Some friends and I rented Monster’s Ball knowing nothing about it other than Halle Berry won an Oscar for it. We made it through, but then went out, found someone with the movie Jerk, came back with food and more people.
Some movies need a type of warning that lets you know just how depressing they are.
I might be alone here, but I found Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to be horribly depressing.
And not in a crying way.
As far as depressing goes, the ones that come to mind are:
Gummo - you want to stop watching but cant.
Happiness - ditto
Farenheight911 - I have seen people brought to tears. I couldn’t watch it all - tooo depressing.
And just sad:
Shadowlands - I was bawling by the end
Similar to Once were Warriors and Romper Stomper, but more depressing “The Boys”. btw, this movie is brilliantly acted.
Similarly, I’d say Testament. No more than midway through, my wife simply said “I can’t watch anymore,” got up and walked out.
I’d have to agree about Testament. Gut-wrenching stuff. We hired it once from the local video store and I remember my mother also walking out about half-way through in tears.
THE HOURS makes me want to load my pockets with rocks and stroll into the nearest river. Can’t get much more depressing than that.
OP by annieclaus
I agree…I read the book for my book group and loved it…didn’t find the book particularly depressing…just absorbing. But the movie!
I enjoyed Steel Magnolias and didn’t find it depressing because I didn’t feel Julia Roberts’ character “worked”. I didn’t think they developed her character or maybe she was miscast…I just didn’t care that she died. :rolleyes: I did like the banter between the older women…now they were interesting!
I didn’t see House of Sand and Fog on anyone’s list. Now, I must admit I never saw the movie, but I did read the book and knew that I would not watch the film.
Blackhawk Down
Ronin
Sleepers: a kind of bittersweet ending
A Simple Plan
Leon: is it an action flick? a drama? a coming-of-age story? about redemption? Yes.
Sling Blade
For a freakishly beautiful, odd and sad film try Northfork.
For a sob-your-eyes-out-at-the-end, nothing beats Where the Red Fern Grows if you’re into doggies dying and little boys crying.
And, of course Terms of Endearment, American Beauty are quite the downers.
Last Stop in Brooklyn (uncertain correct title) is depressing as well.
Though it was some critics panned it, I started crying during the opening frame of Angela’s Ashes and didn’t stop for two hours.
Yes! Well, at least I got it close with some kind of stopping action :smack:
Where the day takes you
I have to second ( and third, etc) Once were warriors
And million dollar baby. But that’s not out on video yet.
Japanese Story
I have cried during three movies in the last 25 years. This was one of them.
If you can find a copy of Allegro non Troppo, the cat section. :eek: 
Cast Away depressed the hell out of me.
74% of all anime (both movies and series’. Not counting comedies—if you count those, it drops to 53%).
Some more possible suggestions.
Last Night is somewhere between “sad” and “utterly depressing.”
We really need an “eating a glock” smiley.
We wound up with Requiem for a Dream and Dancer in the Dark. And there were tears. We had to watch the first half of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice to calm ourselves down. Blockbuster had neither Happiness nor Grave of the Fireflies, so they’re on my ‘to see’ list.
Once Were Warriors is set on the other side of my city - I’ve seen it a few times and it always breaks my heart. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Warning - ‘Happiness’ is not teary-depressing like Shadowlands it is sick-depressing.
Go forth and rent Miracle Mile.
The last people I sprung it on sat there motionless and speechless for about 5 minutes after the movie ended, and then screamed at me for not warning them, and then went off to pour themselves a few drinks.
You’ll, umm, “enjoy” it the most if you know the least about it beforehand.
I was coming in to mention Brazil the first time I saw it I sat stunned in my seat until the lights came up. The ending was like a knife in my heart.
Shadowlands had me crying. The best acting of Anthony Hopkins career.
*Once Were Warriors * had a big impact on my but I thought the last line of the movie was trite and almost ruined the end.
The mother finds out her husbands friend was molesting their daughter and caused her to kill herself. She uses her incredibly abusive husband in the only way she can, as a weapon. She gets her revenge on the molester by telling her husband (Jango Fett) what happened and setting him loose. She then leaves her husband for good. It is the perfect end to the movie. She then goes to the car and one of her children asks where they are going. She gets a peaceful look on her face and says, “We’re going home” . I hate that line. Very cliche in an otherwise unique movie.
(bolding mine)
I could not agree more. This film is one of the most depressing ever made. It really showcases what lengths some will go to for personal gain. And Bill Paxton does a fantastic job (I feel that it’s his best work…not saying alot, but still…).
Hee. One guy I knew took me on a date to a French movie about the Black Plague. He saw the listing - “Oh, French with subtitles. Sounds romantic!” :smack:
Count this as another vote for ‘Grave of the Fireflies’.
For classics, how about Old Yeller?
Oh gosh, all those animal movies they inflict on children:
Ol’ Yeller
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Red Pony
The Yearling
The Velveteen Rabbit (a stuffed animal, but it still traumatized me as a kid)
Charlotte’s Web (sure, the pig lives, but the spider dies)
I don’t know if So Dear to my Heart belongs on this list because I can’t remember now if the lamb buys it in the end.
Why do they show these movies to kids? Is it suppose to toughen us up? Get us used to death? It sure didn’t work for me, if anything they made me even more insecure. I cry all the time because I worry about my pets dying.
Anyway, those are sure-fire tear jerking depressing movies.