What the single-most depressing movie you've seen?
 

Ok...so i just watched 'Requiem for a Dream' for the first time...ever...and it literally depressed the shit out of me. I'd heard stories about how graphic and depressing, but i didn't take heed.

For those of you who've seen it, you know exactly what i'm talking about.

But it got me to thinking...my reactions to films of this sort isn't usually this intense. I was literally about to cry because i felt so bad for these characters and the events that were unfolding.

My question to you guys is this...What is the single-most depressing movie you encountered? ...not 'which movie made you cry?'...i wanna know which movie hurled you into a depressed, gut-wrenching world of emotional hurt...so bad that you can barely stand entertaining the thought of ever watching it again.

I'd love to hear your input guys...lay it on me!

Tied for first...
Happiness
Trees Lounge

I dunno - I try not to watch depressing stuff. That being said, CRASH was damned depressing. I did a lot of crying during that.

Juwanaman...it broke my heart.

Schindlers list, Passion of the Christ, King Kong (original), King Kong (recent), Syriana, Constant Gardner, Hero, and The Exorcist: New Beginning.

City of God.

We finally turned it off, when the one kids had to execute one of his friends, in order to show loyalty to the older gang members. I can't think of anything much more depressing than the endless cycle of retaliatory violence depicted in this movie.

ugh.

Passion of the Christ.....I was depressed and emotionally wrecked for days after I saw it

Thirteen... the end of the movie things might improve but i couldn't get there, it was just so unbelievably depressing....

Most war films depress the shit out of me. Humanity has a long way to go.

Another that had a strong impact on me was Das Experiment. It was based off the Stanford Prison Experiments. Some heavy shit, especially when you know that such things happen for real.

Saving Private Ryan was also very depressing to me

OMG i totally forgot about that.... I saw it as a screener and then took the train from NYC to visit my mom in Princeton, NJ.

I was so moved and saddened that I called my mom while riding the train just to hear her voice.

Armageddon. Was fucking rubbish.

Schindler's List is far and away the most depressing movie I've ever seen. The most depressing scene I've seen recently is in Cinderella Man when Spoiler: James Braddock goes on Public Assistance and then has to beg from the Boxing Commission men in order to get the rest of the money to get his electricity turned back on. That really hit me.

"The Pianist" was very depressing. As was "A Beautiful Mind".

A.I. Artificial Intellegence, depressed me. It just kept on getting worse.

I'll go back a few years and say "Brian's Song"

"Nobody Knows" is really sad =(

American History X.

Danny came so far...

"Mean Creek" made me feel like shit.

Uh, yeah, I think we get that joke about "bad" movies making you sad, but that's not really what this thread is about. It's sad movies that make you sad, not movies that you don't like, right?

So for me, it'd have to be 50 First Dates. Just the whole thing that you have to remind poor Lucy that you're married to her, and that she even has kids with you, every morning for the rest of your life... I mean. Man.

Chalk another one up for Requiem for a Dream, too.

OH! And Donnie Darko depressed me too.

The Machinist. The general mood and feel of the movie were so depressing we turned it off after half an hour. Schindler's List was also incredibly depressing; I couldn't watch much of it at all.

Hell yea man...that movie was the ish! I forgot about it...even though it's one of my all time favorite movies!

Makes you realize just how much of a bitch life can be.

I concur...
 

I remember seeing this movie at the theater with some friends of mine...afterwards, i was just in this surreal state of mind. That movie really did a number on me, the way it unfolded and how everybody was inter-connected...excellent (but depressing as hell) movie.

I concur...
 

Yet another excellent selection. Cheers to you sadistikdreams.

RFAD, history x, shindler's list,

ohh!! OSAMA was super depressing!

I don't know of a single person who has been able to watch that movie without blubbering like a little girl at the end...

The Champ ranks up there too - but Brians Song really tugs at your heart..

Requiem For A Dream

That movie puts people in psych wards it's so depressing...

Baise Moi was also a downer.

I watched a Korean flick the other day - Oldboy, bizarre, twisted and depressing. Another Korean movie, Memories of Murder is also good & depressing. But the most for me, is Woodsman by Kevin Bacon.

I'll have to agree with snowy and say The Machinist. I own it, and still watch it every now and then, but I always get kind of depressed afterward.

Gummo. That movie is just too depressing all the way through, like The Machinist, but completely different...

Leaving Las Vegas. Even though I knew what was going to happen less than halfway through, I still wasn't ready for it when it did actually happen.

Schindlers list and A.I. both had me near tears for like the entire movie.

Pay it Forward depressed me as well

ditto on Pay It Forward and Schindler's List. Also The Green Mile...I actually bought it, but can't make myself watch it again. I'm sure there are others I can't think of right now.

hmm. I saw Schindler's List in a different light. Oscar Schindler was a hero. Yes, of course, the backdrop was heartwrenching but he saved lives. I found the story redeeming. I had more trouble with the bigotry and contempt displayed in 'Philadelpia.'

The Bicycle Thief was probably the most depressing movie I have seen recently.

A good description from IMDB "Before Life was Beautiful, life was bleak and depressing, as depicted in de Sica's classic example of Italian Neorealism."

Life is Beautiful, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition, Shawshank Redemption.

This past holiday season, I noted that every Christmas movie made in the last ten years had a plot that revolved around a fmaily recovering from a dead mother or child. And the Hallmark and Family Channels showed them relentlessly.

I don't get why many think Life Is Beautiful was depressing. I thought it was uplifting and reaffirming. The message, the theme of this film is rebirth, finding joy through suffering, happiness in times of complete loss.

I know there was lots of sad 'stuff' but it was trumped by the 'beauty' and the laughter.

Well, it was kind of the same for Shawshank and Green Mile, but it's still depressing. Shawshank ultimately has an uplifting and reaffirming end, but it's kind of soul crushing to see Brooksy commit suicide after finding no place in society, and then Red ends up in Brooksy's old room.

The father in Life is Beautiful doing a comic march in the alleyway to amuse his son, ugh... it's a tremendous moment, but damn.

I can't really add anything to it. You guys have listed some excellent choices. I'll cast some more votes for:

Schindler's List - Probably the only movie that I literally just could not keep watching.
Cinderella Man - That movie touched me deeply. Great job Ron Howard.
Brian's Song - He just wants to PLAY!!! THAT'S ALL!! And when he finally tells his wife he loves her.....Jesus Christ.

Allright, I know this is a big time chick flick, but I thought that it was a hellaciously moving love story....The Notebook. Yeah that's right. I said it. But that damn movie was just so sad, the whole idea of having the person that you've loved so much your entire life not even remember you...that's rough man, I don't care who you are.

Hotel Rwanda and the film bjork made which i think was called dancer in the dark.

About Schmidt was pretty depressing too

Just saw Munich, talk about depressing, but thought it was very good.

Murder in the First, Mystic River, I am Sam, Awakenings, Monster, Pay it Forward, Se7en, American Beauty, Life of David Gale (Damn that Spacey is depressing :) )