Are you a fan of movies that will leave you with that empty feeling that can only be filled with tissues and a call to your loved one? Well look no further than these depressing movies that are so amazing at what they do that you’ll watch them once and never again.
5. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
This documentary is about capturing the life of a man who was murdered, for the purpose of showing it to his son that he had no idea about. This film will exhaust you to no end and make you feel like there is no hope in humanity left. It is shot and edited so well that you feel depressed just listening to the stories about the man. It was so well made that this film brought about new laws and can be seen as one of the best cinematic scrapbooks that you never want to open again.
4. Grave of the Fireflies
Being the only movie on the list that is animated, you may think that having that disconnection from real people would soften the blow of the punch to your heart. But nope, if anything it makes it worse. As a Studio Ghibli film, you know you are in for a film with strong messages and an amazing story that will stick with you, and this film doesn’t disappoint. It follows two children through their lives in a war torn Japan at the end of World War 2. Instead of a film that focuses on the war itself, it takes a different route and throws you into the ways that the war affected the Japanese home-front and the families that are thrust into war. You might want to hug your siblings and your parents after this one.
3. The Wrestler
This film may not seem like a sad movie going in, but don’t be fooled. Micky Rourke stars as Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, a professional wrestler nearing the end of his career and struggling to adapt to a life outside of the business. As a die hard wrestling fan, this movie made me feel things that I had never previously thought about, like all my childhood heroes and how they might be going through the same things. His story has so much weight on it that you feel like every move he makes and every breath he takes could end in disaster.
2. Schindler’s List
A movie that is set in one of the most horrific, depressing periods in history, where some of the most evil acts occurred, is sure to pull you down a few pegs and make you feel like you are a part of this disaster. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, you feel every emotion that he feels as he is witnessing firsthand the monstrosities that took place during the war. There is one scene in this movie that will make anyone teary eyed just thinking about it. If you have seen this movie you know which one it is. I’m welling up just thinking about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfIf1WMhgc
1. Short Term 12
This movie man. I went into this movie not knowing too much about it apart from that it gained a whole heap of praise from festivals and that it didn’t do too well in the box office. Holy moly, now I know why this movie is held in such high regard. This movie throws you right into the lives of children that have had harder lives than anyone should ever have to go through and it takes you through the lives of the people caring for them. Battling themes of abuse, self harm, depression and mental illness as a whole, it really goes to show you that some of the saddest movies are the ones that we can relate to personally, more so than any superhero death ever could.