The most miserable films you've ever seen?

[HellKitty]

Where it finishes and you're more depressed than you were to start with.

Mine:
Stalingrado (Stalingrad) About Nazi's during (yup!) the battle of Stalingrad. In Russian. It is over 2 hours of depression.

All is lost.
Robert Redford at sea. Oh dear. For his face and the film.

The Grey.
Liam Neeson mumbles his way though misery.

Here's one I don't think anyone's mentioned yet.

Biutiful with Javier Bardem.

Oh dear god. It was absolutely gut wrenching. And to make it that much better (or worse), my DH and I had a babysitter so we could go to a movie. I let DH pick the film. I'll grant you the combined works of Lars Von Trier are probably more depressing and there are many emotionally charged films on this list. But as a whole, this film left me devastated for days there are scenes I still can't think about without becoming upset.

The Orphanage (del Toro) - started out like a crappy horror film but the 'answer' to the mystery utterly floored me and it haunted me for ages after :(

The pianist.

Marvin's Room - unadulterated misery.
The Pianist - DH got that out on Valentine's Day before we were married, thinking it was the Piano, I believe - OMG how wrong was he.
Trainspotting - the baby just broke my heart.

I have never yet felt strong enough to watch Schindler's List. I know I should, but I just can't.

Pans Labyrinth is also a bit

oh and Betty Blue

so so miserable

Dancer In The Dark upset me.
Bjork was so good in it and so believable.
I cried so much, felt so desperately for the character.
Schindlers list is a film that when it is on I switch over on to it every 15 minutes or so. I have never watched it entire from start to finish.
A film called Roger! was also terribly miserable. Saw it years ago on tv. It has stayed with me and I still think about it.

Perfect Sense with Ewan MacGregor. It was just the most depressing and dispiriting film.
I've read The Road, and it left me so miserable for days afterwards about the sheer futility of life that I don't date even attempt the film.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They (mentioned above) is one that I saw as a teenager and has stayed with me.

Well I'm now changing my #1 miserable film. Today I watched "Stuart: a life backwards" - oh god. It's based on real people, and it is utterly depressing. What made me saddest is the fact that none of it surprised me - it just felt so... inevitable :( :( :(

Adding a couple I've not seen mentioned yet...

Deliverance (at the end you sense his realisation that he is never, ever going to recover)

and a little-known Todd Haynes film set in the 80s called [Safe] about a woman (brilliant Julianne Moore) who self-diagnoses with chemical sensitivity, but never seems to find a solution. Very subtle and is a masterpiece IMHO, but incredibly bleak. I have never seen a film that better conveyed the sense of being all alone and disconnected from others. Couple of really terrifying scenes in which the lead character is overcome with something awful for no apparent reason.

Fuzzpig - I've read the book of that, and it wasn't so bad in the book. Sad, but not awful. Unlike "We need to talk about Kevin" which was just bloody fucking horrible. :( I won't be watching the film of that EVER.

One that breaks my heart every time is Pay it Forward - but it's a good film. And has good bits in it. So doesn't really qualify on this thread, unless you like a happy ending.

Another vote for 8mm and for Kes.

Also, not exactly a film, but Das Boot. I watched all of it and mostly enjoyed it, but the ending left me wretched.

Oh yes - Aces High.

I just asked DH if a film had ever made him cry or at least get a lump in his throat and he said he couldn't remember specific ones but probably. Heartless, he is! Then I wondered why people watch these films knowing they're going to be upsetting and he said that it's the same reason horror fans watch horror - they're emotion junkies.

I disagree. I hate it when a film is upsetting but I can recognise the other aspects of the film that make it brilliant, and appreciate those, be it the acting, the storyline, photography, location etc. For me the "sad factor" is incidental and one I have to endure to enjoy the film as a whole.

I'm not a "weepie" fan. Are any of you drawn to watch a film BECAUSE it's traumatic/depressing/emotive?

Curly, I don't want to watch films to make me feel miserable! The films I mentioned are ones that had great reviews or are beautifully shot. We just didn't realise the utter misery of them which got worse as they ended. For that reason I always refused to watch Sophie's Choice and Bambi.

My DP is a hard nosed metal head, working class northerner and I've seen him cry twice at films. The first was Good Will Hunting. It struck some nerve with him and similarities he'd been through. The second was before Christmas, we watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Seriously!! The bit where John Candy is asked whether he loves his wife, 'Love isn't a big enough word'. Poor DP was sobbing

The Machinist with Christian Bale.
It was so dark , maudlin , depressing , grey , dark plot , very slow.
Really did not enjoy it at all.

Most of mine have already been said (Requiem for a Dream, Tyrannosaur) but I don't think anyone has mentioned Snow Town yet. Australian film based on true story about a serial killer. Excellent soundtrack. Very very bleak. Gave me nightmares and could never watch again.

Another vote for The Road.

Another to add is I Am Sam with Sean Penn. Blubbed like a baby watching that.

The Magdalene Sisters. Whilst I appreciate that it is a story that should be told, I went to see it with DH and a few friends on Ash Wednesday years ago. I was giving up alcohol for Lent so everyone was drinking except me and I'd had the most shitty day at work. I was getting more and more depressed by the minute sitting in the cinema but then inexplicably started laughing. Hysterically. Lots of faces around. I then burst into tears and had to leave.

I've only read part of the thread, but for me it's Revolutionary Road With Kate Winslet. My ex and I watched it together when we were going through a rough patch. Horribly depressing.

Would agree with Tyrannosaur. It was brilliant, I love Paddy Considine. But I wouldn't put myself through watching it again in a hurry.

Betty Bleu (?)

BitterMoon

Black Swan
Magnolia

Blue valentine...