What are the most cynical/depressing movies ever?

Oh God, Grave of the Fireflies...I felt like happiness would never exist in my life again after watching that one.

Also any Lars Von Trier films...I usually watch a lot of Hollywood nonsense, cause I like escapist entertainment, but I've seen a few of this man's films (Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves) and...wow. DEPRESSING. I hate movies like those.

Cynical movies aint so bad. Fight Club is uber cynical, and I love that one.

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I watched a rather good 'dismal' film last night about depression.

The Beaver

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Chinatown

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I found Synecdoche, New York too motivating to be depressing.

Why?

Blue Valentine (2010)

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Taxi Driver, The Treasure of the Sierre Madre and Five Easy Pieces are the best ones said so far imo. For cynical that is not depressing. Here's two very depressing movies i've watched recently, i wouldn't reccomend either because i didn't enjoy them.

The Coen Brothers are the kings of cynical and depressing.

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Through the darkness of future past
The magician longs to see
One chants out between two worlds:
Fire walk with me.

The Man Who Wasn't There was one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen.

Because the movie made me think of everyone as writers and their life is their story. Everyone had written thier life in this really miserable way, but it made me think that you don't have to write it that way. That most people could do a much better job of writing thier life script and that I wanted to too.

Wow. I never thought of it that way. That's really interesting.

Raging Bull

But isn't it about something he thinks he's writing, thinks he's in control of, spiralling out of his control and becoming this monstrous thing that he doesn't even recognise?

I think it is the most profoundly depressing film I have ever seen.

"You realize you are not special. You have struggled into existence, and are now slipping silently out of it. This is everyone's experience. Every single one."

Taxi Driver
Network
Requiem for a Dream
American Splendor
Adaptation
Lilja 4-ever
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Happiness

Cynical yes, but I don't find their films depressing at all. There's a level of playfulness to even their darkest films. Black humor and slapstick linger around the edges of everything they make, and they obviously enjoy subverting audience expectations. Why follow Fargo (which won Oscars) with a nearly plotless stoner comedy like The Big Lebowski? Because they can. I love their irreverence, and yes, their cynicism.

Yes, that's true. It's a dark movie and very sad and the people are certainly depressed but I was referring to the way I feel after watching it. The other movies I listed and several others in the thread leaving me feeling drained and empty but I don't feel like that after watching Synecdoche. I'm certainly not suggesting it's a happy feel good movie, but there is something about it that serves as a cautionary tale to me and in a weird way ( I guess) it had a positive effect on me.

Hi there, it's been a while (I hope my English has improved).

I just saw Blue Valentine and the feeling of sadness overwhelmed me. Also, it made me think of a few movies that you may call "depressing".

Besides of the recently named, I can recall the last scene of The Graduate, the last scene of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Green Mile.

What about you?

The Elephant Man.

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Check this thread.

As for my pick - It's Such A Beautiful Day (2012).

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