Really depressing films

[Viero_Berlotti]

Krzysztof Kieślowski's relentlessly grim existentialist dissection of the death penalty A Short Film About Killing must surely be up there,

Spoiler alert

especially the chillingly, clinical and efficient way the protagonist is executed.

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Kieślowski is very much a film-makers film-maker, so despite not being in any way mainstream, it's a very influential film. The muted colour palette, achieved by Kieślowski's creative use of camera filters gives the eastern-european setting an impressionistically sombre feel. This use of desaturated colour to create a mood and feel is something that has become widespread (some might say too widespread) in digital age cinema over the past 10 years, and Kieślowski should be considered one of the prime innovators of this.

[Nelson Swillie]

Cannibal Holocaust is ace. Not in a "fun fun fun, I watch it at least once a week with a few beers" way*, obviously, but it's a mighty punch in the face to both jaded viewers and all notions of taste, decency and standards. Deodato didn't regret making it at all, I've seen a recent interview where he says "It's still a very fine film, I don't think I could have improved on it in any way". It was also made as a reaction to the sensationalist approach Italian news programming took in the late seventies - he was distressed that images of real human suffering and violence were being flashed into living rooms at teatime, giving his children nightmares, so he made an "anti journalists" film. Yes, he regretted the animal cruelty, but it was a requisite of the subgenre of Italian cannibal exploitation films. For what it's worth, the bit in Cannibal Ferox with the snake crushing the mongoose is far more upsetting than seeing Touche Turtle meet his maker.

Not a depressing film per se, but Night of the Living Dead has one of the most blood-freezing final acts of all time.

_{* I recommend Jess Franco's Bloody Moon for that purpose. Arf.}

[VegaLA]

Jesus Franco?

Yeah, if you want depressing watch his 'Cannibals'. Two hours of Al Cliver from 'Zombie Flesheaters' walking around a forrest.

[Nelson Swillie]

Or indeed The Devil Hunter. Some mug with pingpong balls stuck over his eyes with plasticine running amok. Fucking pish!

[trench]

The War Zone. Directed by Tim Roth and starring Ray Winstone. I saw this around ten years ago, and I have never wanted to see it again. A complete blind watch. "Directed by Tim Roth and starring Ray Winstone? This is a must watch!", I thought at the time. And it was. I was enthralled. Then utterly repulsed. In a way no other film has ever repulsed me (and yes, I've seen a lot of repulsive, offensive films, just to stave off that argument). If you think Nil By Mouth is depressing, yes, I agree. But The War Zone?

I'm still scarred.

[Jake Thingray]

Jesus Franco?

Yeah, if you want depressing watch his 'Cannibals'. Two hours of Al Cliver from 'Zombie Flesheaters' walking around a forrest.

Oh, I love old Jess! Met him once, he was wholly pleasant. Rather watch his nonsense than period costume poncing about or science fiction of any kind, thank you very much.

[lipsink]

I remember Maniac depressed me when I saw it a few years ago. It was so sleazy and horrible I felt I needed a bath afterwards. Never felt like watching it a second time but I might give it a go just to see if it was that bad. Sid & Nancy I've only seen the once too but found the last half so miserable and depressing. It just seemed to go on and on.

[derek stitt]

I'd say Come Play With Me is worse, if only because I really did NOT want to see Alfie Bass's piss-stained longjohns.

That's the charm of the film.

[Johnny Townmouse]

The War Zone. Directed by Tim Roth and starring Ray Winstone. I saw this around ten years ago, and I have never wanted to see it again. A complete blind watch. "Directed by Tim Roth and starring Ray Winstone? This is a must watch!", I thought at the time. And it was. I was enthralled. Then utterly repulsed. In a way no other film has ever repulsed me (and yes, I've seen a lot of repulsive, offensive films, just to stave off that argument). If you think Nil By Mouth is depressing, yes, I agree. But The War Zone?
I'm still scarred.

I have a lot of time for this film. I don't know how much the direction was helped by the cinematographer, or if it is Roth's natural talent, but I'm amazed he didn't go on to do more directing. The final scenes are grim,

Spoiler alert

the final stabbing actually does little to make you feel resolution

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, which is an achievement in itself.

[Jake Thingray]

That's the charm of the film.

Agreed. And I'll always be jealous of Derek Aylward, for obvious reasons.

[Milo]

As I seem to mention in every one of these threads, The Plague Dogs is grimness personified. I don't I've ever made it through the whole thing more than once. Not even Alan "Papers" Price on the soundtrack can lift the mood of chilling hopelessness which pervades the whole thing.

God yeh. I read the book beforehand and so for me the film began with an absolutely chilling moment when I realised what that splashing sound is.

Was surprised at

Spoiler alert

the film having the sadder ending

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. There's variances in versions too, so degrees of bleakness. Gawd, welling up now just thinking about it.

[Lord Mandrake]

I was really excited to see Synecdoche n.y on film four having loved all films involving Kaufman but it sent me into a right existential funk.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Last Exit To Brooklyn. Granted, you don't go in expecting a barrel of laughs, but jeez it's soul-crushing. I started watching it many years ago on video with a few friends - we lasted 15 or so minutes before realising that we were all within two minutes of slitting our wrists with the butter knife and had to put on Spaceballs or something similar to take the taste away.

I also have to say that I don't find either The Elephant Man or Battle Royale truly depressing. There's nasty, shattering stuff in both, but each in its way has a hopeful ending (Merrick's transcendent final scene, "Keep running!") that does a lot to defuse their ability to be truly grim. I love both, by the way.

[jonnycuba]

David Lynch - Inland Empire.

[Serge]

Last Exit To Brooklyn. Granted, you don't go in expecting a barrel of laughs, but jeez it's soul-crushing. I started watching it many years ago on video with a few friends - we lasted 15 or so minutes before realising that we were all within two minutes of slitting our wrists with the butter knife and had to put on Spaceballs or something similar to take the taste away.

Fucking hell, probably a good job you didn't stick it out until the

Spoiler alert

gang-rape

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scene at the end....

[Spiny Norman]

Brazil
Ikiru
Se7en (but only because of the rather sad ending)

But I still recommend seeing at least the first two.

[bloogoon]

Come and See. Few nations have a capacity for depressing cinema like Russia, and no other film portrays the sense of sadistic brutality of war better than this one.

I watched Requiem for a Dream a couple of weeks ago after which I was going to start a thread called 'Films your glad you've seen but really wished you hadn't watched' if that makes sense?

Come and see would be No.2 on my list with RfaD a clear winner.

[Nelson Swillie]

Famous Mortimer's audition tape for Big Brother 9 where he starts rapping. Just hideous.

[Dusty Gozongas]

Irreversible might be one you shouldn't watch if you are in fact already suffering from depression.

[Serge]

Se7en (but only because of the rather sad ending)

Funnily enough, I don't find 'Se7en' depressing at all, though that's possibly because William Somerset's worldview is pretty much the same as mine, so it always cheers me up to see a wise and dignified old man saying everything I think.

[Famous Mortimer]

The Last American Virgin

Up to the end, it's reasonably normal early 80s teen-raunch fair, then the ending leaves the experience of having watched the film as cold ashes in your mouth. Absolutely depressing as shit.

[Peru]

Brazil
Ikiru
Se7en (but only because of the rather sad ending)

But I still recommend seeing at least the first two.

Ikiru? But it's not depressing! It's the opposite!

[Johnny Townmouse]

In the Company of Men

Fuck me, how could I forget to list this film. I watched this film in the 'company' of a women in her 20s who was a virgin and had never had a boyfriend. By the end of this film she literally looked she was shaken to the very core of her body, such was the confirmation of her greatest fear.

[SavageHedgehog]

The Last American Virgin

Up to the end, it's reasonably normal early 80s teen-raunch fair, then the ending leaves the experience of having watched the film as cold ashes in your mouth. Absolutely depressing as shit.

The original Israeli version (Lemon Popsicle), with a finale soundtracked by

Spoiler alert

Mr Lonely

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is even more depressing. The

Spoiler alert

abortion

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scene is one of the bleakest things I've ever seen

[Catalogue Trousers]

Although it does have the saving grace of the obligatory fat kid's doings being soundtracked by either "Witch Doctor" or "La Bamba".

[sirhenry]

No mention of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? I've not seen it since it came out, but from my memory it starts off in a world of depression and decay and goes relentlessly down from there to the end. An exercise in bleak hopelessness.
Great film though.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Watched Precious the other night. Kind of uplifting in some ways but a whole lot of bleak too, particularly the sexual abuse at the hands of her mother and father. Also,

Spoiler alert

her having HIV wouldn't have been so bad if it was set in present day, as you can still live into old age with the right treatment, but back in the 80s it was pretty much a death sentence.

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[SavageHedgehog]

Defendor; I knew this would hardly be Mystery Men, but geez! Kick Ass probably got too carried away with over the top excess to follow through on its premise, but this goes too far in the oposite direction, way too far.

[defmem]

I love Defendor, but yeh it's a hell of a bleak film.

Spoiler alert

The reveal of where 'Captain Industry' comes from was heartbreaking, and the reveal of the undercover cop puts the scene it relates to in an even more depressing light

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.

[phantom_power]

Defendor; I knew this would hardly be Mystery Men, but geez! Kick Ass probably got too carried away with over the top excess to follow through on its premise, but this goes too far in the oposite direction, way too far.

special is a similar film, with michael rappaport. it does muddy the waters a bit too much but is pretty bleak as a character study of mental illness and paranoia