Recommendation for dark/gritty/depressing films

[Coreless]

About depressing/dark movies...I have a few in my collection that I always thought fit that category.

Sleepers - (1996) After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized; over 10 years later, they get their chance for revenge.

Mystic River - (2003) With a childhood tragedy that overshadowed their lives, three men are reunited by circumstance when one loses a daughter.

This last one has some supernatural/religious overtones in it, it might fall a little under your "unbelievable" category but I recommend it none the less.

The Ninth Gate - (2000) A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.

 

[Casual Shinji]

You know, you can't just post Happiness and then leave Welcome to the Dollhouse out of your list, that's just rude.

Nice to see someone else saw Lilja-4-Ever as well. The Swedish movie Princess is somewhat similar, both in the material it covers as well as its depressive nature.

Grave of the Fireflies is another movie that's terribly good at what it does. Unfortunately, what it does is show you two kids slowly starving to death. You might also want to check out the Japanese movie Nobody Knows; A movie about a group of siblings who get abandoned by their mother in their tiny little appartment, and then slowly run out of food and clothes.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I was gonna suggest Narc, but was ninja'd in the OP.

Er, possibly try Training Day.

Eden Lake, but that's very much a Marmite film.

Harry Brown is worth a watch too.

As a last suggestion, I was very surprised reading your list to find that A Clockwork Orange was not on it. Seems to me that film would top any 'gritty, disturbing' film list.

 

[octafish]

I see Animal Kingdom, Noise, Romper Stomper, and Snowtown but not The Boys? Watch Faramir be fucking terrifying.

 

[Vegosiux]

"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" could be both seen as depressing or inspiring. It's based on a true story about a man who suffers a stroke and his only form of communication with the world is blinking his left eye (his right one got sewn shut).

Oh and also "Grave Of The Fireflies", it's animated, but it makes grown men cry.

Grown men? That movie would make a rock cry. It's that awesome.

But yeah, I'd have recommended it had you not beat me to it ^^

 

[GoaThief]

Is it just me or is this thread abandoning it's premise of dark and gritty? The Descent, while a horror film, is so far removed from the likes of 120 Days of Sodom it really shouldn't be in here.

 

[Blunderboy]

The Mist is certainly depressing and shocking.
Well worth a watch.

Possibly Room 1408 as well.
'We've only just begun...'

 

[Tsaba]

snip

Restrepo

It didn't get nearly enough attention as it should have and the trailer can't begin to explain it.

 

[Kahohess]

I think one of the most deperessing movie i've seen this far was <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downfall_%28film%29>The Downfall. And knowing the end and the fact that those are trully monsters don't makes you feel better about what's happening on the screen.

 

[RuralGamer]

Apparently the film Stalker, which inspired the STALKER games is really good for that stuff. Never seen it, but its apparently good.

 

[Blunderboy]

I'm also going to throw in Shutter Island.
Also, watch District 9 because everyone should.

 

[katsabas]

Unbreakable. I think it's dark enough for ya.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

No mention of Brazil?

Mr. Helpmann will be very disappointed.


BladeRunner could also count.

Possibly Room 1408 as well.
'We've only just begun...'

The story is far superior. Still good though.

 

[Floodclaw]

The Mist is certainly depressing and shocking.
Well worth a watch.

Agreed. It made me for angry at humanity than anything else, but it was certainly depressing. It was so tragically nihilistic at points that even though I enjoyed the book and watching the movie, I really don't want to watch it again.

I must also second the recommendation of Pan's Labyrinth. I love that film to pieces because it adds the realm of fantasy to an otherwise simply depressing film. Very dark and deals with very real issues. It'll leave you thinking if you pay attention.

 

[Spitfire]

Any movie by Darren Aronofsky, or Vincenzo Natali should work.

I find that a lot of Steven Spielberg's movies are depressing as well, like Saving Private Ryan, or A.I.

Other suggestions are Moon, Oldboy, The Fly, and if you really want to watch a movie that will make you lose faith in humanity, then watch Salo, or Cannibal Holocaust.

 

[The Dutchess]

The Departed - amusing but brutal and filled to the brim with grit. Although I'd be surprised if you hadn't already seen it.

 

[mad825]

A scanner darkly

A clockwork orange

Day of the Dead[1985]

Fahrenheit 451

....You could also say Der Untergang (Downfall), I count 4 on-screen suicides and we all know what happened to Blondi and Hitler >.>

 

[hermes]

Grave of the fireflies: An animated film about two orphans trying to survive in WWII's Japan.

For those that said Moon, I would advice you to see Love and Solaris... Both are rather dark, slow sci-fi movies.

 

[OneCatch]

I was wondering if anybody could recommend me a film that they could be described as dark, gritty or depressing.

'Grave of the Fireflies' is plenty depressing. Not sure about gritty though..

'No Country For Old Men' possibly, though that would be better described as a dark comedy

'There Will Be Blood' has its moments.

'Dogtooth' is a greek film that fits the bill.

If you liked 'Funny Games' then 'A Serbian Film' is the logical progression. I thought it was terrible, but that might be me just being biased against the premise in general. Some other people I know thought it was rather clever.

'The Hurt Locker' might be one too.

'Buried' - it's about someone waking up in a coffin, what more do you want?

'127 Hours' I admit it's pretty stylish (Danny Boyle film, I need say no more) but don't let that put you off. I found it really quite gripping.

'Das Boot' and 'Lebanon' are claustrophobic, psychological war films. Das Boot is fantastic, Lebanon is pretty good too.


The best one I can think of is 'Dogville'. It's pretty slow, and not really graphic or anything, but is quite experimental and at times utterly horrible. Certainly shook me up a bit

EDIT" Quote fix

 

[Girl With One Eye]

If you liked the chaser, you might like I saw the devil.