Cinema of Despair

[MsAmerica]

I like this. I've thought of a theater doing a series called Cinema of Paranoia.

Do you have any movies that stand out as the bleakest you've seen? For me, Fires on the Plain and Testament come to mind.

Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair
https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/bleak-week-cinema-of-despair-year-3/

The American Cinematheque will once again plumb the depths of the human experience with the fourth annual Bleak Week: The Cinema of Despair. And this year—perhaps fittingly for 2025—Bleak Week will expand nationwide, playing at 10 venues across seven cities.
https://filmobsessive.com/film/film-news/festivals/bleak-week-the-cinema-of-despair-expands-nationwide-this-june/

LA’s Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair goes international
In an era dominated by adventure flicks and superhero franchises, American Cinematheque’s screening festival dedicated to showcasing dark films is expanding its reach beyond the US.
https://monocle.com/culture/las-bleak-week-cinema-of-despair-goes-international/

Salò. I've never felt so utterly empty and depressed after watching a film. It's not even the shocking gore, rather the whole situation and ending.

Get Carter - although I enjoy watching Michael Caines performance it's a very bleak story.

That’s one film I can’t bring myself to watch despite trying to see as many world cinema classics as I can. I think it would break me!

Also - an old Jane Fonda film called They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Very hard to find on DVD and none of the official streaming channels but someone has uploaded a copy on YouTube.

I don't watch horror, but I think it's a mistake to avoid sad films, as so many of the truly great films are sad.

Yeah.

:(

I love that your husband tried to expose them to good film, though.