night** with Nick Nolte ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/15 "2009-01-01T04:29:13Z")
Oh, and [On the Beach](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053137/). And if you’re not into boycotting Tom Cruise, [Collateral](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369339/) is a fine movie. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/16 "2009-01-01T04:45:24Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > Given the criteria in the OP, I wouldn’t recommend **In Bruges**. > > The film graphically portrays Colin Farrell accidentally shooting a six year old boy in the head. > > although personally I loved the movie. Yes, there is that, but if I recall correctly, it’s a flashback scene and a _fait accompli_; there’s no “in peril” element - meaning the scene, while traumatic, is not drawn out for effect. The film does have a couple of fairly violent scenes, though I wouldn’t say gratuitous ones. **AunitePam** , you can read **Linty Fresh** ’s spoiler and decide for yourself - it does give away a plot point, but I don’t think it would hinder your enjoyment if you decided to see it anyway. ETA: And I’ll second both _The Quiet Earth_ and _Collateral_. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/17 "2009-01-01T05:13:15Z")
This is encouraging. I’ve seen some of these movies and they’re just what I was looking for. Which means the recs for the ones I **haven’t** seen should work. But _Showgirls_? Really? There’s a story there? (I haven’t seen it.) Loved _On the Beach_, _Collateral_, _Road to Perdition_, _The Wages of Fear_, _Heavenly Creatures_, _American Gangster_, and _A History of Violence_. The _Jesse James_ novel is a favorite and the movie’s on my wish list. I haven’t seen the others and I’ll have to wait for the DVD of _In Bruges_ (theaters around here only play blockbusters). But now I have a list to work from, and a few of these movies are probably on TV somewhere. Excellent! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/18 "2009-01-01T08:26:53Z")
_Syriana_, from a couple of years back. Dark, and very smart. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/19 "2009-01-01T09:53:47Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > Why don’t you give **In Bruges** a try? > > I heartily endorse it as a two-thumbs up winner and the fact that it hasn’t gotten much attention (not on this side of the pond at least) is a plus. It has been nominated for some Golden Globes: > [@](#): > > Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical > > Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical > **Colin Farrell** > > Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical > **Brendan Gleeson** The Chicago Film Critics Association nominated it for Best Screenplay, Original ( **Martin McDonagh** ) and Most Promising Filmmaker ( **Martin McDonagh** ), and it was nominated for a couple of Satellite Awards, Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical and Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical ( **Brendan Gleeson** ). Awards season has just started so it could get even more attention. I highly recommend it too. Don’t let those “Comedy or Musical” categories fool you, it’s funny, but it’s also pretty damned dark and psychological. It’s on my list of favorite films of the year. I saw it first at a free screening with the writer/director in attendance, and liked it so much I paid to see it again twice more. It’d make an awesome double feature with **Kiss Kiss Bang Bang** , so check that one out too. I would also highly recommend **The Fall** , which just came out on DVD. I’m way biased, because it was my favorite film of 2008 and I obsessed on it something fierce (saw it 9 times in the theater). I realize it got some pretty bad reviews (fie!) but if you’re in the right mood it can grab you and not let go. AuntiePam, I heart you for liking **There Will Be Blood**. That was my favorite movie of 2007, and I saw it many many times in the theater too. Have you seen the thoroughly wonderful **Charlie Wilson’s War**? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434/20 "2009-01-01T10:22:04Z")
How about [Double Indemnity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Indemnity_(film))? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-dark-dramatic-movies/479434.md?page=2)