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Really depressing films

Started by Nelson Swillie, February 02, 2011, 05:56:57 PM

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Nelson Swillie

I'm a glutton for punishment as far as depressing films go. I remember my mum saying "You'll make yourself ill watching that over and over again" because I couldn't stop watching Scum in my teenage years. Whenever I read of a film that's described as "thoroughly depressing", that's like a red rag to a bull to me. So come on, dredge up the most soul-crushing, abandon-all-hope films you've ever come away from with a face as long as a gasman's mac.

A few of mine...
Pink Floyd - the Wall (relentlessly fucking downbeat from start to finish - the Gerald Scarfe animations actually come as light relief)
The War Game ("LOL! Michael Aspel narration!" No, even that's horribly depressing in this context.)
Salo (Not even thinking of John Cleese's ace impersonation of Pasolini can make this one any less of a heart-rending chore)
Threads, When the Wind Blows - in fact, pretty much all of those "we're all fucked" nuclear war films (except the Day After - what a joke! They should've got Brian DePalma or Michael Winner to direct it!)
Eden Lake - how the hell did this even get past the censors?
Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer - insanely grim
Frightmare - Pete Walker said he aimed to send people home depressed, he certainly succeeded

Custard

Don't Look Now i find pretty depressing

Antichrist - I doubt films come bleaker. Absolutely zilch light-relief. Unless you count That Bit in the woods (not gonna spoil it)

The Elephant Man - nuff said

Nil By Mouth - so utterly depressing i never wanna see it again

Nelson Swillie

I didn't find Antichrist depressing, just very, very boring. And the fox saying "CHAOS REIGNS" reminded me of the Mighty Boosh.

Custard

Quote from: Nelson Swillie on February 02, 2011, 06:18:42 PM
I didn't find Antichrist depressing, just very, very boring. And the fox saying "CHAOS REIGNS" reminded me of the Mighty Boosh.

You'd honestly didn't find any of it depressing?

Spoiler alert
The central relationship disintegrating and turning from love to hate? Mental-breakdowns? Child-death?!
[close]

the midnight watch baboon

The Mist -for the perhaps unnecessarily added on extra cruel ending!

Glebe

Quote from: Nelson Swillie on February 02, 2011, 05:56:57 PMHenry Portrait of a Serial Killer - insanely grim

That's probably still my No.1 Most Disturbing Film Ever... and I've seen my share of gruelling video nasties.

Zero Gravitas

The Piano Teacher, such anguished powerlessness of main character at the end.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

The Piano Teacher is pretty depressing. Almost every action by each character in the film is a grim, depressing mistake. There is no joy, just a spiral of decay and inhumanity.

Don't Look Now is depressing but unlike The Piano Teacher it's also filled with joy and happy memory. It contains characters who are truly likeable and that makes the events tragic, over depressing.

Nik Drou


rjd2

Capturing The Friedmans was incredibly grim viewing.

El Unicornio, mang

A double bill of Men Behind the Sun and Black Sun will leave you feeling depressed for weeks

chocky909

Dancer In The Dark is pretty grim.

biggytitbo

The Grey Zone. Fucking hell that film is grim.

El Unicornio, mang

Dear Zachary is possibly the most depressing documentary I've seen, although it has quite a few uplifting moments amongst the grim

Ronnie the Raincoat

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on February 02, 2011, 07:40:30 PM
Dear Zachary is possibly the most depressing documentary I've seen, although it has quite a few uplifting moments amongst the grim

^

This.

Also the film adaptation of Jude.  Fuck me, I wanted to hang myself too.

VegaLA

Second vote for Pink Floyd's The Wall. Viewed it for the first (and last) time on a Sunday morning alone. Never again.

The last time I saw Battle Royale hit me hard as well, but that was not the case during the first viewing. I saw it with my Ex when we were still a couple. At that time we started watching the TV show 'Life on Mars' and we could not get past the second episode. I think something was stirring in the air at that time which I honestly suspect was responsible for the eventual split.
I plan on watchinng BR again, I need to shake it off and see it for what it is, a fun action film full of Japanese schoolgirls.

Virus. I remember seeing this on the shelves of the video stores during the Video Nasty boom but always opted for Zombie Flesheaters or Shogun Assassin. A friend pulled a Betamx version from his attic (along with many other forgotten gems) around 95 and I watched it on my Brothers old Betamax player. Wish I hadn't bothered.
Found it on 'the Other place' as a torrent last week and thought about it but.....

biggytitbo

Am I the only one who's even seen the Grey Zone?

Crabwalk

Romanian abortion drama '4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days' has fewer belly laughs than you'd expect.

Shoulders?-Stomach!


Johnny Townmouse

Quote from: biggytitbo on February 02, 2011, 08:39:48 PM
Am I the only one who's even seen the Grey Zone?

I was developing a screenplay for the very same idea. And then I saw an announcement that this was being made and had gone into pre-production and I punched  a wall. Pretty good film, but too bleak for the Academy to give out Shoah-nods.


dr_christian_troy

Miracle Mile. I neeeed to hunt down the depressing Tangerine Dream soundtrack that accompanies it at some point.

Regarding the Men Behind The Sun, check out The Philosophy Of The Knife for further 731 horridness. Fucking hell.

Neville Chamberlain

Michael Haneke's The Seventh Continent.

Also, Irréversible....

El Unicornio, mang

Quote from: dr_christian_troy on February 02, 2011, 09:44:06 PM
Regarding the Men Behind The Sun, check out The Philosophy Of The Knife for further 731 horridness. Fucking hell.

I watched that, but it's resemblance to a Nine Inch Nails video, and the slightly laughable way that they used models with trimmed vaginas to play the victims lessened the impact somewhat. The teeth pulling scene is brutal though.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: dr_christian_troy on February 02, 2011, 09:44:06 PM
Miracle Mile. I neeeed to hunt down the depressing Tangerine Dream soundtrack that accompanies it at some point.


Recorded during their naff period - its pretty unlistenable, but might be better listened in the context of the film.


Shoulders?-Stomach!

Their naff period lasts about 30 years, give or take some exceptions which are almost accidents when you take into account their prolific nature.

If by naff you mean the New Age stuff then perhaps.

Marty McFly

Christiane F
Maniac (awful early-80s slasher film)
Requiem For A Dream
Harsh Times

Harpo Speaks

Quote from: chocky909 on February 02, 2011, 07:33:03 PM
Dancer In The Dark is pretty grim.

Agreed. And I second the Threads mention.

New for the thread - Grave of the Fireflies. A laugh riot.

BJB

Threads and When the Wind Blows, two films I still refuse to watch ever again, to this day.

But Pink Floyd The Wall...maybe its because I've seen it so many times, or maybe its through listening to the surprisingly hilarious audio commentary, but I don't find it depressing any more. I watched it again recently and, it DOES get kinda silly toward the end. I know what the Trial is supposed to represent/symbolize (and it was the scariest part first time I watched it), but I don't get the same air of sadness from before. I've conquered the Wall! Now onto Threads and When the Wind Blows....

Custard

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Pig's feet dinner, daddy rapes, AIDS, Lenny Kravitz.

A pure filmic sunbeam.